New Codex guidance pushes precautionary allergen labelling toward documented, risk-assessment-based decisions instead of a blanket “may contain” approach — and it reinforces requirements BRCGS Gluten-Free sites already have to meet.
New Precautionary Allergen Labelling Guidance from Codex
Following the 49th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling and adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July 2026, new international guidelines now push for a risk-assessment-based approach to precautionary allergen labelling — moving away from a blanket “may contain” approach and toward documented risk assessments with defined action levels.
- If you are BRCGS Global Standard Gluten-Free certificated: this reinforces requirements already in place — robust allergen segregation, validation and verification, with no precautionary gluten statements permitted alongside a gluten-free trademark claim.
- If you handle allergens under any other standard: treat this as a signal to revisit your risk assessments and testing strategy before scrutiny increases.
For the official interpretation of how allergen and gluten-free requirements apply under BRCGS, see our BRCGS Position Statements page, where the current Position Statement documents are available to download directly.
Upcoming Training: Virtual Implementation of BRCGS — 8–10 September
With the new Position Statements now in force, there’s no better time to get your team hands-on with the practical side of BRCGS implementation. Join our virtual training running from 8–10 September, where we walk through building and maintaining a certification-ready system — from documentation through to audit preparation.
3-day virtual classroom, 8–10 September 2026