Steve L. Taylor, Ph.D. currently serves as a professor in the Department of Food Science & Technology and founder and co-director of the Food Allergy Research & Resource Program (FARRP) (http://farrp.unl.edu/) at the University of Nebraska. Dr. Taylor received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in food science and technology from Oregon State University and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California - Davis. Dr. Taylor maintains an active research program in the area of food allergies. Dr. Taylor initiated his professional interest in food allergies and sensitivities in 1980. His primary research interests involve the development of methods for the detection of residues of allergenic foods, the determination of the minimal eliciting doses for specific allergenic foods and their use in quantitative risk assessment, the assessment of the allergenicity of ingredients derived from allergenic sources, and the assessment of the allergenicity of foods produced through agricultural biotechnology. Dr. Taylor is heavily involved in outreach to the food industry on food allergies and sensitivities and has helped countless companies on a wide range of allergen-related topics.  In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Steve Taylor about: Why the number of food allergen recalls in the U.S. appears to be climbing How U.S. regulations continue to lag behind in terms of setting allergy thresholds The discrepancy between consumer allergy management and the U.S. healthcare system The development of allergies in infants vs. adults, and how food allergies are less common outside the U.S. Why allergy avoidance is not always the best treatment for consumers with perceived food allergies Immunotherapies, mass spectrometry, and other forms of allergy treatment currently undergoing research His industry work and ongoing research with detection methods, and his involvement with Food Allergy Research & Education, and FARRP at the University of Nebraska Thoughts on how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could help alleviate problems related to food allergens and product labeling The correlation between gluten-free foods and food allergens Whether or not food processors should have dedicated processing lines for foods made with allergenic ingredients   Related Content: A Look Back at 2016 Recalls http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/enewsletter/a-look-back-at-2016-food-recalls/ Report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Recommendations to the Food Industry and Regulatory Agencies on the Management of Food Allergens (Feb/March 2017) http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/februarymarch-2017/report-from-the-national-academies-of-sciences-engineering-and-medicine-recommendations-to-the-food-industry-and-regulatory-agencies-on-the-management-of-food-allergens/ Steve Taylor, Ph.D., Receives Food Safety Magazine's Distinguished Service Award (2013)  http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/news/steve-taylor-phd-receives-food-safety-magazine-distinguished-service-award/ Allergen Validation: Analytical Methods and Scientific Support for a Visually Clean Standard (Dec. 2011/Jan. 2012)  http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/december-2011january-2012/allergen-validation-analytical-methods-and-scientific-support-for-a-visually-clean-standard/ Ensuring the Safety and Quality of Fried Foods (June/July 2007) http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/junejuly-2007/ensuring-the-safety-and-quality-of-fried-foods/ Bakeries Rise to Food Safety and Defense Challenges (Aug/Sep 2006) http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/augustseptember-2006/bakeries-rise-to-food-safety-and-defense-challenges/ News Mentioned in This Episode: Food Safety Pioneer Dave Theno Dies at 66 http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/news/food-safety-pioneer-dave-theno-dies-at-66/ Bernard and Bennett to Receive Food Safety Magazine's Distinguished Service Award http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/news/bernard-a