STANDARD &
REGULATION
59
FEB 2017 FOOD FOCUSTHAILAND
distinct particle such as sesame seeds, slivered
nuts and grated cheese. Particulate allergens do
notmixhomogenouslywithother partsof the food
and as such are high risk as they will be present
ina single concentrated form in finishedproducts.
Theyarealso readily spread intoother production
areas through poor cleaning and food handler
practices. Powdered allergens such as egg, milk,
wheat glutenand soy isolates can readilybecome
airborne and a source of contamination. Sticky or
fattyallergens, suchassesameseeds, nut pastes
andmilk proteins will adhere to surfaces and are
difficult to remove from equipment and as such
require different controls.
Learnings inAllergenManagement
AllGFSI (GlobalFoodSafety Initiative)and retailer
foodsafetystandardshavehigh-levelexpectations
and prescriptive requirements for allergens.
However, these are often limited to the direct
operationsof themanufacturing facilityanddonot
necessarily include allergen risks in other sectors
of the food supply chain. There is little gain to be
had ifmanufacturershave rigorouscontrols inplace
to prevent contamination through equipment and
productionprocesses, if a rawmaterial containing
anunexpectedallergen is then receivedandused.
Fundamentals for Effective Allergen
Management Include
Knowing your supplier(s) and communicating
regularly on the source(s) of rawmaterials so that
inherent allergen risks are understood. If a raw
material is intended foruse inaproduct thatmakes
a ‘free from’ claim, this needs to be known by the
supplier to ensure changes to the allergen status
areprioritized and communicated.
Understanding the unique risks and allergen
status of all rawmaterials. While this information
should be detailed in a product specification, its
accuracyand reliabilitywilldependon the technical
knowledge and competence of the author. Often
product specifications are completed remotely
without a site assessment being undertaken to
identify actual allergen risks.
Applyinga rigorous riskassessment to identify
thepotential forallergencontaminationateachstep
in themanufacturingprocess.Theflowofallergenic
material, from receipt through to finished product
despatch, needs tobemapped to identify specific
pointsofpotentialcontamination.Acontrolmeasure
then needs to be applied at each potential point
of contamination to prevent, eliminate or reduce
theallergen risk. These controlsmay be identified
either throughHACCPor pre-requisiteprograms.
Implementing,monitoringand reviewing theongoingeffectivenessandsustainabilityof
controlssuchassegregationof allergenicproductsorproductionscheduling tominimize
the frequency of changeovers between allergen and non-allergen-containing products.
The use of visually distinct clothing may be used to highlight food handler movement
between allergen and non-allergen areas. Stringent rework procedures are necessary
to ensureallergens are not added intoallergen-free products.
Specialwaste-handlingandspillageprocedureswillbe required toensure the removal
process isnot asourceof contamination intootherareasof the facility.Thesustainability
of controls will depend on the effective training of food handlers as human error is a
significant risk factor inallergen contamination and product mislabelling.
