Best Practices in Allergen

Management
Jennifer McCreary, Technical Manager,
Training and Education Services
NSF-GFTC/NSF International

www.ifsqn.com

Who is NSF-GFTC?

Trainers
Food safety and quality management consultants
Scientists and research professionals
Packaging, labelling and technical experts
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Program Outline
1. How to conduct an allergen risk assessment
2. How to develop and implement your allergen
management plan

Allergen Risk Assessment

Allergic Reaction
An adverse immune response following repeated contact with
otherwise harmless substances such as pollens, molds, foods,
or drugs.

Before Setting Up an Allergen Management

Program Remember:
Protein component of the food is
the problem
Allergens that are unidentified
pose the biggest threat

Purpose of Allergen Risk Assessment

Determine risks due to unintentional presence of allergens

Allergen Risk Assessment: Steps

Step 1
Identify whether the ingredient/product intentionally contains
an allergenic foodstuff

CFIAs Allergen Checklist

CFIAs Allergen Checklist

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/non-federally-registered/safe-food-production/allergenrisks/eng/1357659722449/1357665699917

Allergen Risk Assessment: Steps

Step 2
Whether any of these allergenic ingredients have the potential to
cross contact:
Either foods produced on the premises, or ingredients
Coming into the premises

Risk Assessment Outcome: Example

Risk arising from agricultural contamination
Carrots are grown in an area where peanuts are also grown as a
commodity crop

Risk Assessment Outcome: Example

Situation

Risk/ Hazard

Risk
Assessment

Output from
Risk
Assessment

Outcome

Carrots are
grown in an
area where
peanuts are
also grown as a
commodity crop

Peanuts were
grown the
season before
in the same
field. Peanut
contamination
in carrots

Post harvest,
carrots go
through
numerous
processing
steps:
Scaling,
washing and
scrubbing but
have had
occurrences
where peanuts/
peanut shells
found in the
carrot

After the
processing
steps, the
likelihood of
contamination
is probable

Major
Avoidable
allergen
How?

Allergen Identification and Mapping

Allergen Identification
Assessing Recipes/ Formulas and Raw Materials

Identify and list sources in facility

Identify ingredients that contain and may contain allergens
Consider primary and secondary ingredients (spices, colours
and flavours etc.)

Use master list of all ingredients in facility

Ingredient Allergen Identification Form

Ingredient

Peanuts

Tree Nuts

Sesame

Milk

Eggs

Fish

Crustacea
ns

Soy

List all ingredients and raw materials at your facility

Indicate the presence of ingredients containing allergens from each category with a simple checkmark.

Wheat

Mustard

Finished Product/ Formula Allergen

Identification Form
Finished
Product/
Formula

Peanuts

Tree Nuts

Sesame

Milk

Eggs

Fish

Crustacea
ns

Soy

List all products currently in production at your facility

Indicate the presence of ingredients containing allergens from each category with a simple checkmark

Wheat

Mustard

Allergen Mapping
Identifying and highlighting areas and processes where both
allergen and non-allergen products are handled and a chance
of cross contact exists

Process Flow Allergen Mapping-Example

Milk
Processing
Line 1:
Plain
Cream
Cheese

Line 2:
Salmon
Cottage
Cheese
Shipping

Packing,
Labelling
Metal
Detector

Carton
Packing

Allergen Mapping for Multifacility Operation

Plant A
Peanuts

Plant B

Plant C

Plant D

Tree Nuts

Sesame
Milk

Eggs

Fish
Crustaceans
Soy
Wheat
Mustard
Sulphites

Allergen Management Program

Allergen Control
Allergens
Deliberate
(Ingredients)

Labelling
Formulation,
Traceability

Inadvertent
(cross
contamination)
Allergen Risk
Mgmt
Risk Assessment

Integrated Allergen
Management Program

Raw Materials and Supply Chain

Ingredient purchasing policy with special reference to
allergy status
Change in supplier must be accompanied by
appropriate checks
Awareness of allergen status back through the supply
chain

Receiving and Storage

Review labels of incoming
products each shipment to catch
any changes
Separate allergen containing
materials using numbering
system, color coding or tagging
Ensure handling of allergenic
ingredients does not cause
contamination of other
ingredients

Storage Segregation Practices

Segregated storage areas
marked and identified clearly
Set up allergen zones for raw
and finished products
No open allergen ingredient
storage
Dedicated storage containers
Spillage procedure

Production Scheduling
Segregation of allergenic products possible through
product scheduling
Mostly allergen free products first and the allergenic
products last or
Ensure a complete allergen clean at the end of an
allergen production run

Rework/Reuse
Use color-coded or numbered tags to identify and
record:
When reworked products with allergenic ingredients are
produced
Where these products are stored
The products into which they are reworked

Use rework containing unique allergenic foods only in

a similar formulation identical into identical

Personnel Practices
Separate personnel working on allergenic and nonallergenic lines
Identify restricted employees
Dedicated maintenance tools
Follow GMP protocols for personal hygiene,
handwashing, eating areas etc.

Staff Training and Education

General training on allergen awareness and control at all
levels
Specific documented training to employees

phharcenv.com

Design of Premises and Equipment

Design to allow for appropriate GMPs, changeover
regimes and inspection
Cleanability
Easy to access and dismantle equipment
No crossovers of open production lines
Ventilation and dust extraction units
Uncleanable parts of shared equipment- disposable
Review for new installations and upgrades

Product Development and Brand Extensions

www.vt.edu

Avoid introducing a new

allergen if possible
Clearly label new products if
they contain allergens
Communicate to all
concerned about the new
allergen

Packaging and Labelling

Label approval process
If new package is to be used
due to change in allergen
status, destroy old packaging
to avoid being used in error
Proper inventory control
procedures for packaging
materials

Precautionary Labelling

Precautionary labelling not used in lieu of GMPs.

Allergen Cleaning and Validation

Allergen Clean
All food contact surfaces are visibly clean. NO visible build up
or residue remains or is allowed to re-contaminate
Areas around or above the product zones must be free of
allergen containing product or dust (e.g. ledges, overhead
pipes, splash zones, etc.)

Allergen Cleaning
Dedicated cleaning equipment
Effective cleaning equipment and
supplies
Flushing/product purge

Allergen Cleaning: Documentation

Allergen Changeover Grid/Matrix
Identifies which products can be produced
without a wash down and which products
require an allergen clean between their
production

Allergen Matrix/Changeover Grid

Sulphites

Mustard

Celery

Wheat

Soya

Sesame

Crustaceans

Product E

Fish

Product D

Milk

Product C

Egg

Product B

Tree nuts

Peanuts

Product A

Allergen Matrix/Changeover Grid

Product

Summary of Production Runs and Cleaning Requirements

Product
A

Product
B

EW

Product
C

E WM

Product
D

EWMT

Product
E

EMS

E Eggs; W Wheat; M Milk; T Tree nuts; S - Soy

Allergen
Wash

Allergen Matrix/Changeover Grid

White Milk

White Milk

Chocolate Milk

Colour Wash

Egg Nog

Allergen Wash

Chocolate Milk

Egg Nog

Flush Line

Colour Wash

Colour Wash

Allergen Wash

Allergen Cleaning Validation

Two step approach
1. Physical/visual validation
of allergen change over
2. Analytical validation of
allergens using allergen
test kits

Testing Protocol

Product
Run

Swab
Run product
with allergen

Swab
surface(s)
before
cleaning

Clean

Clean
line/equipme
nt with
established
method

Swab
Swab
surface(s)
after cleaning
Test for
allergen in
question

Allergen Management Program Review:

System Health Check
Review and verify allergen hazard
analysis and management
Product and ingredient
specifications
Operating procedures
Cleaning procedures
Training records
Analysis of customer complaints

Questions?
Jennifer McCreary
Technical Manager, Training and Education
NSF-GFTC/NSF International
jmccreary@nsf.org