PRP 11: Allergens

More and more people become sensitive to different allergens. Therefore, allergens are also included in the different hazards (besides, physical, chemical and biological). 

As a consequence, a general allergen policy should be outlined. In this policy the principles should determine how allergens are handled:

First, it should be determined which allergens can be associated with the produced products

When it is decided to keep allergens out of the company, there are consequences on the level of raw material selection. The suppliers of raw materials need to guarantee that no traces of allergens are present in the company and/or no products are produced that can give rise to the presence of allergens by cross-contamination.

When certain allergens are used in the company for the production of a certain type of food, precautionary measures can be taken to avoid the spreading and cross-contamination of allergens. These measures can be once only e.g., a separation in place or time of the production process or they can be general. Examples of general measures are:

(1) clear separation of recipients, spoons, for raw materials, intermediate products and end products,

(2) work methodology to avoid cross-contamination, (3) separate allergens of other products during storage.

However, the control of allergens through general precautionary measures is not complete. As a consequence, one should be prudent for the establishment of end-product specifications.