Baking & Snack - October 2014 - 49

Q&A: Allergens
Joe Baumert
Over the past decade, the world of allergens and recalls has drastically changed for the baking industry. With the Food Safety
Modernization Act (FSMA) looming on the horizon, the evolution isn't over. So, how can bakers get their minds - and their
processes - around allergen control? The Food Allergy Research
and Resource Program (FARRP) at the University of Nebraska,
Lincoln, led by co-directors Stephen Taylor, PhD, and Joe
Baumert, PhD, is a resource for information, expert opinions,
tools and services relating to allergens in the food industry.
As FARRP co-founder and professor with the Department of
Food Science and Technology, Dr. Taylor's research interests involve food allergies and allergy-like illnesses including the de-

Steve Taylor
velopment, evaluation and improvement of immunochemical
methods for the detection of allergens and allergenic foods; the
determination of threshold doses for allergenic foods and implementation of risk assessment approaches for allergenic foods; and
the effect of food processing on food allergens.
An assistant professor at the University of Nebraska, Dr.
Baumert's research interests include the examination of the digestive stability of major food allergens, the examination of processing effects on food allergens and more.
Together in this exclusive Q&A, Drs. Taylor and Baumert share
with Baking & Snack some of the most pressing allergen and
allergen-related issues facing the industry today.

From Prediction to
Prevention

FARRP co-directors offer a glimpse
into the crystal ball of allergen controls.

Joanie Spencer: Why is the baking industry so prone
to allergen-related recalls? Why are some products,
such as cookies, at more risk than others?
Stephen Taylor: The baking industry is more prone to allergen recalls for multiple reasons: the widespread use of ingredients from
commonly allergenic sources (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy,
wheat), the widespread use of shared equipment and facilities
within the baking industry, the frequency of changeovers from allergenic to non-allergenic formulations, the particulate nature of
some allergenic ingredients used in bakery formulations and the
challenges associated with allergen cleaning in the baking industry.
Particulates often have sufficient mass to elicit allergic reactions
in sensitive consumers. It can be difficult to remove every single
particle from shared baking equipment. Wet cleaning is generally the most effective approach to removal of allergen residues
from shared equipment surfaces, but wet cleaning cannot generally be practiced in the baking industry. Dry cleaning approaches
are difficult and sometimes inefficient. However, the No. 1 reason
for allergen recalls involves putting the incorrect product in the
package. With the frequency of product changeovers in the baking
industry, proper procedures should be in place to ensure that the
product gets matched with the correct package.

How have advances in testing, training, audits and
regulations affected the number of recalls?
Dr. Taylor: Consumers are more alert to allergens than at any time
in history. Those who believe they have suffered an allergic reaction are much more likely to contact the manufacturer or the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) than in years past. FDA is also

very responsive now to such consumer complaints and is likely
to initiate an investigation. The Reportable Food Registry (RFR)
requires that food manufacturers must quickly alert FDA to any
concerns regarding undeclared allergens whether from consumer
complaints or other sources, such as a supplier informing a company that their ingredient may contain undeclared allergen.
Joe Baumert: Undeclared allergens are the leading cause of RFR
reports in recent years. The existence of specific and sensitive
methods for detecting allergen residues means that regulators and
the food industry have analytical approaches to verify the presence
of allergens when any suspicions arise. In the absence of regulatory thresholds, any amount of detectable allergen residue is going to lead to an RFR report and a likely product recall. Consumer
complaints likely do not occur with all recalls. The Food Allergen
Labeling & Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) has increased the
focus on proper labeling of allergenic foods and ingredients derived from allergenic foods. When errors are made in the implementation of FALCPA stipulations, then recalls will ensue.

Why are there so many recalls despite efforts to
improve food safety?
Dr. Baumert: Allergenic food ingredients are ubiquitous in the
baking and snack industries. In most facilities, such ingredients
are present in large amounts. By contrast, other food-safety hazards are present in trace amounts, making them easier to control.
Other factors also contribute to allergen-control issues. The frequency of use of shared equipment, the frequent use of rework and
the frequency of changeovers mean that allergen control must be
consistently and frequently practiced in baking facilities.

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Baking & Snack - October 2014

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