instore - May 2016 - COM22

Research and Development

Reactions to food allergens
are responsible for 200,000
emergency room visits and as
many as 200 deaths annually.
An estimated 15 million
Americans suﬀer from food
allergies.

story, but also poses potential allergen
safety issues, as many artisans do not
have the resources to properly track
allergens. Therefore, it is important to
require letters from suppliers to guarantee the ingredients you purchase
do not contain undeclared allergens.
Require your suppliers to notify you
of any changes to the allergen status
of the ingredients they supply prior to
those changes.
For example, the breads and rolls used
to make sandwiches sold at an airport
kiosk or coffee shop counter may not
contain eggs, but if they were made in a
bakery that also produces goods made
with eggs and tree nuts, there's concern
for contamination. One way to handle
this matter is to declare it on the sandwich's label. Possible statements include "This product may inadvertently
contain eggs and tree nuts," "Produced
in a facility that handles eggs and tree
nuts" or "Made on shared equipment
with products containing eggs and
nuts."
But be aware that such cautionary
statements are not required by FALCPA - in fact, they are discouraged.
Instead, FALCPA emphasizes the importance of preventing contamination.
Voluntary labeling such as this should
be reserved for situations that potentially represent genuine hazards.
In recent years, there has been a proliferation of the use of precautionary allergen statements, desensitizing many
consumers. This is especially true for
teens and young adults, who often view
these statements as unnecessarily limiting their food choices. By becoming
so used to the warnings that they ignore them, they end up taking a chance
on their life. So while a company may

22 * MAY 2016

commissary INSIDER

Is that
Allergen Really
Necessary?
PHOTO: STARBUCKS

over-label out of the goodness of their
hearts, it can result in being too much of
a good thing.

Maintaining records
A food allergen awareness program
should identify points during food assemblage when contamination can occur. Properly labeling and segregating
ingredients can assist with preventing
contamination, and always review the
labels of incoming raw materials for the
appropriate allergen information or any
changes to it. Tag each incoming container to ensure the allergen is clearly
identified in order that the product is
properly stored and used in the commissary.
Most food allergen contamination is
a result of mislabeled products, and
mislabeling is the top cause of food allergen product recalls. One of the best
ways to prevent allergen contamination
is to produce allergen-containing products on a different day than non-allergen
containing products. Another option
is to produce the allergen-containing
products at the end of the day, after the
non-allergen-containing products have
been packaged and removed from the
production room.
Daily production records and records of
manufacture also help prevent contamination. Such records inform production
personnel on the products to make, the
sequence of production and the ingredients to use, or not to use, in each product. Record all ingredients and their lot
number on the record of manufacture,
as well as the lot numbers of all food
packaging materials. The finished product should include a manufacturing date
and facility code in order to assist with
tracking products in case of a recall.

* Question suppliers on the
functionality and necessity of
allergens in their formulation.
Whenever possible, choose
allergen free.
* Only add allergen-containing
ingredients to new products
when they make a discernable
diﬀerence in the taste or
functionality of the product.
* Avoid using allergenic
ingredients in such low amounts
that they have no or minimal
functional eﬀect in the ﬁnished
product.
* If the allergen is in a condiment,
such as mayonnaise on a sandwich
or dressing for a salad, consider
including an industrial-sealed
condiment packet rather than
applying at the commissary or in a
hand-ﬁlled portion cup.
Finally, cleaning and sanitation are extremely important in preventing food allergen problems. In a commissary, this
is more about work space and utensils
than stainless steel vats and valves. If
equipment is left dirty or is not properly sanitized, the residues may contain
enough of a food allergen to get carried
through to the finished product and
cause an allergic reaction.
A food allergen awareness plan is a continuous effort. Every time a new menu
item is being assembled, a new ingredient enters the facility, or even a regular
ingredient comes in from a new supplier, the plan must be updated. Every
time a new employee is hired, they must
be educated.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - May 2016