instore - August 2016 - (Page CI1)

Insight Insider Feature Dealing with allergens Product Spotlight Product Spotlight The case for RPCs Sandwich wraps Assembling Foods Operations and Logistics Latest innovations LTL shipping Feature: Dealing with allergens By Ryan Atkinson veryone in the business of food has to deal with allergens. Restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries, c-stores - they carry a responsibility to know exactly what is and is not in the food they are selling to their customers. Commercial Food Sanitation - and industry expert on sanitation and food safety - talked with Commissary Insider to go over some important steps and ideas to make sure your game plan is solid. While every operation listed above faces its own challenges in working with and around allergens, the argument can be made that it impacts commissaries and central kitchens even more. Not only are commissaries responsible for producing the food that makes its way to retailers - whether it's by baking, assembling, grilling, cooking or more - but that food can be ever-changing. If a customer decides it wants a new salad with walnuts, the commissary is charged with doing everything it can to provide it. Not to mention, the facility is likely already dealing with countless ingredients used to make dozens of dishes for multiple customers. "Today, there is a much higher level of sensitivity when it comes to allergens," says Stout, who points out that his two daughters are celiac patients. "The industry has done a really good job teaching, especially at commissaries and restaurants, the importance of allergens. When my girls were diagnosed 12 or 15 years ago, you'd go out to eat and talk to the waiter, or the cook or manager, and they really didn't know how to deal with it. Today, people have a lot of help with selections. Most everyone has gluten-free or allergen-free items. A lot has been done for those allergen-sensitive patients and it's really appreciated." Most facilities likely already have procedures in place to deal with allergens and the growing base of consumers who are allergen-sensitive. But Joe Stout, president of commercial sanitation for Train the trainer E Stout says one of the most important parts of better equipping your facility to deal with allergens is simply providing PHOTO: GOOD TO GO FRESH the right leadership and education for your employees. "It's kind of a 'train the trainer' approach," he says. "You need to help with allergens, but without giving employees crisp, clear directions on what to do and when to do it, that education and training ends up being meaningless." Video material is crucial. It can often help employees become aware of the seriousness of allergens, Stout says. "The hard part is getting the right video material," he says, mentioning quality programs from the Food Allergy Research & Resource Program. "It has to be a program you can talk and train to." That goes hand-in-hand with establishing the right program for your facility. That can be anything from using different colored utensils for working with different allergens to how to properly clean and do visual inspections. "It's a multi-faceted approach," Stout says. "The most important thing is just to have a program that is good and you can train to." commissary INSIDER * AUGUST 2016 * 1

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

instore - August 2016
Editor's note - Allergens: A new way to connect
Table of Contents
News - On our radar
Spotlight - By the numbers: Deli sandwiches
Cover story - Allergen awareness
Specialty insights - Consider: Dips and spreads
Commissary Insider - August 2016
Feature: Dealing with allergens
Food Safety: Reusable Plastic Containers vs. corrugated packaging (Part 2 of 2)
Product Spotlight: Sandwich wraps — making a comeback?
Packaging: Container innovations are clearly in your favor
Operations and logistics: Less-than-truckload shipping
Feature - Changing perceptions
Product knowledge - Need to know: Dessert cakes
Equipment & packaging - Latest Innovation: Combination ovens
Merchandising - On Display: Tailgating season
Product Trends - First to Market
Product Showcase
Ad Index

instore - August 2016