9 replies to this topic

[purg]

Hi Forum

 

How do you deal with allergens in food packaging production ? Revision 5 of BRC IOP is putting this at light. How did you assesed this risk ?

 

Do you also do supplier risk assesment for both raw material suppliers and serice suppliers?

 

Tell me how you deal with it  in your factories. I have some ideas but I dont know if im not taking it to strict. Do you see any risk from allergens apart of food eaten in a canteen ?

 

Regards

 

Michal

[Simon]

Hi Michal,

 

Get a list of allergens not just for your country, but also for countries where your material is supplied.

 

Then ask does any chemical, material or article that you use in your production contain any of the listed allergens.  Find out and get statements from suppliers where necessary.  If your employees do not change out of work wear before eating then your canteen must be nut free, no products in snack machines that are nuts or contain nuts and not to be brought in by employees, visitors or contractors.

 

The likelihood is very low, but you have to go through the process as the severity is high in relation to nut allergy.

 

Regards,

Simon

[CMHeywood]

I work for a company that makes flexible packaging for food.  We do not allow food in the production or storage areas.  We allow only water in clear, colorless bottles.  We provide the bottles.  We require employees to wash their hand after handling food (eating meals).  We do consider food allergens in raw materials and service providers in our risk analysis under biological hazards.

[Rosemary4]

Hi, we do very similar to Simon. The company has been declared as a 'no nuts' company (same with chewing gum). We communicated this to employees via memos on payslips in addition to notices in the canteens. There is a note where the visitors sign in. The vending machine company are aware of the policy and have put a note inside for any relief operators. The agency has one of our sign-off sheets containing hygiene regulations and it is covered during employee / agency induction.

We have checked our COSHH datasheets for chemicals used in process and asked suppliers of film, liners, cartons for statements that their products don't contain allergens. A customer audit last May raised an ncr over not having an allergen policy or risk assessment, even though it wasn't necessary under issue 4! That prompted both to be completed.

Two weeks after we introduced the policy someone brought in a chocolate bar with hazelnuts in. I stuck a notice up with the offending item, reminding people to check their foodstuffs carefully. To date (touch wood)we have had no repetition thankfully.

[Batchoy]

One of the big problems is that a lot of the food industry fails to differentiate between allergens in general and the notifiable food allergens for example we have had significant difficulty in sourcing blue metal detectable plasters for one of our employees as they have an allergic reaction to many of the adhesives used. Thus when answering customer questions that simply state 'allergens' rather than 'food allergens' I make it clear that I, at least, am discussing food allergens.

 

However that aside, we control food allergens by banning all food and drink from production areas, storage areas, locker rooms and changing areas. The food that is brought in by staff (we do not provide food or food vending machines), is taken straight into the canteen and stored in the lockers and chiller cabinets provided before they proceed to the locker room and changing into their overalls. Then prior to entering the production area operators are required to wash their hands. At break times staff are required to remove their overalls in the locker room before proceeding to the canteen.

 

We have looked at going further and banning nuts, and other notifiable food allergens but many of the items are intrinsic to the cuisine of many of our staff members, and testing the food they bring in is impractical, as is providing food that is palatable and religiously acceptable to our ethically mixed workforce 24hrs a day.

 

With regard to the raw materials we use they are all certified free from food allergens and latex by the manufacturers, though the polymers themselves can trigger allergic contact dermatitis. 

[Charles.C]

One of the big problems is that a lot of the food industry fails to differentiate between allergens in general and the notifiable food allergens for example we have had significant difficulty in sourcing blue metal detectable plasters for one of our employees as they have an allergic reaction to many of the adhesives used. Thus when answering customer questions that simply state 'allergens' rather than 'food allergens' I make it clear that I, at least, am discussing food allergens.

 

However that aside, we control food allergens by banning all food and drink from production areas, storage areas, locker rooms and changing areas. The food that is brought in by staff (we do not provide food or food vending machines), is taken straight into the canteen and stored in the lockers and chiller cabinets provided before they proceed to the locker room and changing into their overalls. Then prior to entering the production area operators are required to wash their hands. At break times staff are required to remove their overalls in the locker room before proceeding to the canteen.

 

We have looked at going further and banning nuts, and other notifiable food allergens but many of the items are intrinsic to the cuisine of many of our staff members, and testing the food they bring in is impractical, as is providing food that is palatable and religiously acceptable to our ethically mixed workforce 24hrs a day.

 

With regard to the raw materials we use they are all certified free from food allergens and latex by the manufacturers, though the polymers themselves can trigger allergic contact dermatitis. 

 

Hi Batchoy,

 

I'm sure you realize that, just as an example, Peanuts represents a highly potent Allergen source.

 

Perhaps Packaging is less demanding than RTE Food (??)  but this seems to me like a major defect in yr Allergen Management Program.

[noelandrade]

Hi Michal,

 

Hi Michal,

 

Get a list of allergens not just for your country, but also for countries where your material is supplied.

 

Then ask does any chemical, material or article that you use in your production contain any of the listed allergens.  Find out and get statements from suppliers where necessary.  If your employees do not change out of work wear before eating then your canteen must be nut free, no products in snack machines that are nuts or contain nuts and not to be brought in by employees, visitors or contractors.

 

The likelihood is very low, but you have to go through the process as the severity is high in relation to nut allergy.

 

Regards,

Simon

Sir Simon,

 

Please help, where and how can i have the list of Allergens?

 

Thank you,

 

Noel 

 

Get a list of allergens not just for your country, but also for countries where your material is supplied.

 

Then ask does any chemical, material or article that you use in your production contain any of the listed allergens.  Find out and get statements from suppliers where necessary.  If your employees do not change out of work wear before eating then your canteen must be nut free, no products in snack machines that are nuts or contain nuts and not to be brought in by employees, visitors or contractors.

 

The likelihood is very low, but you have to go through the process as the severity is high in relation to nut allergy.

 

Regards,

Simon

[hary susanto]

Dear All

 

I am New Kid at Hygiene packaging.

My Question is how set up Allergen Management identification for packaging

 

Thnaks

[Charles.C]

Dear All

 

I am New Kid at Hygiene packaging.

My Question is how set up Allergen Management identification for packaging

 

Thnaks

 

Posts 2 and 4 ??

[Quality & Food Safety]

Purg,

 

While the management of allergens can be difficult for packaging, I believe the safest way around it is to be proactive and not reactive.

Depending on your local regulations pick out the top allergens, for us here in the US those would include:Milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanut, wheat, soy. 

You could begin by doing surface testing of each one of these allergens and qualify them by an ELISA method to determine which one of these would pose your highest risk and begin a monitoring program. Keep in mind that the surfaces that you pick have to be relevant to the amount of activity and the risk that it poses to the packaging. Once you have validated your method you can do random spot checks with a quick lateral flow device of the most prevalent allergen, continue to qualify with ELISA annually from there on out. 

As far as control goes, you can have limitations in what food goods are allowed to be brought in to break areas and a zero tolerance policy for food or drinks on production floors. An additional layer of control can include letters of guarantee from raw material suppliers and plant services guaranteeing that none of the products that are being brought into your facility contain no allergenic material. 

Train all employees to understand the importance of your rules and follow your GMPs!