Allergens with vegetables?

Hi all,

In all the checklists for getting certified there is mention of how I need all this documentation about the allergens in the production. However, my business is a fresh vegetable farm. According to this: http://www.food.gov....ontainguide.pdf
We don't deal with any of those allergens. So do I still need to fill out all the documents about allergens, if we don't use any of it? It doesn't seem like I can just skip over it.

Thanks

Hi Melski. You bring up a good issue, and for years (in the U.S.) the subject of allergens was easily dealt with at facilities that were low/no risk of allergens. A simple statement stating such tended to appease an auditor or customer. Today's global and retail standards require a bit deeper consideration. While you may not be growing or harvesting an allergen, what about contamination from your food handlers? How do you manage the employee who brings a peanut butter sandwich in his lunch box? Is he/she required to wash their hands after lunch and returning to work? Gloves? Etc. When you start to look at associated activities that might pose a risk, rather than just the raw material you are working with you might be surprised.

As eye roll inducing as that may be, does that help out any?

Oh wow, I didn't even think about that aspect. Thank you!

Hello Melski,

Not wanting to roll eyes any further - but - another cross contamination vector comes from what your contractors and the folks around you may
bring to the table:

· where was your service engineer before hearrived on your premises and where did he stick his tools?

· what else was in the truck that delivered yourfood packaging?

· what did the farmer put in his loaders / storagefacilities before he stored and delivered your crops?

· who are your neighbours and what allergens dothey let become airborne?

The problem is that so little allergen can prompt lifethreatening conditions that these secondary vectors become significant -particularly given the growing prevalence of allergen sensitivities and the lengtheninglist of allergens amongst the legislation.

Happy New Year,

Graham

I have seen packinghouses that require the vegetable producers to commit that peanuts hadn't been grown in the fields in the past 3 years.

Gail