Considerations whether the site should be 'egg free'
I have just been asked to consider whether this site should be 'egg free'. There are no eggs used in product but a member of staff was seen eating a boiled egg for breakfast,in the canteen, and this raised an alarm that it could be a possible cause of contamination (and a salmonella risk).
Before I start banning anything else ( we have recently gone 'nut free' at the behest of 2 UK customers) I'd like to know thw Industry norm.
Seafood processing, BRC certified....yadda yadda
The norm will depend on your country of course.
To establish a "free" environment on any allergen, you need to consider the risk to your industry.
If you have gone through "nut free" then you probably know the drill but what is the risk to your product when having an employee eat an hard boiled eggs or a cake made with eggs? How about egg pasta?
Are the employees changing before going to the canteen or covering their uniforms?
Is the risk actually present or is it considered paranoia?
So, if you going to go down the line of egg free (no cakes, biscuits, pasta etc), will you go soya free (no chocolate), gluten free (no bread), no So2 (vinegar in salad dressings) No fish or shellfish, No milk (in your tea or coffee)??
Hate to have to police that one :roflmao:
Cazx
Nut free, okay even no Raw Eggs but can't think of a site that has gone 'Egg Free' or a customer that has pushed for it. Where has this come from?
Regards,
Tony
I must admit, being in rural Wales where we take every opportunity to wheel and deal, I have stopped the handing over of raw eggs / beans etc in the factory. They must carry out all swaps in the car park.
Caz x
Where did this come from?
Out of the blue from the CEO one day last week.....My reaction was the same as yours Caz, Have we to go dairy free, soya free, celery free etc....
I think it's a little googly that's been thrown because things are going too well..... I know that's cynical but that's the way I feel.
I just want to be able to say that I have checked it out and be confident in my argument.
Can you imagine, no sandwiches when an auditor comes, no cream cakes on someone's birthday, no chocolate when you have PMT!
Won't be worth coming to work! :hypocrite:
What's that expression..... a little knowledge is a dangerous thing!!
We handle 5 allergens in our plant yet we have only banned nuts and peanut in break room. Not that we distinguish nuts from any other allergen and I bet if you read any of the code it will not ask you to distinguish between any of allergen. Only reason we went to nut free is because its easy that employee takes buts in their pocket and eat them on floor. Which might create higher risk for having undeclared allergen contamination for lines which don't have nuts. while on other hand no one will carry boiled egg on floor in pocket, no one will carry milk bag or dressing in their pocket etc. you might find few things that can be carried in pocket for rest of the allergen but they are not commonly known to be taken in pocket so odds are less in those cases.
Hope this helps