11 replies to this topic

[GMO]

Hi,

 

we had a non conformance on our Woolworths audit that no-one had received VITAL training.  So far I've not managed to find any outside Australia or NZ.  I'd love a trip out there   but doubt my company would swing for it.  Does anyone know of any at least in the EU, preferably UK or online?

Thanks

[cazyncymru]

If your going, I'm coming with you!

 

I looked on the VITAL website, and most of the courses are in Australia, but they do have European offices in Germany & the Netherlands

http://www.allergenb.../vital-training

 

I often reference VITAL, and I've never had an issue in an audit, but I've never done the Woolworths audit (I still think of Woolworths as pick & mix sweets and a selection of pop posters!)

 

I'm surprised that none of the CB's or training providers haven't sussed that due to the lack of meaningful guidance in the UK, that the majority of us reference back to VITAL, and that most of the retailers seem to accept it. And that they  haven't arranged training courses. (Watch this space, I bet somebody does now!). Maybe we should go, do the course and make our fortunes training it out GMO!

 

Caz x

[Sahar J]

You know that you only have to have VITAL training if you make woolworth brand products, otherwise it is not required.

[moskito]

I know one company in Germany offering that since a short time. The name is "ifp" in Berlin, the link is http://www.produktqualitaet.com/en/

I don't know whether they offer trainings in German only, or in English too.

 

Rgds

moskito

[qui]

I've already  had this issue, I suggest you talk to a Woolworths Food Specialist, because if you show that someone in the factory has the knowledge about Allergens or you use any other Allergen risk assessment, that should comply with WQA Version 8.

 

It also depends how the allergen cross contamination risk is on your product

 

Regards

[GMO]

You know that you only have to have VITAL training if you make woolworth brand products, otherwise it is not required.

 

Yes I do.

[GMO]

I've already  had this issue, I suggest you talk to a Woolworths Food Specialist, because if you show that someone in the factory has the knowledge about Allergens or you use any other Allergen risk assessment, that should comply with WQA Version 8.

 

It also depends how the allergen cross contamination risk is on your product

 

Regards

 

The risk is zero which is the stupid thing.  In the factory audited, only one allergen is processed and it's present in 100% of the products.

[Ray Murphy]

The Allergen Bureau has a number of endorsed VITAL Training Providers based in the EU http://www.allergenb.../vital-training several of which will deliver VITAL Training in the UK in English (airport meetings if required).

We are also exploring VITAL Training delivery with other international training organisations. The Allergen Bureau provides rapid responses to questions concerning the management of food allergen risks in food ingredients and manufactured foods. Contact me diretly on info@allergenbureau.net or +61 437 918 959.

The Allergen Bureau would welcome feedback on VITAL from the UK and EU.

Ray Murphy
Executive Officer
The Allergen Bureau Ltd ACN 162 786 389
Aus: 0437 918 959
Int: + 61 437 918 959
E: info@allergenbureau.net
W: www.allergenbureau.net

[Charles.C]

Dear Ray Murphy,

 

Nice to hear from you and Welcome to this forum !

 

Regarding the comment on feedback in yr post, would certainly be interested in any thoughts you might like to make regarding this post.

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...ge-2#entry66654

 

And definitely no problem if it involves the suggestion that i hv simply misunderstood the basic objectives of VITAL's use of "Reference Doses" for labelling purposes. I am a novice in this particular topic.

 

Rgds / Charles.C

[Ray Murphy]

VITAL® <http://www.allergenb...net/vital/vital> is a standardised allergen risk assessment tool developed by the Australian Allergen Bureau to assist food producers to assess the impact of allergen cross contact and provide appropriate precautionary allergen labelling on their products. VITAL is not intended to be a replacement for mandatory labelling of allergens in food due to intentional inclusion as part of a recipe.
To assist food producers in implementing VITAL®, the Allergen Bureau has developed a spreadsheet based calculator which you can download free from the Allergen Bureau's website <http://www.allergenb...vital-downloads>. The manufacturer enters information about the likely concentrations of cross contact allergens in a product arising from storage and handling of raw materials and from their specific manufacturing processes into the VITAL® calculator. Based on the estimated concentration of the allergen in typical serving (or Reference Amount) of the food it is assigned Action Level 1 or Action Level 2. Precautionary labelling is recommended for Action Level 2 foods.
The Reference Amount in the context of VITAL® is the maximum amount of a food eaten in a typical eating occasion. This may be the same as the Serving Size on the label or it may be appropriate to use the whole product as presented to the consumer. The Reference Amount is determined by the food producer/manufacturer based on their knowledge of the product.
The transition points or thresholds between the two action levels are based on Reference Doses, expressed in milligram total allergen protein, recommended by VITAL® Scientific Expert Panel (VSEP). The VSEP was established by the Allergen Bureau in collaboration with the Food Allergy Research & Resource Program (FARRP) at the University of Nebraska and at TNO in the Netherlands. The VSEP used dose-distribution modelling of individual oral clinical challenge data combined from a large number of sources and, based on the quality of data for each allergen, was able to recommend References Doses at which 99% or 95% of allergic individuals would be unlikely to react for most food allergens of concern. The work of the VSEP, including the References Doses has recently been published in detail Taylor et al 2014 <http://www.sciencedi...278691513007072> and Allen et al 2013 <http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(13)01059-2/abstract>.

[Charles.C]

Dear Ray Murphy,

 

Thank you for the information in previous post.

 

Since this is a forum, do you have any comments to my query / post #9 ?

 

Rgds / Charles.C

 

PS - yr last link seemed to not go anywhere outside this thread ??

[Karenconstable]

Hi all,

 

I noticed that no one could seem to find on-line allergen training.

 

HACCP Mentor publishes  online, on-demand training in allergen awareness  The trainer is Amanda from HACCP Mentor, who often presents at the IFSQN online conferences and her content is really good.  

 

Karen