7 replies to this topic

[adinathmore]

Hi Friends,

 

Can anyone tell me is it required to have and Allergen Management Plan in the nonallergen food industry?

[wtheriot]

I think its in your best interest to do a documented risk analysis and show why it is not required. You will still have a "plan" it just wont apply to anything you currently do. It shows your customers and auditors you at least considered the hazard and the risks.

[Charles.C]

Hi Friends,

 

Can anyone tell me is it required to have and Allergen Management Plan in the nonallergen food industry?

For whose behalf ?

[pooled]

I think you should still have something documented, the systems call for something & therefore if you don't have anything documented then that could be seen as a non conformance.

[FSQA MKE]

Yes,

Develop an "Allergen-Free" policy, mention that you do not process, store, or handle allergens, etc.

[MlissaB]

Hi Friends,

 

Can anyone tell me is it required to have and Allergen Management Plan in the nonallergen food industry?

 

We've been told to include in our statement/plan how we handle allergens in our lunch area, items employees may bring in. We've had sites remove all potential allergens from the offerings in the vending machines and have a policy regarding bringing these items in. Another way to control this is to ensure proper hand washing after breaks but depending on the allergen, e.g. peanuts, the dust can still be present on clothing and then transferred to the product. I know this is a stretch but I've heard horror stories.

[emportllc]

Requirements are going to vary country by country but generally speaking you'll want to have a document that explains how you know your products are allergen-free - that you've examined the product's environment every step of the way and determined that either A) there's absolutely no chance of accidental or fraudulent allergen introduction or B) there are a few spots along the way that could potentially introduce an allergen, and you are following a protocol to ensure that you'll catch this if it happens.

 

Anecdotally I always suggest to customers who make gluten-free or allergen-free products that they ask their suppliers how the suppliers protect the ingredients from cross-contact. And I tell them that if a supplier tries to reassure them that, 'it's gluten-free because it just is,' that they should proceed with extreme caution. 

[Hoosiersmoker]

Do any employees ever bring an allergen in to the building? How do you assure those allergens don't enter your products? We have a snack machine with items in it the contain wheat, soy, tree nuts, eggs, peanuts, milk etc. They are in the plant so there is a risk. We manufacture food packaging and we have a full risk analysis and remediation strategy for allergens. It's pretty easy to develop and maintain actually, once you implement it.