Corn grain - cross contact with other grains - risk?
Hello experts! Our company purchases food grade corn from local farmers. We clean the corn and sell it to further processors. The corn is cleaned with air. It arrives to our facility in the farmers trucks and is stored in our storage bins. After it is cleaned it goes straight into a tanker truck and is delivered to the further processor.
The farmers grow other crops near the corn such as wheat and soybeans which are allergens. We are working on assessing the risk of cross contact of these crops with the corn. The farmers use the same trailers and harvest equipment to harvest, store, and transport the corn as they do the wheat and soybeans. What we need help with is...
1) Is there an actual risk to the corn in regards to cross contact since this is a raw agricultural commodity?
2) If there is a risk, what can we do to mitigate it?
Thank you!
Hello experts! Our company purchases food grade corn from local farmers. We clean the corn and sell it to further processors. The corn is cleaned with air. It arrives to our facility in the farmers trucks and is stored in our storage bins. After it is cleaned it goes straight into a tanker truck and is delivered to the further processor.
The farmers grow other crops near the corn such as wheat and soybeans which are allergens. We are working on assessing the risk of cross contact of these crops with the corn. The farmers use the same trailers and harvest equipment to harvest, store, and transport the corn as they do the wheat and soybeans. What we need help with is...
1) Is there an actual risk to the corn in regards to cross contact since this is a raw agricultural commodity?
2) If there is a risk, what can we do to mitigate it?
Thank you!
Hi TJW,
The potential risk is surely crystal clear ?
IMO yr first priority is to get some data.
This might be worth a quick read: https://cot.food.gov...our Annex A.pdf
I'd also suggest getting in touch with any relevant industry associations for your sector, as your position is most definitely not unique. I've seen at least one position statement on this type of situation from a European trade body but can't put my hands on it right now - if I find it I'll post it here for reference.
Trailer wash logs after hauling allergenic products "Wheat" before hauling non-allergenic products "Corn" is a must.
Trailer wash logs after hauling allergenic products "Wheat" before hauling non-allergenic products "Corn" is a must.
@SpankyK, is this a common practice on the farm where it is harvested? Keeping a log?