2 replies to this topic

[Simon]

In light of the amendments to the food labelling directive 2000/13/EC and growing interest in this area I'm seeking ideas for assessing the risk of allergens in food packaging processes.

It is generally recognised there are no allergenic ingredients in food packaging or their coatings. So am I right in saying the only risk is from incidental contamination of the packaging from foodstuffs that contain allergenic ingredients?

If so what control measures should we consider?

Cheers,
Simon

[Edwina Chicken Currie]

Allergens to consider would be:

• Cereals containing gluten
• Crustacea
• Egg and egg products
• Fish and fish products
• Milk and milk products
• Mollusks and products
• Peanuts and peanut products
• Sesame seeds and sesame products
• Soy and soy products with the exception of highly refined soy oil
• Tree nuts and tree nuts products
• Sulfites
• Celery and its products
• Mustard Seed and its products

A secondary list would be:

• Bananas
• Cherries
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Limes
• Oranges (inc. mandarin, tangerine, bitter orange)
• Citrus fruits - other (only used where specifics not known)
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Kiwi fruit
• Apple
• Peach
• Cinnamon
• Garlic
• Poppy seed
• Sunflower seeds
• Corn / Maize and their products
• Cochineal/carmine
• Sunset Yellow
• Tartrazine
• Monosodium glutamate & other glutamates
• Highly refined soy oil
• Latex synthetic
• Latex natural
• Yam
• Matsutake Mushroom

I would then incorporate allergen management as part of a "HACCP" type risk assessment.

If your company uses anything on the lists then there is a risk, and a potential CCP.

If your company uses anything "returned" from customers (layer cards, packaging etc.) who may use any of the items on the lists, there is a risk and therefore a potential CCP.

If any of the items on the list are used or handled by suppliers or distritribution companiens (vehicles, warehouses etc.) then there may be a risk, and possibly a CCP.

If the company is responsible for printing allergen declarations, maybe checking of print etc. would also be a CCP?

I suppose it depends on how far you want to take things.

[Simon]

Thanks Fiona but I'm a bit befuzzled.

I know it doesn't take much. Above are you talking about a company who manufacturers packaging? I was thinking more like banning Snickers (I had to restrain myself from typing Marathons) from vending machines, changing out of overalls before eating etc. Looking at it from a different angle I take your point about the importance of checking print quality of ingredients and allergen declarations. Thinking about it soem more maybe cross contamination from vehicles / distribution should also be considered. It is a minefield.

Anyone else?

Simon