2 replies to this topic

[FSM4you]

Hello,

 

We are going over our HACCP plans and are looking at our allergen control for our CIP procedure. We have 2000lb kettles of product that goes through lines and into a hopper to fill 4/lb. bags. We do random checks for allergens currently because we use a chlorinated alkaline detergent with a 200F flush in the lines to remove allergens/micros. This flush between products is documented.

 

My question is this, should we be doing an allergen swab between every single unlike allergen and documenting it also? I want to say yes, but they have always done randomly.   

[NutANDFruitFoodSafety]

An allersnap might be a good idea. My opinion is that if your allergen cleaning is verified at a third party lab annually that the allersnap is strictly optional but a good idea if you want to verify more frequently. Thank you.

[GMO]

Is the cleaning and flush validated? As per the previous answer, that should be validated using ELISA for product and swab areas at changeover, best practice IMO is to swab the surfaces before and after (before to prove you can detect the allergen), test hard to clean places after and test product before and probably first 3 products after. Ideally repeated 3x.

 

A rapid allergen test is probably good practice but don't underestimate the validity of visual inspection post clean to ensure the validated clean has been performed and the finished standards look good. While you can't see allergens, the validation should be what proves the cleaning is effective and reproducible and if processes are followed and can be proven to be and finished cleaning standards are ok, unless there are big areas you can't visually inspect, the rapid test isn't telling you a lot more. If you do have lots of areas which can't be inspected they're more useful. But random testing is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Focus it on risk and the highest risk is at the start of a run after an allergen production followed by a clean.