Best production plan for allergen contamination prevention

Hello. I work in a nugget factory. And we would like to introduce a new product which has a new allergen. During production we make them in this allergen containing order:
1. Gluten
2. Gluten+soy
3. Gluten+soy+milk
This new nugget has gluten+milk. If we insert it between 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 do we need to wash the equipment if we keep the same oil?

No matter where you put it between, you will be introducing a new allergen "milk or soy". So my suggestion is washing equipment and verifying allergen removal.

I agree that no matter what order you use, you will need to include a cleaning step. 

Your comment about the oil is important.  In your hazard analysis, cooking oil should be considered a carrier of allergen protein.  In addition to equipment cleaning, you need to include a control for this carry over.  That control can include replacement of the oil or a validated treatment to remove protein.  I hope that you are doing that now in going from product 3 back to product 1.  

I agree that no matter what order you use, you will need to include a cleaning step. 

 

Your comment about the oil is important.  In your hazard analysis, cooking oil should be considered a carrier of allergen protein.  In addition to equipment cleaning, you need to include a control for this carry over.  That control can include replacement of the oil or a validated treatment to remove protein.  I hope that you are doing that now in going from product 3 back to product 1.  

I agree about the oil, Im curious to what oil they use? I previously used an oil that was refined and had the allergen protein removed. So much easier you don't need to worry about allergen risk!

I agree about the oil, Im curious to what oil they use? I previously used an oil that was refined and had the allergen protein removed. So much easier you don't need to worry about allergen risk!

IIRC it is the typical refining process temperature which eliminates the allergenic characteristic.

Hopefully Lithuania use refined oils.

I agree about the oil, Im curious to what oil they use? I previously used an oil that was refined and had the allergen protein removed. So much easier you don't need to worry about allergen risk!

The problem is not the initial condition of the oil, it is that allergenic proteins will get into the oil from the food product during processing.  Oil cooking temperatures are no guarantee that these proteins will not be allergenic.  The only way to be safe if you reuse oil is to use a validated method to remove proteins.  Emphasis on validated.  

The problem is not the initial condition of the oil, it is that allergenic proteins will get into the oil from the food product during processing.  Oil cooking temperatures are no guarantee that these proteins will not be allergenic.  The only way to be safe if you reuse oil is to use a validated method to remove proteins.  Emphasis on validated.  

Hi smgendel,

Thks for comment. Indeed this possibility was (somewhat inconclusively) previously discussed here -

https://www.ifsqn.co...on/#entry114776

From a quick google, options such as "may contain" variations are well-known to restaurants where frying of multiple products may occur. eg -

https://cheftalk.com...t-casual.95990/

Other general allergenic caveats are also in use, eg -

Like most restaurants, we prepare and serve products that may contain egg, milk, soy, wheat or other allergens. While a particular ingredient may not contain one of these allergens, our products may be prepared on the same equipment and in the same kitchen area as those that do. We cannot guarantee that cross contact with allergens will not occur and neither XYZ, our employees, or our franchisees assume any responsibility for a person’s sensitivity or allergy to any food item provided in our restaurants. The allergen information displayed on this site is based on standard product formulations and is current as of last update to this site. Variations may occur due to differences in suppliers, ingredient substitutions, recipe revisions, and/or product production at the restaurant.

 

However I was unable to find any recent, science-based  publications  presenting data to demonstrate  whether frying cross-contamination may/may not represent  a significant hazard  from an allergenic POV.

Can you provide any relevant links on this topic ?

PS - I did see this older publication which discusses possible frying cross-contamination but which concluded that further research was necessary.

 Allergenic cross-contamination Potentials,2008.pdf   117.54KB   57 downloads

(Pg 5/14)

PPS - this 2010 article still indicated "inconclusive" -

https://www.allergic...-fish-allergic/

The problem is not the initial condition of the oil, it is that allergenic proteins will get into the oil from the food product during processing.  Oil cooking temperatures are no guarantee that these proteins will not be allergenic.  The only way to be safe if you reuse oil is to use a validated method to remove proteins.  Emphasis on validated.  

I agree, however I don't think it's very cost effective to change your oil between food products? This is why labels have the "may contain" or "processed on shared equipment...etc". 

I think the only way to handle this is to have two days with different run orders.

Day A:

1. Gluten

2. Gluten + Soy

3. Gluten + Soy + Milk

Day B

1. Gluten

2. Gluten + Milk

3. Gluten + Soy + Milk

We decided, that because the new allergen, milk, is in the filling to insert it between 1 and 2 and to do a validation by doing milk swabbing tests in the oil and to clean the lines in between and to label the gluten+soy product with "may contain traces of milk". I hope that will be enough :)

Hi Dyvinil,

This kind of situation is often analysed via an allergen changeover/cross matrix, eg see this Post/thread -

https://www.ifsqn.co...rix/#entry61940