In today's increasingly health-conscious world, food allergies are a significant concern. For food manufacturers and suppliers, understanding and managing allergens is not just a regulatory requirement; it's a moral imperative. Consumers rely on accurate labeling and safe production practices to avoid potentially life-threatening reactions. It's crucial to distinguish between food allergies and intolerances. A food allergy involves the immune system, where the body mistakenly identifies a food protein as harmful, triggering an immune response. This response can range from mild to severe, including anaphylaxis. Food intolerance, on the other hand, does not involve the immune system. It's typically a digestive issue where the body lacks the necessary enzymes to break down certain foods. Symptoms of intolerance are usually less severe and limited to digestive discomfort. Major food allergens that manufacturers must manage include peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.), milk, eggs, soy, wheat (gluten), fish, and shellfish. This guide delves into the complexities of food allergens, distinguishing them from intolerances, exploring the challenges in manufacturing, and outlining practical strategies for prevention and testing. We'll also highlight how Mérieux NutriSciences can be your trusted partner in ensuring food safety and regulatory compliance.
Allergens: What are they, and why should we care?
An allergen is a substance that causes the immune system to recognize a danger, making an antibody to defend against it. Food allergies can involve many responses by the body: rashes, skin itching, hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulty, and/or life-threatening reactions like anaphylaxis. Common allergens include pollens, fungal spores, house dust mites, and foods. Allergic reactions usually occur in the areas of the body that come in direct contact with the allergen. Food safety agencies most often regulate these common food allergens.
Allergy symptoms typically start in childhood and often remain into adulthood, although some get better. However, sometimes allergies can lead to other medical conditions, like asthma or eczema.
Because allergies can be severe and/or life-threatening, food suppliers must have a stringent allergen management plan in place within their facilities to protect consumers, comply with regulations, obtain certification, limit the use of precautionary labeling, and prevent recalls.
In the United States, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) enforces regulations that require companies to list ingredients on packaged foods and beverages. The FDA provides guidance in conducting inspections and sample checks. The governmental body also oversees implementation controls over Cross-Contamination and Labeling controls to prevent undeclared allergens during manufacturing and packaging.
Allergy symptoms typically start in childhood and often remain into adulthood, although some get better. However, sometimes allergies can lead to other medical conditions, like asthma or eczema.
Because allergies can be severe and/or life-threatening, food suppliers must have a stringent allergen management plan in place within their facilities to protect consumers, comply with regulations, obtain certification, limit the use of precautionary labeling, and prevent recalls.
In the United States, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) enforces regulations that require companies to list ingredients on packaged foods and beverages. The FDA provides guidance and conducts inspections and sample checks. The governmental body also oversees implementation controls over Cross-Contamination and Labeling controls to prevent undeclared allergens during manufacturing and packaging.
Cross-Contamination versus Cross-Reactivity: What’s the difference?
In simplistic terms, Cross-Contamination relates to the supplier/manufacturer, while cross-activity is the personal reaction to the allergen. Both are essential factors in allergen management.
Per the FDA, Cross-Contamination may unintentionally introduce allergens into foods that do not properly declare the allergens on the labels. This can happen accidentally through the manufacturing or food preparation process. The most common ways are Food to Food, Food to Object, and Food to Saliva. This can occur in several ways, but the most essential way to avoid this is to have detailed cleaning and sanitation protocols in place.
Procedures to manage the prevention of Cross-Contamination include:
- Segregation of allergen-containing materials during storage
- Use identified, dedicated equipment or utensils
- Scheduling of production to reduce changes between allergen-containing products
- Waste handling
- Restrictions on foods that can be brought into the facility
- Documentation of all phases of manufacturing
According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, Cross-Reactivity in allergic reactions occurs when the proteins in one substance (typically pollen) are similar to those found in another (normally food). The immune system potentially sees these proteins as the same, thus causing reactions. For example, if you are allergic to a specific tree pollen, you might react by eating fruit grown on trees.
This type of testing and diagnosis can be challenging. A positive skin or blood test can result in food, yet the patient might be allergic to something Cross-Reactive. However, this is also an issue, as people may avoid eating a particular food because of a positive test, even if they’ve not had reactions in the past.
Some common types of Cross-Reactivity, plus a few misconceptions:
| Type of Foods |
Common or Uncommon Cross-Reactivity |
Likelihood of having Symptoms |
| Cow’s milk and milk of other mammals |
Common Cross-Reactivity |
90% chance of allergic reactions |
| Foods of the Same Animal Group |
Uncommon Cross-Reactivity |
Rarely most people with a cow’s milk allergy can still eat beef or be allergic to eggs but can still eat chicken, etc. |
| Peanuts vs. Other Legumes |
Common Cross-Reactivity |
95% of people can still tolerate other legumes even with a positive test |
| Peanut vs. Tree Nuts or Seeds |
Common Cross-Reactivity |
35% of people with peanut allergies will also have tree nut allergies, same with seeds |
| Fish |
Common Cross-Reactivity |
50% of people with one fish allergy will be allergic to other types of fish |
| Shellfish |
Common Cross-Reactivity |
75% of people with one shellfish allergy will be allergic to other types of shellfish |
| Pollen vs. Foods |
Common Cross-Reactivity |
Known as oral allergy syndrome, reactions after eating certain food types |
| Latex vs. Foods |
Common Cross-Reactivity |
30-50% of people with latex allergies can experience symptoms with certain food types, specifically fruit |
What Can Mérieux Nutrisciences Do for You?
Mérieux Nutrisciences offers a complete 360-degree Allergen Program for manufacturers and suppliers. Food manufacturing facilities face unique challenges in allergen management. Cross-contact, where an allergen unintentionally transfers from one food to another, is a significant risk. This can occur through shared equipment, utensils, or during processing. Allergen labeling is another challenge. The use of 'may contain' statements can be inconsistent, leading to confusion for consumers. Clear and accurate labeling, indicating 'contains' when an allergen is intentionally used, is essential for consumer safety.
Challenges in Food Manufacturing Related to Allergen Control
Food manufacturers face a complex landscape when it comes to allergen control. Ensuring consumer safety and regulatory compliance requires a multifaceted approach to identify, manage, and mitigate allergen risks throughout production. Some of the key challenges include:
- Cross-Contact: One of the most significant risks is cross-contact, where an allergen unintentionally transfers from one product to another. This can happen in numerous ways, such as:
- Shared Equipment: Using the same equipment (mixers, conveyors, packaging lines) for both allergen-containing and allergen-free products without thorough cleaning.
- Utensils and Tools: Using the same utensils or tools for different products, leading to allergen residue transfer.
- Airborne Particles: Allergen particles becoming airborne during processing (e.g., flour dust) and settling on other products.
- Spills and Splashes: Accidental spills or splashes of allergen-containing ingredients contaminating other areas or products.
- Cleaning and Sanitation: Effective cleaning and sanitation procedures are crucial to prevent cross-contact. However, validating the effectiveness of cleaning can be challenging. Some allergens, like certain proteins, can be difficult to remove completely, requiring specific cleaning agents and verification methods.
- Ingredient Sourcing and Supplier Management: Manufacturers rely on a complex supply chain, and ensuring that all ingredients are allergen-free or properly labeled can be a challenge. This requires rigorous supplier qualification programs, ingredient testing, and documentation.
- Labeling Accuracy: Accurate labeling is paramount for consumer safety. However, labeling errors can occur due to:
- Human Error: Mistakes in ingredient lists or allergen declarations.
- Changes in Formulation: Failing to update labels when product formulations change.
- "May Contain" Statements: The inconsistent use of "may contain" or "processed in a facility that also processes..." statements can lead to confusion and uncertainty for consumers.
- Employee Training and Awareness: All employees involved in food manufacturing must be adequately trained on allergen control procedures. Lack of awareness or inconsistent implementation of protocols can lead to errors and cross-contact.
- Facility Design and Layout: The design and layout of a manufacturing facility can impact allergen control. Poorly designed facilities may have areas where cross-contact is more likely to occur, making segregation and cleaning more difficult.
- Testing and Validation: Validating allergen control measures requires regular testing of products and environmental samples. Choosing appropriate testing methods and interpreting results accurately are essential for ensuring safety.
Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive allergen management plan that includes robust procedures, employee training, regular audits, and collaboration with testing laboratories like Mérieux NutriSciences.
Our Chemistry Allergen testing helps prevent product recalls due to unintentional contamination and inefficient cleaning procedures, offering methodologies on the most common food allergens, including peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish. We utilize methods such as ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) for accurate detection. Mérieux Nutrisciences provides fast turnaround times and achieves very low detection limits, ensuring the highest level of safety and compliance. Our digital tools include a Safety Hud for real-time recalls in 73 countries, a Mapping System for automated monitoring and sampling, and Regulatory Updates. Mérieux Nutrisciences also offers Chemistry, Auditing, Training, and Labeling Services for all your Allergen needs.
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