ALLERGENS CONTROL PROCEDURE
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INTRODUCTION:
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have jointly identified 10 food
products that are primarily responsible for about 90 percent of severe adverse food reactions
among the Canadian population. These products are peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, milk, eggs,
fish, crustacean and shellfish, sesame seeds, and sulphites.
Symptoms of a food allergy can appear immediately after the food is consumed or can be
delayed. Immediate reactions can range in severity from a skin rash or a slight itching of the
mouth, to migraine headaches and to anaphylactic shock and death. Some test results have
indicated that it can take as little as 1-2 mg (or in some cases less) of the offending food to cause
allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. There is currently no cure for a food allergy, other than to
avoid eating the offending food. Allergen proteins are naturally occurring and cannot be eliminated
by cooking or baking.
The purpose of this procedure is to describe the control methods used by Our company. to ensure
that none of its products contain undeclared allergens that could provoke an allergic or a
sensitivity reaction in persons that are susceptible to these kinds of reactions.
ALLERGEN LIST
Here is the list of allergens currently present in Our company. with corresponding colour codes:
1. Milk
2. Eggs
3. Peanuts
4. Tree nuts
5. Fish
6. Shellfish
7. Soy
8. Wheat
9. Sesame
11. Sulfite
YELLOW
Not present in our plant
Not present in our plant
PINK
Not present in our plant
Not present in our plant
GREEN
Not present in our plant
WHITE
SCOPE OF APPLICATION
This procedure applies to all products manufactured by Our company Ltd.
RESPONSIBILITIES
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The HACCP Coordinator makes sure that the procedure is followed and updated, if necessary.
The Plant Supervisor and or designate makes sure that the employees perform their work in
accordance with the procedure. Special caution is exercised when changing supplier and bringing
new ingredient or packaging material. The HACCP Coordinator ensures suppliers have a
documented and implemented allergens control plan at their establishment.
HACCP Coordinator makes sure that the labels in the system are updated to indicate the products
contain allergen.
The HACCP Coordinator verifies that sanitation of the equipment is performed according to written
SSOP’s.
PROCEDURE
RECEIVING/ STORAGE
Suppliers of ingredients and packaging materials for Our company Ltd. are required to supply an
allergen checklist (allergen content of the raw material). Based on these checklists all ingredients
are grouped in the following groups:
Egg,
Fish,
Milk,
Milk and Soy,
Sesame,
Soy,
Soy and Sulfite,
Soy and Wheat,
Sulfite,
Wheat,
Wheat and Sulfite
Wheat, Soy and Sulfite
When receiving clerk receives ingredient, allergen hazard status is confirmed by checking
“Allergen hazard list” in the binder with receiving / shipping forms. If in doubt, must contact
HACCP Coordinator and or designated personnel immediately. Colour coded labels are printed,
receiving date stamped on the labels that are applied on received products. If ingredient contains
more than one allergen, colour coded label for each allergen will be applied (i.e. for ingredient
containing milk and fish allergens receiver must apply 2 colour coded labels on product). If full skid
of the same ingredient is received, receiver must apply labels on the bottom row of the skid. The
ingredients containing allergens are stored in specific zones properly identified with signs location.
These zones are located in the warehouse, coolers and freezer. Allergen containing products are
stored on lower shelves to avoid the possibility of outflow on other products. Exceptionally, some
ingredients may be stored outside of the allergenic product zones (mainly because of a shortage
of available space) but only if the containers have never been opened and are below ingredients,
which do not contain allergens or contain other type of allergens.
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PICK-UP OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCTION
Requirements for production are picked-up by designated production personnel. Allergens hazard
ingredients are placed on separate skids or on the bottom of the skid separated with clean skid
cover from non-allergens.
Individual units containing allergen(s) are taken from full skid and colour coded labels with
receiving date are applied to each individual unit send to production area. If complete skid is send
then there will be no need to apply any additional labels.
PRODUCTION/PROCESSING
Products containing known allergens hazard are scheduled for production at the end of the
production run.
This scheduling is documented on production schedule and any changes are documented on
Daily Production Form. Once a production line has been used to produce an allergen hazard
containing products, the processing equipment is fully washed before another non-allergen
product is produced on the same equipment. All scoops and scales used are to be washed as
well. The production personnel must wash hands, change gloves and clean or change uniform
after handling allergen hazard-containing products. Most of the finished products are closed
immediately after filling process. If not, they are covered to protect them from cross contamination.
All spills are cleaned immediately. The scheduling and cleaning is documented and verified by the
HACCP Coordinator.
LABELLING AND PACKAGING MATERIALS
The HACCP Coordinator checks labels on incoming ingredients; supplier may have sent the
wrong product or used the wrong label. Verifies label accuracy; updates to reflect current formula,
and ensures compliance to labelling regulations which generally requires declaration of all
ingredients; exception to this include spices, flavours (vinegar) and processing aids and incidental
additives at insignificant levels or that have no technical function or effect. If an incidental additive
or processing aid is derived from an allergenic ingredient, it must be included on the label. He/she
considers cross-contact potential on packaging equipment and verifies product traceability; use a
lot numbering system on raw materials to finished products to ensure recovery of all products in
an event of a recall, conduct a mock recall to verify it.
SANITATION
Our company has standardized procedures for sanitation operations (SSOP’s). The Production
Manager, Production Supervisor, Warehouse Supervisor and HACCP Coordinator ensures that
proper procedures followed by the sanitation crew. The procedure for washing equipment after
allergen hazard containing products includes: full wash down starting with presoaking, foaming,
rinsing and finishing with sanitizing equipment.
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HACCP Coordinator and or designate personnel perform a washing efficiency test by visual
inspection and checking the concentration of the sanitizer using QT 10 strips. If the result is
satisfying, equipment gets approval to be used in production. If the result of the inspection is not
satisfying, the appropriate corrective action is taken immediately to correct the deficiency.
FINISH PRODUCT STORAGE
Finish products containers are usually opened outside of Our company Ltd. by the customer. In
the event that is necessary to open some finished products containers, they are open only during
the time necessary to perform the operation that has to be done and they are immediately closed.
When product is in finished package we deemed product to be safe and not separate them on
“per allergen” basis.
TRAINING AND EDUCATION
At Our company we ensure all employees have an understanding of the allergen hazard control
procedures so they believe in its importance as a part of the facility’s food safety program.
Points include: define all allergens hazard consequences to sensitive people, importance of
allergen hazard control, most common areas where problems occur, and control measures.
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