WHITE PAPER ALLERGENS The management of food allergens has become an essential part of food safety. For consumers with food allergies or food intolerances, eating even a small amount of the food to which they are sensitive can make them very ill and in some cases, cause potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions. EU regulations No 1169/2011(4) and No 78/2014(5) (amending (EU) 1169/2011), which relate to food labelling, lists 14 allergens that must be declared if present in a food product. The list consists of: • cereals containing gluten, • crustaceans, • molluscs, • eggs, • fish, • peanuts, • nuts, • soybeans, • milk, • celery, • mustard, • sesame, • lupin and • sulphur dioxide at levels above 10mg/kg, or 10 mg/litre, expressed as SO2. Many of these foodstuffs are common ingredients in the ready prepared foods we eat today. Their frequent use thus increases the risk of accidental contamination of other products. The food industry, therefore, needs to employ control measures that minimise the risk of allergen cross-contamination and thus improves food safety. FOREIGN BODIES Foreign bodies, i.e. something that the consumer perceives as being alien to the food, are the biggest single source of customer complaints for many food manufacturers, retailers and enforcement authorities(6). Foreign bodies in foods are therefore justifiably of concern to all food manufacturers and retailers. The accidental inclusion of unwanted items can sometimes occur in even the best managed processes and, even if these items do not pose a food safety risk, there is nothing more off-putting to a customer than when they find what they consider to be a ‘foreign body’ in their food. Publicity(7) given to foreign body contamination of foods has made consumers very aware of their rights, with regard to the safety and quality of the food they eat, and this has encouraged a litigious society. Therefore, any action that can be taken to lessen the incidence of foreign bodies in foods is of interest to food manufacturers, retailers and enforcement authorities. THE IMPACT OF FOOD SAFETY INCIDENTS ON THE FOOD INDUSTRY Whether it’s packaged beef contaminated with E. coli, biscuits tainted with allergenic peanut resi- dues, or a spice mix containing a plastic brush bristle, when the safety or quality of food products has been compromised, the rippling effects of a recall can be staggering. The Grocery Manufacturers association (GMA) have concluded in a survey report that 18 % of the surveyed food factories impacted by a food recall had costs between $30 million and $99 million; 5% said the financial impact was $100 million or more related to recalling products and lost sales (8). The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) recently estimated the costs associated with food-borne illness in the UK at nearly £1.5 billion(9). HOW TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF FOOD CONTAMINATION There are various global and local government agencies, and expert guidance providers that publish advice on, how to maintain the integrity of the food processing industry including, EC Regulation 852/2004(10), CODEX(11), EFSA(12), GFSI(13), BRC(14) and the EHEDG(15). To protect consumers from contaminated food, the EU has adopted an integrated approach to food safety, from farm to fork. The approach consists of Copyright © 2019 Vikan A/S · All Rights Reserved 02
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