Plant layout. Product flow should be evalu-
ated to determine if allergen-containing mate-
rials come in contact with other foods with
resultant contamination. A potential example
is exposure through overhead conveyors that
cross one another or over exposed products.
Color coding of utensils. Color coding pro-
vides an easier method to keep different
materials, utensils, and equipment separate.
Incorporation of reworks. Only like foods
should be added to reworked products. Any
reworked products should always be labeled
with tags to indicate which products contain
allergens. Reworked products containing
allergenic ingredients must be stored in areas
separate from those that do not contain such
products. Containers should be color-coded
for use with allergen-containing products,
and should not come into contact with non-
allergen-containing products. If feasible,
reworked products should be put back into
the same production run.
Label review. A system should be devel-
oped for maintaining labels that are placed
on foods containing allergens in easy-to-
identify areas. A thorough review and
matching of the current formulations should
be conducted. Documentation should be
provided for all material specifications, for-
mulations, and finished product labels. When
a raw material ingredient statement changes,
a cross-reference with the finished product
labels should be provided to comprehend
what products and labels would be affected
by the change.
Documentation review of activities. Docu-
mentation is needed to prove what has been
done. Production schedule and sanitation
check-off sheets should be filled out and
reviewed by a supervisor (signed and dated)
to complete the records for allergen control.
Evaluation of program effectiveness.
Changes in customers, suppliers, and raw
materials necessitate the need for continuous
reevaluation of the effectiveness of an
allergy control program. A key component
in the continuous verification and success of
an ACP is the incorporation of routine audit-
ing practices for suppliers and in-plant opera-
tions. Allergen plans should be reviewed as
determined appropriate and especially dur-
ing an annual HACCP validation. Internal
audits should be placed on the agenda and
reviewed during monthly HACCP meetings.
During internal audits, documentation
should be reviewed to ensure that all prac-
tices written within the allergen policy are
being performed.Food Allergen Tests
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests
have been developed and are widely incorpo-
rated to give food processors quick, simple,
and accurate tools to check for traces of cer-
tain allergenic foods on manufacturing
equipment or in food processed on shared
equipment. The immunoassay is based on
the protein’s characteristic of binding to spe-
cific enzyme-labeled antibodies to permit
detection and quantification by comparison
to standard curves. These tests are per-
formed primarily in the laboratory; however,
low-cost test kits can be utilized in a manu-
facturing plant and can be conducted by
processing plant workers in approximately
30 minutes. Initially, tests were utilized to
ensure that processing equipment was free of
allergens. But, testing has expanded to exam-
ine all aspects of the manufacturing process.Allergen Labeling
The Food Allergen Labeling and Con-
sumer Protection Act is scheduled to become
effective in the United States on January 1,- This amendment will provide several
requirements for both food manufacturers
and government agencies. Primary provi-
sions of the act are the requirement of easy-
to-understand labeling of allergen ingredients
The Relationship of Allergens to Sanitation 73