General risk management issues

All links in the food chain agree on the need to manage the potential risks to food allergens that exist in the food production environment.

Allergen management in the food industry must be perceived as an indispensable part of food safety management and not as a new system.

There are different ways to facilitate the fulfillment of this responsibility, such as the development of a prerequisite plan and integration into Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems.

These HACCP systems allow the detection of potential hazards resulting from the presence of allergens; and also evaluate whether current systems are capable of managing these hazards under normal operating conditions and good production practices.

Effective allergen management systems should consider all stages and cover all links in the supply chain, from raw material procurement, design, development and packaging of products, to marketing, and should be evaluated by personnel trained in allergen handling.

All food manufacturing entities have the responsibility to comply with the principles of good manufacturing practices (GMP) to ensure that products comply with the necessary legal, safety and quality requirements.

In order to achieve compliance with GMP principles, it is necessary to adopt adequate control measures in manufacturing operations, including effective food safety and quality systems.

These principles are vital for allergen management, as they prevent cross-contamination caused by various factors such as segregation, equipment or tools, cleaning or storage.

In order to carry out risk management, first of all, a risk assessment must be carried out. For allergens, at least the possibility of their existence, whether their physical manifestation is in the form of dust, liquid, fragments or other, and also the number of allergens present must be considered. Information that preventive and control procedures should contain:

• How the handling of reprocessed materials should be and under what conditions.

• Guidelines for the elaboration of products taking into account allergens.

• Rules for proper hygiene in food processing, such as hand washing, clothing and implements to be used by personnel, as well as how the cleaning of premises and equipment should be carried out.

• To clarify a correct organization of the production process.

• How should be the correct classification and labeling of waste.

• The responsibility that each employee should have to prevent possible cross-contamination between raw materials, products, production lines or equipment, and the conditions under which this can occur.

• How raw materials and finished or semi-finished products should be labeled.

• Particular attention should be paid to changes in food processing processes, the introduction of new raw materials or products, and the transfer of production from one product to another location, as the risk of allergen cross-contamination between products in the facility may be increased.

• These changes will require a reassessment of the risks of all products that may be affected and the implementation of new management measures if necessary.

• Consumers should be informed by some means, such as product labeling, of any risks that have been identified and could not be minimized.