Risk reduction recommendations (iii)

POTENTIAL PROBLEM: UNINTENDED PRESENCE OF ALLERGEN IN PRODUCT.

Critical preventive element: Cleanliness. Good practice considerations:

• Identify what should be cleaned.

• Define effective cleaning standards to be met.

• Documented procedures for effective cleaning.

• Validated cleaning procedures.

• Identify responsible personnel for each activity and task.

• Signing to record completion of cleaning.

• Independent monitoring to verify compliance.

• Effective cleaning equipment and processes.

• Cleaning equipment always decontaminated after use.
• Tools and equipment for specific use.

• Allow sufficient time for cleaning.

• Good hygienic design of factory and equipment for cleaning.

• Clean work clothes.

• Effective waste disposal procedures.

Critical preventive element: Separation. Good practice considerations:

• Good factory design.

• Adequate physical barriers.

• Adequate spatial separation to segregate allergens.

• Scheduling to minimize migration opportunities.

• Production order scheduling.

• Separation in the warehouse.

• Separation in preparation areas.

• Air flow control.

• Procedures to prevent the transfer of allergens, from the ineparation of semi-finished or reprocessed products.

• Separation and control of personnel movement.

• Personnel facilities to the factory.

• Management of changes between production shifts.

Critical preventive element: allergen awareness and training. Good practice considerations:

• "Free-from" claims should be matched with the ability to validate them.

• Line and factory design and location should be evaluated for allergen management.

• The impact of allergen source particles is properly managed.

• The presence of allergens is minimized through product design.

• Equipment is designed so that allergens can be properly managed and cleaned.

• The European Union list of allergens is taken into account.

• Hidden allergens" are taken into account. Example: tahini- sesame, barley malt extract-gluten.

• Allergen separation w