0.5 Food safety: introduction to control of food hazards- allergens

Welcome

Welcome to Introduction to Control of Food Hazards: Allergens .

This learning module is part of the Food Safety Knowledge Network Basic Level Program.

The Basic Level and Intermediate Level Programs were developed through a partnership between the Global Food Safety Initiative and Michigan State University to enhance the technical knowledge of individuals responsible for food safety, especially those working for small or less-developed businesses.

To learn more about the Food Safety Knowledge Network, please visit www.foodsafetyknowledgenetwork.org .

Module overview

It is important to prevent adulteration of food products with contaminants or hazards that might injure or otherwise compromise the health of consumers. Food allergens can be a significant health risk to those consumers who have allergic reactions to specific foodstuffs. Allergens can contaminate food products during the preparation, storage, or distribution stages. If there is a risk that food products have been contaminated by a known allergen, the food must be immediately removed from the food supply chain.

This module covers the requirements related to effective control and management of allergens.

The following topics will be discussed:

• system development
• the importance of allergens
• the handling and control of allergens.

Module objectives

Upon completion of this module you should be able to

• describe the principles and reasons for controlling food allergens
• explain regulations and customer requirements governing the presence and control of allergens
• explain the recognized and known control measures and how to apply these to control food allergens within the facility, taking into consideration local regulatory compliance and customer requirements
• design monitoring procedures necessary to ensure control of food allergens
• perform corrective actions when control measures are not achieved
• develop a system for maintaining comprehensive records in relation to the control of allergens.

System development

As the person responsible for food safety within the factory it is important to develop a system to ensure and monitor that the staff is fully aware of and uses

• good personal hygiene
• practices to prevent contamination by raw materials and packaging
• good practices in cleaning and housekeeping

Any system will have to be clearly and concisely documented and communicated effectively to appropriate staff within the company.

It is important to work closely with key company staff to ensure they clearly understand the importance of such systems and the ways they can influence effective compliance.

Since the responsibility for food safety rests with you, direct verification of systems is extremely important for Basic Level requirements: you should personally monitor activities on a regular basis and record your findings.

The importance of allergens

It is important to understand what a food allergy is and how it affects the human immune system. It is also important to understand the difference between food allergies and food intolerance.