Food Allergen

Management
Outline:
 What food allergy is
 Misconceptions about food allergy
 Food allergen regulations
 Food allergen and food safety management systems
 Food allergen control program
 Personnel
 Allergen mapping
 Procedures and work instructions
 Cleaning validation and verification
 Labelling
 Documentation
What is food allergy?
Food Sensitivity

Hypersensitivity
Involving the Not Involving the
immune system immune system

Food Allergy Food Intolerance

(allergic (non-allergic
hypersisitivity) hypersensitivity)

Non-IgE
IgE Mediated
mediated
allergy
allergy
Food Allergy
 A true food allergy is an abnormal, adverse reaction to a food
protein triggered by an individual’s immune system
 IgE- Mediated
o The IgE antibody recognizes the food protein and triggers the allergic reaction
o Most food allergies fall under this category (Big 8)
o Short reaction time
 Cell- mediated
o Specific cells react adversely to food protein
o Allergic reaction is usually delayed

 Oral allergy syndrome (Pollen-food allergy syndrome)

 A person experiences itchiness of the mouth and may break out into hives
when consuming certain raw fruits, nuts, and vegetables but doesn’t
manifest if the food is cooked or processed
Allergic Reactions

 Some have reactions that

can be mild and non-life
threatening while others
can manifest life-
threatening reaction
upon exposure to an
allergen (e.g.
Anaphylactic shock)
Food Intolerance
 Idiosyncratic Reactions
 Adverse reaction to certain food but is not IgE or
cell- mediated. As the name suggests, the specific
reaction is not yet fully elucidated
 E.g. Sulfite, Tartazine, Allura red, etc.
 Metabolic Food Disorder
 Adverse reaction is caused by a deficiency of a
certain chemical in the body that prevents certain
metabolic activities
o Lactose intolerance- lack of lactase
o G6PD deficiency- lack or insufficient glucose-6-
phosphate dehydrogenase
Food Allergen as Hazard

 Food allergens are considered as hazards in food

manufacturing
 Typically, it is considered as a chemical hazard but some
countries/ organizations treat it as a separate hazard
 Food Safety Authority in Ireland (FSAI) till present
 Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFAI) until December 2018
o They used to have six hazard classification in food
Misconceptions About Food
Allergy
Food Allergy Misconceptions

 Food allergy cannot be acquired

 Cooking or processing can take away the

allergenic potential of a food
 Only processes that fully eliminate allergenic protein in
food can render a product non-allergenic (e.g. highly
refined oils)
o Lactose- free dairy products is fine with lactose intolerant
people
Food Allergy Misconceptions
 It is OK to eat small amount of allergenic food
 Tolerance is based on the immune system, what can be fine
for some is fatal for others
 Food allergy can be cured
 Unless a person outgrows an allergy, there is no way for the
allergy to go away
 Only the symptoms can be managed, usually by using anti-
inflammatory drugs but the allergy itself will persist
o Epinephrine is the most common first aid for people with severe
allergic reactions
 Avoidance is the only way to manage a food allergy
Food Allergen Recalls- USA
Top causes of FDA recalls in Q4 2017
Other
Quality 2%
10%

Mislabelling
13% Bacterial
Contamination
44%

Undeclared
Allergen
31%
Not all are negative!

“Singled out as one of the fastest- growing food & beverage companies in
the Chicago area, Enjoy Life Foods has experienced 131% growth over a
three- year period, with 2013 annual revenues at $33 million.”
- Business Wire-
Food allergen regulations
Food Allergens
 Almost all food have the capacity to cause allergies
 Corn, chocolate, potato, etc.

 Regulated allergens are typically based on which allergens

account for most of the reactions for a certain population
 It is typically linked to the rate of exposure to a particular allergen
based on their food culture
o Buckwheat which is localized in Asia, regulated in Japan and Korea
o Lupin (Lupine) used to be regulated only in EU
The Big 8- USA

Accounts for
90% of all
allergic
reactions
worldwide
Major Food Allergens in the EU

Gluten
- Protein in cereals
such as wheat, barley,
oats and their hybrids
(triticale)

Sulphites/ Sulfites
-10 ppm and above
- Induces asthma
Allergens of Concern in Canada
Allergens of Concern in Australia and
New Zealand
Allergens of Concern in Japan

Mandatory Labelling

Voluntary Labelling
Allergens of Concern- Codex
Alimentarius