5 Steps To Smarter Allergen Segregation

Effective allergen segregation is more important today than ever before. Around 2 million people in the UK are living with a food allergy and hospital admissions continue to increase. In fact, since 1990, UK hospital admissions for children with food allergies have increased by an incredible 500%.

Further attention has also been drawn to the issue as a result of Natasha's Law and the increased emphasis on food labelling for pre-packaged products containing allergens.

As a result, we’ve created 5 tips for smarter and simpler segregation which are vital to getting the basics right when it comes to processing and handling allergens.

For a more detailed look at the topic, we’ve also produced an in-depth guide which is available for you to download – Simplifying allergen segregation: 10 tips to improve the way you handle food allergens.

1. Question the provenance of your produce

Ask your suppliers about the allergens they process and the controls in they are using to prevent cross-contamination.

If they cannot provide reassurance, you should assume that your ingredients contain allergens that you may have thought were unrelated to your ingredients.
2. Bring colour to your production site

As part of an allergy management plan, many sites use different coloured production and hygiene utensils for different types of allergens (often called 'colour coding').

By having a clearly visible difference between allergen and non-allergen, and between allergens themselves, this prevents cross-contamination when handling different ingredients. IndeliMarking has also proved a useful method for further increasing control of plastic and stainless steel items in a food-safe and hygienic way.
3. Create designated spill stations

Dealing with spills effectively starts with using the right cleaning equipment and knowing where to find it.

Designated spill kits are an effective way of insuring any spills are handled with in the correct manner to prevent cross-contamination.

Spill station shadow boards then ensure spill kits are easily accessible and properly managed to maximise life span and full compliance.
4. Allocate responsibility to key staff

Designating key responsibilities to specific members of staff should be a key part of any food safety strategy. Processes and systems are obviously essential, but food safety ultimately comes down to people.

In order to get genuine buy-in from your staff, they need to be engaged in the process. Giving them accountability will go a long way to building a culture of trust and ensuring standards are always maintained – whether management is present or not.
5. Audit yourself

Consider asking a third-party auditor or colleague from a sister site to conduct a food safety audit. Ideally, this should include checking compliance with your site allergen management plan or control programme.

The process will be most effective if you investigate yourself with the same rigour and standards that you would expect from an external audit. Analyse key areas or non-conformity and document improvement actions, along with team members who are responsible for them.