This document discusses food allergens and their management. It begins by introducing common food allergens like milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, wheat, and others. For each allergen, it identifies major allergenic proteins and cross-reactivity. It then discusses how to manage allergens by identifying critical control points in product design, ingredients, processing, packaging, storage and labeling. Proper cleaning, separation of ingredients and equipment, and avoidance of cross-contamination are important. The VITAL system provides a standardized way for companies to communicate potential trace allergen risks to consumers. Overall, good management practices and controls are vital for effective allergen control.

1. (Food)
Allergen
Management
by Alois Fellinger
FoodSAFE’14
May 7,2014

2. Allergens

3. It is said that if you know your enemies
and know yourself, you will not be
imperiled in a hundred battles.
(知彼知己，百戰不殆；不知彼而知己，一勝一負；)
Sun Tzu (孫子, c. 6th century BCE),
Chinese general, author of The Art of War

5. Allergy to bovine milk is
most common in children
Main Allergen(s):
β-Lactoglobulin (Bos d 5),
α-Lactalbumin (Bos d 4),
Casein Fraction (Bos d 8)
Caseins from cows, sheep and goats
have 87-98% identical sequences
Milk

6. Main Allergen(s):
Ovomucoid (Gal d 1),
Ovalbumin (Gal d 2),
Ovotransferrin (Gal d 3),
Lysozyme (Gal d 4)
Cross reactivity between different
bird eggs is published
Allergy to chicken meat
(as well as to turkey) is very rare
Eggs

7. Allergens are Parvalbumins, calcium-
binding proteins found in the white muscle
meat of many fish species (~5mg/g meat),
they are heat stable and enzyme resistant
proteins
Main Allergen(s):
Codfish (Allergen M, Gad c 1),
Salmon (Sal s 1), Carp (Cyp c 1),
Tuna
>95% crossreactivity with
other fish in allergic persons
Fish

8. Allergen is mostly Tropomyosin, a
protein responsible for muscle
contractions
Main Allergen(s)Shrimp (Pen a 1),
Craps (Cha f 1), Crawfish (Pan s 1),
Lobster (Hom a 1), Oyster (Cra g 1,
Cra g 2), Squid (Tod p 14)
High probability of cross reactivity
between different seafoods
Crustaceae

9. One of the most common food allergies
in children and adults.
Major Allergen(s)
Hazelnut (Cor a 1), Cashew nut (Ana o
1), Walnut (Jug r 1), Brazil nut (Ber e 1)
High probability of allergy to other nuts.
Tree nuts should not to be confused with
peanut, which is a legume, or seeds, such
as sunflower or sesame.
© 2013, A. Fellinger Food Allergy & Allergens 9
Nuts

10. Peanuts are the leading cause of severe
food allergic reactions with more severe
symptoms than other food allergies. As
many as one-third of peanut-sensitive
patients have severe reactions, such as
fatal and near-fatal anaphylaxis.
Major Allergen(s):
Peanut (Ara h 1, Ara h 2)
© 2013, A. Fellinger Food Allergy & Allergens 10
Peanuts

11. © 2013, A. Fellinger Food Allergy & Allergens 11
Wheat allergy is most common in
children, and is usually outgrown
before reaching adulthood
A wheat allergy should not be
confused with “gluten intolerance”
or celiac disease, which affects the
small. Individuals with celiac disease
must avoid gluten, found in wheat,
rye, barley and sometimes oats
Cereals
containing gluten

12. Soybean allergy is one of the more common
food allergies, especially among babies and
children, but it is often outgrown. Allergic
reactions to soy are typically mild.
Major Allergen(s):
Soya (Gly m 4, Gly m 5, Gly m 6)
Soybeans are widely used in
processed food products. As it is
used in so many products,
eliminating all those foods can result
in an unbalanced diet.
© 2013, A. Fellinger Food Allergy & Allergens 12
Soy

13. Celery
Lupine
Molluscs
Mustard
Sesame
SO2

14. How to deal with
Allergens?

15. Source of Allergens
Recipe

16. Label it!

17. What about
hidden
Allergens?

19. Anything
out
there?
… and if so,
where is it
coming from?

20. Could it be
harmful?

21. Can it be
avoided?

22. Product
Ingredients
product
contamination
contamination
during transport
Process
Cleaning
Storage
Handling
Design
improper
procedure
tools
equipment
handling of
reworks
process
design
„crossing“
production lines
shared storage
with allergens
open storage of
packing material
selection of
ingredients
production
schedule
environmental
influence
*depending on your product & process

23. Product Development and Design
• Consumer group?
• Specific needs? e.g. gluten free
• Naturally free or specifically processed
• Selection of ingredients – cross contamination
• Production process – shared equipment?
• Correct labelling

24. Critical Control Points
• Incoming goods
• Ingredient Storage - Warehouse
• Cleaning
• Manufacturing equipment
• In-process cross contamination
• Rework
• Packaging/labelling - finished product
• Storage

25. Incoming goods and Warehouse
• Audit supplier and supply chain
• Confirm supplier specifications &
certificates
• Assure correct storage and ingredient
separation
• Have complete raw material and product
specifications

26. Processing and Packaging
• Plan and schedule production
• Try to use dedicated production lines
• Proper cleaning and sanitation of production
equipment
• Appropriate design of facilities, equipment
and tools
• Accurate labeling of equipment, tools,
intermediates, etc.
• Procedures for using rework (internal returns)
• Clean tools
• Detect cross contamination

27. Finished Product and Warehouse
• Verify correct labelling
• Correct packaging
• Correct product separation
• Auditing and enforcement

28. The VITAL
(Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling)
system is an essential standardized
allergen risk assessment tool
for food producers

29. VITAL allows a single simple standardized
precautionary statement, to assist food producers
in presenting allergen advice consistently for
allergic consumers.
VITAL 2.0

30. Good management with
poor equipment will
bring to a better result
than any good
equipment with poor
management.
“