Importance of Managing Food Allergens
Importance of Managing Food Allergens in any food handling premises is significant. It is reported that approximately 3% of adults and 5% of children in Ireland have food allergies (IFAN, 2020).
Many people are allergic to certain foods. You must always be aware of all the ingredients contained in the food served by your kitchen. For example, many pre-prepared foodstuffs such as ice-cream contain eggs, and other foods contain traces of nuts. Be very careful when garnishing food, because even if a pre-prepared food type is allergen free, if it is garnished with chopped nuts it can become fatal to certain people.
How to Manage Food Allergens
All members of staff should be trained in allergen awareness and observe the house rules, and everyone should be able to recognise the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Of course some restaurants serve shellfish and dishes containing nuts, and the key here is awareness: the staff must be aware of food ingredients and the customers likewise. It is very important that your supplier provides complete ingredient information and alerts you when any changes are made. It is also very important to listen carefully to your customers. If an allergy sufferer asks for information about the ingredients of a certain food it is essential that you understand them completely so that you can give an accurate response. Never guess!
eLearn Safety offers a fully online Management of Food Allergens course. The course is designed to introduce participants to understanding food allergens and management of associated risks. On completion of this food allergen training course, participants will be able to understand their requirements under Irish food safety legislation as well as following best work practices.
The 14 Allergens
The EU has a list of 14 food allergens that you must declare the presence of if they are used as ingredients in your food (FSAI, 2024).
- Cereals containing gluten – wheat (such as spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats. Note: The cereal name, e.g., ‘wheat’, must be declared and highlighted, not ‘gluten’.
- Crustaceans, e.g., crabs, prawns, lobsters.
- Eggs.
- Fish.
- Peanuts.
- Soybeans.
- Milk.
- Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia/Queensland nut). Note: The name of the nut, e.g., ‘almond’, must be declared and highlighted, not ‘nuts’.
- Celery.
- Mustard.
- Sesame seeds.
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (at concentrations of more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/L in terms of total sulphur dioxide) – used as a preservative.
- Lupin.
- Molluscs, e.g., mussels, oysters, squid, snails.
Why is it Important to Manage Food Allergens
Allergies can cause an anaphylactic shock, which is life-threatening.
The symptoms include:
- reddening of the skin, swelling of the lips and eyelids,
- swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing and/or speaking feeling faint due to a serious drop in blood pressure,
- nausea,
- collapse and unconsciousness.
As noted earlier, if someone suffers these symptoms you must render immediate medical attention and call an ambulance.
Online Food Safety Training
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
eLearn Online Health and Safety Training
Allergenic Food Contamination
Allergenic food contamination can produce serious life threatening reactions in some people. Many people are allergic to certain foods, so you must always be aware of all the ingredients contained in the food served by your kitchen. For example, many pre-prepared foodstuffs such as ice cream contain eggs, and other foods contain traces of nuts. Be very careful when garnishing food, because even if a pre-prepared food type is allergen free, if it is garnished with chopped nuts it can become fatal to certain people.
Allergen Awareness Training
All members of staff must be trained in Allergen Awareness and observe the house rules. They should be able to recognise the symptoms of an allergic reaction. For a convenient fully online Managing Food Allergens course, please see eLearn Safety course on Managing Food Allergens. It is very important to make sure that food suppliers provide complete ingredient information. This is especially important if any changes to food ingredients are made. The best way to ensure your suppliers are compliant is having a robust and up-to-date Food Safety Management Systems in place. Some useful information can be found in eLearn Safety blog entry from 5th May 2023 titled Food Safety Management System (FSMS).
Consequences of Allergenic Food Contamination
Another important task of all food handlers is to listen carefully to customers. If an allergy sufferer asks for information about the ingredients of a certain food, it is essential that all involved in the food business have allergenic food contamination awareness so they can give an accurate response to their customers.
Naturally, there are some food handling establishments whose unique selling point is food that are classified as allergenic. Examples of such establishments are restaurants that serve sea food or dishes containing nuts. The most important word here is awareness – all staff must be aware of food ingredients in each dish. Likewise, customers must be aware that the seafood restaurant will most likely serve fish as a main offering.
Businesses cannot claim they don’t know what allergens are in the food they are serving or use ‘blanket-cover all’ expressions ‘food may contain allergens’ for all food they serve.
Anaphylactic Shock Symptoms
Allergic food contamination is a serious issue as allergies can cause an anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock is life-threatening.
The symptoms include:
- Reddening of the skin, swelling of the lips and eyelids.
- Swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing and/or speaking.
- Feeling faint due to a serious drop in blood pressure.
- Nausea.
- Collapse and unconsciousness.
If someone suffers these symptoms, immediate medical attention must be provided. In addition, calling an ambulance is a must.
Allergenic Food Contamination – Food Allergens
There are 14 allergens that must be declared by law. These are:
- Cereals containing gluten – wheat (such as spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats. Note: The cereal name, e.g., ‘wheat’, must be declared and highlighted, not ‘gluten’.
- Crustaceans, e.g., crabs, prawns, lobsters.
- Eggs.
- Fish.
- Peanuts.
- Soybeans.
- Milk.
- Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macademia/Queensland nut). Note: The name of the nut, e.g., ‘almond’, must be declared and highlighted, not ‘nuts’.
- Celery.
- Mustard.
- Sesame seeds.
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (at concentrations of more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/L in terms of total sulphur dioxide) – used as a preservative.
- Lupin.
- Molluscs e.g., mussels, oysters, squid, snails.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland published useful information in relation to Food Allergens on their web page titled Food Allergens – Advice for Consumers.
Online Food Safety Training
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
The Importance of Food Safety
The importance of food safety is knowing how to avoid the spread of foodborne diseases when cooking, preparing, and storing food. People can often feel unwell complaining of sickness, diarrhoea and stomach pains. Most of us dismiss the cause as ‘something that disagreed with us’. However, this may be a food poisoning caused by eating contaminated or poisonous food. Food poisoning affects thousands of people each year in Ireland, the seriousness of which cannot be underestimated. Good food safety is essential to make sure we are not harmed in any way from the food and drink we consume. All food handlers have a legal obligation to make sure they do not cause harm to anyone through bad practice, ignorance or neglect.
Food Safety and the Law
The importance of food safety has a significant legal weight. Serious breaches of food laws can result in significant financial penalties and prosecutions resulting in imprisonment.
Financial penalties
Food businesses who do not comply with the law can incur the additional sanction of direct financial costs, including:
- Fees for additional official controls – businesses can be charged for the expenses arising from any additional official controls that were necessary to follow up non-compliance.
- Court-imposed penalties arising from a prosecution.
- Costs associated with destruction of non-compliant foods.
- Administrative fines such as fixed penalty notices.
Prosecutions
As well as taking immediate enforcement action to deal efficiently and effectively with risks to public health and interests, each year a small number of prosecutions are initiated where there are significant breaches of food law. Prosecutions may also be initiated where there is intentional or reckless endangerment of public health. Taking prosecutions also supports the objective of enforcement as a deterrent to future non-compliance in food businesses in general.
Food Safety Training
A major requirement by law is that all food handlers must receive appropriate training in safe food handling relevant to their duties. This means that the type of training you need depends on the type of job you do. Legislation specifies that, even if a food operative handles only wrapped foods, they must receive training in how to handle food safely (which might include storage, serving, food allergens, inspection of deliveries, pest control, etc.). Every food operative has a responsibility to follow the food safety regulations and law to ensure a safe food product for their customer. If something goes wrong, evidence of receiving formal training may help in a defense of ‘due diligence’. This is why it is crucial to keep records of all the training staff have been given. Every employee must know the importance of food safety and how to achieve and maintain it.
Food Handlers Responsibilities
Food Handlers have a legal responsibility to:
- Keep themselves clean.
- Maintain good levels of personal hygiene.
- Follow the food safety training they have been given.
- Wear appropriate personal protective Equipment (PPE).
- Report to their supervisor if they have specific illnesses or symptoms of food poisoning.
Food handlers could be prosecuted if it can be proved they have not followed company rules and training they have been given.
Due Diligence
‘Due Diligence’ is the principal defence available to a food business if a legal action is taken against them. It means the business must prove they took every reasonable precaution to ensure the safety of food. Precautions could be:
- Systems of control to minimise risks.
- Training.
- Implementation of cleaning schedules.
- Personal hygiene.
- Inspection of deliveries.
- Pest control.
- Record keeping.
- Written records.
This list is not exhaustive but ‘Due Diligence’ could be demonstrated by proven use of these systems. If the business can show the offence was the fault of another person, such as a food handler who ignored company rules, this could also be used as a defence. In such a case it is possible that the food handler could be prosecuted if it can be proven they have been negligent.
Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI)
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) was established under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, 1998. This Act was enacted in July 1998 and came into effect on 1st January 1999.
The principal function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland is to protect consumers and raise compliance through partnership, science and food law enforcement.
FSAI are a statutory, independent and science-based body, dedicated to protecting public health and consumer interests in the area of food safety and hygiene. They come under the aegis of the Minister for Health and currently have a Board of ten. They also have a 15 member Scientific Committee that assists and advises the Board. Therefore, decisions relating to food safety and hygiene take account of the latest and best scientific advice and information available.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has authorised officers who have extensive powers to enter and inspect food premises, to secure these premises for later inspection, to inspect and, if necessary, remove records. These officers may take samples of food or related materials and have these samples analysed and it is an offence for any person to obstruct an officer in carrying out this duty.
The authorised officers are the staff of the various agencies involved in food safety, including Environmental Health Officers from the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Environmental Health Officers can:
- Enter food premises at any reasonable time to inspect premises, equipment food and procedures within the business.
- Take food samples and swabs from surfaces.
- Take photographs.
- inspect written records in order to help them make assessment of the premises.
Failing to allow them access is an obstruction under the law.
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
Food Safety HACCP & EU
What is HACCP?
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a system meant to ensure that food products are not a risk to human health. It is a tool to assess hazards and establish control systems that focuses on prevention.
Interestingly NASA developed and used the approach for production of safe foods for manned space flights.
Procedures based on HACCP principles are mandatory for most business operators placing food or feed on the EU market. Since 1998 it has been a legal requirement for all food businesses in Ireland to have a food safety management system based on the principles of HACCP.
Importance of Food Safety HACCP training in the workplace
EU Legislation Covering Food Hygiene
EU food law places full responsibility for safe food on the food business operators. In accordance with EU law all food businesses are, therefore, obliged to implement own-check systems. This own-check system must build on the principles of HACCP.
The specific pieces of legislation which cover this are Regulation (EC) 852/2004 and Regulation (EC) 853/2004.
The following principles are covered under these hygiene rules:
- Primary responsibility for food safety borne by the food business operator
- Food safety ensured throughout the food chain, starting with primary production
- General implementation of procedures based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points principles (HACCP)
- Application of basic common hygiene requirements, possibly further specified for certain categories of food
- Registration or approval for certain food establishments
- Development of guides to good practice for hygiene or for the application of HACCP principles as a valuable instrument to aid food business operators at all levels of the food chain to comply with the new rules.
- Flexibility provided for food produced in remote areas (high mountains, remote islands) and for traditional production and methods.
Who must be trained in HACCP?
Food handlers must be supervised, and also instructed and/or trained in food hygiene based on the level of activity they are involved in.
If you are responsible for your business’s HACCP system then you must undertake adequate training in the application of HACCP principles.
You can learn how to develop and implement an effective food safety system, incorporating Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) via online learning giving certification which is recognised nationally by employers and environmental health officers.