Food allergen control at meat processing enterprise: scientific rationale and preliminary hazard analysis

From a public health point of view, the control of food allergens in enterprises is one of the main methods of food safety management required by national and international standards. The implementation results of measures for allergen control and identification of noncompliance are presented using the developed checklist, which includes 41 questions. The survey was conducted at meat processing plant in the Moscow region, which is certified for compliance with the requirements of ISO 22000:2018 “Food safety management systems — Requirements for any organization in the food chain” and FSSC22000 certification scheme. Compliance with the criteria included in the checklist was assessed by the method of interviewing employees at the enterprise and direct onsite observation. The highest level of noncompliance according to 7 groups of criteria established in the checklist was identified in the following sections; “Cleaning”, “Transport and storage” and “Hazard awareness”. Factors complicating the implementation of allergen control activities include available methods to assess cleaning effectiveness when removing specific allergens, experience in separating allergen-containing and allergen-free products and raw materials during transport and storage, and staff training in allergen control. At the same time, the PCR method was used to study 15 samples of meat products manufactured at the selected enterprise for the presence of legumes (soybeans), gluten, mustard, and peanuts. In six samples, undeclared allergens were detected in quantities hazardous to the health of the consumer. The results obtained indicated the need to develop and implement measures aimed at minimizing the risk of allergen transfer to the meat products during their production. Based on the results of the research, a procedure for allergen control has been developed, including additional measures for the control of food allergens.