Food allergens can be a major safety concern for food manufacturers and packagers. As a food manufacturer, you know you are responsible for the safety of your products. With an estimated 16 million Americans with food allergies, including 5.6 million children under the age of 18, allergen contamination is of high concern.
Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to make sure they keep allergen contamination out of their production facilities. Cross-contamination can occur from inadequate cleaning of a production line so that residue from an allergen remains on the line and is picked up by the next product being made there.
The presence of allergens in products is a risk that you must manage. With undeclared allergens at the top of the recall list, manufacturers need to be extra careful about potential cross-contamination on their production lines.
Eight major food allergens – milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soybeans, fish and crustacean shellfish – are responsible for most of the serious food allergy reactions in the United States. As a result, food processors must be determined to stop cross-contamination issues when their products include any of these food allergens. Allergens may enter foods inadvertently through the use of common processing equipment, including conveyor systems.
One way to eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination is by using separate conveyors every time you manufacture a product that includes one with food allergens. Having double the number of needed conveyor systems comes with great expense.
Food Allergen Conveyor Conversion Kit
Instead of doubling your expense, you can purchase one conveyor that gives you the option to swap out the conveyor components that are in the product stream. A Food Allergen Conveyor Conversion Kit includes a white conveyor belt (instead of the standard blue), removable retaining walls and optional clear covers branded with an allergen identifier of choice.
Utilizing a Food Allergen Conveyor Conversion Kit eliminates the need for multiple conveyors allocated for conveying specific products only. With a Food Allergen Conveyor Kit, you are able to simply swap out the conveyor components that are in the product stream and eliminate the potential for cross-contamination.
The cost for a Food Allergen Kit is a small price to pay for protecting your company from the potential financial and reputational damage an allergic reaction or recall may cause to your business.