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CulinaryAllergen Cross-Contact and Cleaning
Twenty flashcards on how allergens reach food by accident and the cleaning steps that keep them out.
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20 cards
- What is allergen cross-contact?
- The accidental entry of an allergen into a food that is not meant to contain it.
- Name three ways cross-contact happens when foods share a facility.
- Shared equipment or lines, ineffective cleaning, and dust or aerosols carrying the allergen.
- Does sanitizing alone remove allergens?
- No. Sanitizing alone does not fully eliminate allergen contamination.
- Which full cleaning sequence removes allergens well, per the FDA in 2022?
- Wash, rinse, sanitize and air dry.
- What control measure does the Food Code give for allergens?
- A rigorous sanitation regime to prevent cross-contact between allergenic and non-allergenic ingredients.
- After cutting raw fish, what must happen before the surface touches other raw animal foods?
- It must be cleaned and sanitized, because fish is a major food allergen.
- How many compartments must a manual warewashing sink have?
- At least 3: wash, rinse and sanitize.
- In a 3-compartment sink, what step comes between washing and sanitizing?
- A distinct, separate water rinse.
- How must equipment and utensils dry after cleaning and sanitizing?
- Air-dried or drained; they may not be dried with a cloth.
- When must food-contact surfaces be cleaned as the work changes?
- Each time you switch from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods.
- How often must surfaces used with TCS food be cleaned during the day?
- At least every 4 hours.
- How does the Food Code keep different raw meats apart?
- Separate equipment, an arrangement that prevents contact, or different times or areas.
- Give the FDA example of cross-contact on shared equipment.
- Peanut from cookies can end up in crackers made on the same equipment, even after cleaning.
- What does a "may contain" or "produced in a facility" statement address?
- Unavoidable cross-contact, after every precaution and good manufacturing practices.
- Can an advisory statement replace good manufacturing practices?
- No. It must be truthful and never substitutes for current good manufacturing practices.
- What must food plants keep in writing to control allergen cross-contact?
- Written procedures that keep allergen products away from those not meant to contain them (21 CFR part 117).
- When is the inspection's cleaning item marked out for allergens?
- When equipment that touched a major allergen such as fish was not cleaned and sanitized before other raw animal foods.
- Which FDA test method uses antibodies to find allergens?
- ELISA, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
- How many allergens can the FDA xMAP assay detect in one analysis?
- 16 allergens, sesame included.
- Why do people react to food they thought was safe, per the Food Code?
- The label missed an allergenic ingredient, or cross-contact happened during processing and preparation.
Official sources
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FDA Food Code 2022 (full document, January 18, 2023)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Food Allergies
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Food Protection
Food Allergen Awareness FAQs
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Have Food Allergies? Read the Label
Making Synapses is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the FDA, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health or any certification provider. Agency names are named only to describe the content.