Allergen Fact Sheets provide a one-stop source of information on food allergies, from symptoms and diagnosis to management strategies and treatment options. These resources include posters, fast facts, topic sheets (such as myths surrounding allergies and anaphylaxis) and checklists.
These resource sets have been specifically created for Adult Day Care and Child Nutrition programs, to meet allergen advisory statements and declaration requirements in the Food Standards Code.
Symptoms
Allergies are immune system responses to substances entering the body that are mistaken for harmful agents by our immune systems, leading to mild to severe reactions in organ systems such as skin, eyes, nose, mouth, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract or heart. Individual symptoms vary widely and can appear either instantly or over time; some individuals may even experience anaphylaxis which requires medical intervention immediately.
As soon as allergens enter our bodies, they bind to cells called mast cells lining mucus membranes in our noses, eyes and lungs. Once bound, these mast cells release chemicals such as histamine that cause blood vessels to dilate and swell causing irritation of nasal membranes and eyes as well as sore throats – sometimes leading to wheezing or shortness of breath as a result.
Symptoms depend on how much allergen entered the body, where it came into contact with it and the specific trigger for the reaction. Keep a diary of your symptoms to identify their source. Where possible, avoid allergens wherever possible and consult your GP about being tested for allergies. If you have had severe allergic reactions before, carry two auto-injectors of epinephrine with you at all times as well as wearing an alert bracelet to stay safe.
Diagnosis
Allergies can be difficult to diagnose. To assist healthcare providers in diagnosing your symptoms, they may ask you to maintain a food diary or conduct allergy testing, or may refer you to a clinical immunology/allergy specialist.
Skin prick tests and blood tests (often called radioallergosorbent tests or RAST) can help pinpoint allergens that trigger your allergies. These tests measure how many antibodies your body creates to combat these allergens; these antibodies are known as immunoglobulin E (IgE).
These antibodies attach to cells that line your blood vessels and set off a series of reactions that release chemicals that lead to allergic symptoms, including histamine release from mast cells that makes the skin red, itchy and may even lead to runny nose and sneezing.
Allergens can include foods, pollen and other substances that trigger allergic reactions in susceptible people, such as mold spores, dust mites, animal dander, medications, insect venoms and fruits/veggies. Mold spores are among the more commonly-seen allergens; others include dust mites, animal dander, medications and insect venoms; although foods containing protein (milk eggs nuts wheat soy soy fish shellfish peanuts latex etc). Food labels must identify major allergens; however cross reactivity between certain food items/allergens (like Birch tree pollen and Kiwi fruit/allergens can occur).
Management
Allergen management involves taking proactive measures to prevent allergic reactions by accurately labelling, limiting cross-contact, and providing staff training. This is both crucial in protecting those living with food allergies from potentially life-threatening reactions as well as helping businesses to protect their brands and meet legal standards.
Conduct risk analyses to ascertain the likelihood of unintended allergen cross-contact across an enterprise, for instance during manufacturing or processing raw ingredients into finished products. This data can then inform the use of precautionary allergen labels (PAL) on certain items.
No matter whether you currently manage allergens manually through spreadsheets or need an effective long-term solution, the best strategy for allergen management is implementing an allergen management software app. This will keep an eye on allergens at multiple levels: ingredients, recipes and menus – automatically updating when anything changes – eliminating manual data entry and making life easier for back-of-house staff when answering customer inquiries about allergens – saving both time and improving confidence levels!
Allergens can be an ongoing source of concern for food businesses and adhering to food safety laws is essential – particularly with reports of anaphylaxis linked to dining out. Our experienced teams offer assistance through everything from training courses and audits, food allergy testing and audits, practical support with cleaning validation, hygienic design, food safety management systems and labelling – we’re here to help!
Resources
Food businesses can utilize numerous resources to gain an understanding of allergies and how best to accommodate them, such as fast facts, topic sheets (e.g. allergy myths, stress and anxiety, epinephrine administration and diagnosis), posters, checklists and tips downloadable materials include PowerPoint presentations for use during staff meetings and trainings.
Allergens must be listed on food labels, with common food names listed before allergens for easy reference. Labelling requirements differ for prepacked and non-prepacked food products – it is important to know about any differences so as to remain compliant.
Keep allergen charts prominently displayed in your restaurant so staff can refer to them quickly and easily. Although it isn’t required by law for customers to request one when placing orders, having it readily available can give people confidence that your business cares about allergy safety.
Display allergen information clearly in your menu so customers can easily seek advice from staff about making safe selections when ordering. Don’t make this task too cumbersome by posting allergen charts everywhere; simply include a note in the menu to encourage customers to ask about allergens, along with allergen charts upon request, so customers know about potential allergens they might not be aware of and help protect against unknowingly ordering dishes that contain allergens they weren’t aware of.
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