Pilot Plant Investigations on Cleaning Efficiencies To Reduce Hazelnut Cross-Contamination in Industrial Manufacture of Cookies

Abstract

Shared equipment in industrial food manufacture has repeatedly been described as a potential source of unlabeled food allergens, i.e., hidden allergens. However, the impact of shared equipment on allergen cross-contamination is basically unknown. Therefore, we sought to investigate systematically the extent of hazelnut cross-contamination in fine bakery wares as a model. A product change from cookies with 10% hazelnut to cookies without hazelnuts was simulated on pilot plant equipment. The extent of hazelnut cross-contamination (HNCC) was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for each production device (kneaders, rotary molder, wire cutting machine, and steel band oven) and various cleaning procedures used between products. The experiments were performed repeatedly with finely ground hazelnuts and with roughly chopped hazelnut kernels. Cross-contamination from chopped kernels was distributed statistically but not homogeneously, and sampling and analysis with the ELISA was therefore not reproducible. Further analysis concentrated on homogenously distributed HNCC from ground hazelnut. Apart from product changes without intermediate cleaning, the highest HNCC was found after mechanical scraping: Up to 100 mg/kg hazelnut protein was found in the follow-up product after processing by one machine. After additional cleaning with hot water, the HNCC decreased regardless of the processing device to levels at or below 1 mg/kg hazelnut protein. In our pilot plant study, the application of an appropriate wet cleaning procedure in combination with quantitative monitoring of the cleaning efficiency reduced the hazelnut protein cross-contamination to a level at which severe hazelnut-related allergic reactions are unlikely to occur.

Evaluation of Cleaning Procedures for Allergen Control in a Food Industry Environment

“…Intuitively, pickup efficiency fraction will become lower as surfaces became cleaner from prior transfer from surface to chicken piece by follow‐up product. This was confirmed by Röder and others (2008) in their hazelnut cookie trials. Replotting of their data shows that the progressive reduction in contamination in follow‐up is more complicated than a simple exponential decay curve.…”

“…However, their data cannot be analyzed as was done here because their ELISA test values for milk protein and casein were qualitative. In a study on ground hazelnut contamination on cookie moulding equipment, Röder and others (2008) used only an ELISA test to show the effectiveness of cleaning solid matter off a range of equipment. Because of the nature of the hazelnut cookie process, the cleaning protocol was different and less rigorous than that applied in the present study, but in their cross‐contamination trials with follow‐up product cleaning was shown to be particularly effective in reducing contamination to safe concentrations, although that varied with equipment.…”

“…Knowing the concentration of an allergen on a conveyer surface has risk assessment value only when the concentration can be translated into contamination of purportedly allergen‐free food subsequently prepared on that processing line. This approach was taken by Röder and others (2008) who examined cross‐contamination of hazelnut protein in a follow‐up product where processing equipment had been left uncleaned or cleaned by defined protocols. A similar experiment could not be performed in this facility so a computer‐assisted model was developed to assess cross‐contamination when follow‐up product purportedly free of gluten was processed on a hypothetically uncleaned processing line.…”

“…The major part of the present research compares the relative effectiveness of the standard cleaning procedures in a chicken processing facility in lowering the surface concentration of potential allergens. A similar approach was taken by Röder and others (2008) who explored effectiveness of cleaning processing equipment to reduce tree nut allergens in commercial cookies. The processing facility in the present study produces around 140 varieties of chilled, frozen and further processed chicken and turkey products.…”

Allergen- und Allergierisikobewertung, Allergenmanagement und Lücken der europäischen Lebensmittelinformationsverordnung (LMIV)

“…Die gleichen analytischen Werkzeuge dienen dann der Überprüfung der E zienz von gezielten Maßnahmen zur Allergenreduzierung wie beispielsweise der Anlagenreinigung zwischen Produktwechseln [11]. Die Risikobewertung ist einerseits abhängig von der Verfügbarkeit geeigneter klinischer Auslöseschwellen, unterhalb derer für die große Mehrzahl der Allergiker keine allergischen Reaktionen zu erwarten sind (s.…”