The compliance challenge
Undeclared allergens remain a leading cause of food recalls in Australia. The risk sits across the whole operation — raw materials, storage, scheduling, cleaning, rework, packaging and labelling.
Australian allergen labelling requirements changed with the plain English allergen labelling amendments, and sites must ensure declarations and supporting evidence remain compliant.
About this service
Allergen management work maps allergens through the site, assesses cross-contact risk at every step, and establishes controls that are practical to sustain in production.
Cleaning between allergen changeovers is validated rather than assumed, label artwork and packaging control are verified, and precautionary allergen labelling decisions are documented on a risk basis.
Scope of support
- Site allergen mapping and allergen matrix development
- Raw material and supplier allergen verification
- Cross-contact risk assessment by process step
- Storage, segregation and handling controls
- Production scheduling and changeover controls
- Rework control and traceability
- Allergen cleaning procedures and validation
- Verification methods including swabbing and rapid testing programs
- Label and artwork control, checks and reconciliation
- Ingredient declaration and allergen statement review
- Precautionary allergen labelling decision documentation
- Allergen incident and recall response readiness
- Allergen awareness training for staff
How the consultancy works
- 1
Allergen mapping
Identify every allergen entering the site and where it travels.
- 2
Risk assessment
Assess cross-contact risk at each step and rank by significance.
- 3
Control design
Set segregation, scheduling, cleaning and labelling controls.
- 4
Validation
Validate cleaning and control effectiveness with objective evidence.
- 5
Implementation
Train staff, roll out records and verify practice on the floor.
- 6
Verification
Establish ongoing verification, testing and label checks.
Relevant standards
- Food Standards Code allergen declaration requirements, including plain English allergen labelling
- Allergen clauses within BRCGS, FSSC 22000 and SQF
- Customer and retailer allergen requirements
Who this suits
- Sites handling multiple allergens on shared lines
- Businesses that have had an allergen complaint, incident or recall
- Sites introducing new allergen-containing products
- Importers and brand owners verifying supplier declarations
Compliance and operational benefits
- Documented, risk-based allergen controls
- Validated cleaning between allergen changeovers
- Reduced risk of undeclared allergen recalls
- Defensible precautionary labelling decisions