Workshop description

Food allergies affect 3.5 - 4.0% of the U.S. population with symptoms ranging from comparatively mild to severe and life-threatening. Estimates suggest as many as 29,000 emergency room visits and 150 deaths each year result from food allergies. Consumers with food allergies must adhere to strict diets avoiding the allergenic food. These consumers rely upon the accuracy of ingredient statements to make appropriate product selections.

Sanitation is clearly one of the most important elements in an effective Allergen Control Program for a food company. Equipment and facilities are frequently shared between a formulation containing an allergenic food and a formulation that contains no such allergen or perhaps a different allergen. Effective SSOPs are needed to assure equipment and facilities can be cleaned between formulations. Sanitation failures can lead to consumer illness and product recalls.

This one-day workshop will be targeted to sanitation professionals, quality assurance staff, plant management, and others who would be responsible for the development and implementation of sanitation programs and SSOPs within food processing facilities. The program will cover the challenges of sanitation, best practices in both wet and dry cleaning conditions, and detection methods and their role in validation of sanitation programs and SSOPs. The opportunity will be provided to benchmark against practices conducted by some of the leading food companies in the U.S.

For additional information contact:

Pat Gergen, FARRP
University of Nebraska
Phone: 402-472-5302
Fax: 402-472-5307
E-mail: pgergen2@unl.edu