Food allergens are a significant issue for all food businesses, and must therefore be controlled to prevent those that are not intended to be present, from being in a food product. There are many controls that are commonly used in food businesses, including; cleaning, training, scheduling, correct storage, labelling, menus, and ingredients of ingredients.
Ingredients of ingredients is the method of knowing the exact ingredients of every ingredient or material used in a food business. Without knowing exactly what is in their products, a food business cannot provide their customers with an informed choice. A customer must be given sufficient information for them to make a decison about whether a food is safe for them to consume - this is an informed choice.
The process involves determining exactly what is in each material / ingredient by working with each supplier to obtain an accurate and current list of all ingredients in the materials they supply to that food business. This usually involves the collection of this and other useful infomation from the supplier in some acceptable form. It should be reviewed at least annually to ensure it is always accurate.
Once this information is collected, it must than be made available in some way to the customers, so they can then make an informed choice about whether they will consume the product.
Knowing the ingredients of your ingredient is an essential control for food allergens, and all food businesses should be practicing this simple and effective food safety tool.
