“Allergens and claims could catch us out”
How small, unmanaged changes create major allergen risk
This is one of the biggest fears in food.
Because allergen issues don’t usually come from “bad intent”.
They come from small changes + weak controls.
Common triggers:
ingredient substitutions
rework use
shared equipment
changeovers under time pressure
artwork not updated
supplier formulation drift
These issues are heavily scrutinised by:
· FSA / Local Authorities (especially where undeclared allergens are involved)
· BRCGS / IFS auditors (allergen management is a major focus area)
· Retailer audits (they often go deeper than certification audits)
Example:
A product is labelled “may contain nuts” but the factory starts running a nut product on the same line.
If risk assessments, cleaning validation, and label statements aren’t aligned - you’re exposed.
Click-PLM helps by connecting ingredient data > allergen rules > claims > label outputs.
So when something changes, the system forces the right checks.
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