Allergen Shield

The first line of defense in food safety is Allergen Shield, a great mitigation and HACCP plan integration.

Setting the standard in the industry.

The Facts

Food allergies are a serious and potentially life-threatening food safety hazard. They affect 32 million Americans, including 5.6 million children under age 18. That's one in 13 children or roughly two in every classroom. Each year in the U.S., 200,000 people require emergency medical care for allergic reactions to food (about 1 every 3 minutes). It is estimated that at least 150-200 deaths occur annually from severe food allergies.

Part of the problem is cross-contact, which, by the way, is a relatively new term in food safety jargon. Cross contact occurs when an allergen is accidentally spilled or otherwise inadvertently transferred from a food known to contain that allergen to a food that ordinarily would not contain that allergen. Even in very tiny, undetectable, amounts the unsuspected allergen can trigger any mild to a life-threatening allergic reaction in people with sensitivity to that allergen. This makes non-hazardous food unsafe for customers with allergies.

So, consequently, the greatest danger for cross contact is right here,(pointing at the buffet) at the point of service, once a menu item has been positioned to be served on a cafeteria line, a self-service buffet, or food court. Up until now Cross Contact at the point of service has gone largely unabated simply for lack of an effectual control at the “point of service”, that point at which the food item is served or self-served. Due to the possibility of cross-contact, cafeterias and buffets in restaurants, employee dining rooms, schools, colleges, retirement communities, even healthcare facilities are a high-risk choice for a guest who has a food allergy.

Save Lives, Save Money, and doing the best to protect your customers: Allergen Shield!