Allergen management

In close cooperation with external specialist advisers, Zentis has established an independent allergen management system that details the correct handling of allergenic raw materials, intermediate and end products from procurement to delivery. As part of this allergen management system, any possible cross contamination with allergens is listed on an additional label on the products, e.g. ‘May contain nuts’.

Fourteen main allergens are subject to mandatory labelling

The Food Labelling Regulation defines 14 main allergens that must always be labelled on products if they are contained in the ingredients:

Grains containing gluten (wheat, rye, oats, spelt, barley, kamut or hybrid strains), cereal products and crustacean products,
Eggs and egg products
Fish and fish products
Peanuts and peanut products
Soya and soya products
Milk and milk products
Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, Queensland nuts) and nut products
Mustard and mustard products
Sesame and sesame products
Celery and celery products
SO₂ > 10 mg/kg
Lupins and products derived from these
Molluscs and products derived from these

Above and beyond: our allergen management system

The most important points in this allergen management system are:

A separate space for raw material processing of allergenic ingredients
Coloured labels for allergenic raw materials, equipment and transport containers
Concentration of production of allergenic preparations in special areas of the production facility
Inspecting the cleaning performance of all plants, transport containers and equipment
Carrying out risk assessments together with a neutral specialist advisor
Integrating allergens into the HACCP concept
Detailed information and training of staff in all areas with regard to the background and new processes in the workplace

Certification

In 2016, Zentis was once again certified according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17020:2012 thanks to its successfully established allergen management process. New findings and legal changes are immediately integrated into existing processes for the comprehensive information and safety of consumers.

Allergen management certificate