Why Allergen Management Is Critical Under SQF

Food allergens are one of the leading causes of recalls worldwide—and one of the most preventable. The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Code emphasizes allergen control as a core component of its food safety system because undeclared allergens and cross-contact risks can have immediate, life-threatening consequences for consumers.

SQF-certified facilities are expected to take a proactive, system-wide approach to allergen risk—not just reactive labeling checks. As food safety programs evolve under SQF Edition 10, auditors and regulators are placing more focus on real-time allergen control, cross-functional awareness, and supply chain alignment.

Key Allergen Control Requirements in SQF

SQF requires that facilities implement a documented and validated allergen management program. This includes:

• Identification of Allergen Hazards: Recognizing allergens in raw materials, ingredients, processing aids, and even secondary packaging components (like adhesive glues that may contain soy derivatives).
• Allergen Mapping: Visual and process-based mapping to track allergen flow through receiving, storage, production, and packaging.
• Segregation Practices: Both physical (barriers, dedicated storage) and procedural (FIFO rotation, controlled access) methods to prevent co-mingling.
• Label Verification Procedures: Double-checks at pre-print, receiving, and packaging stages to prevent mislabeling and label-to-product mismatch.
• Validated Cleaning Protocols: Scientific validation (e.g., ELISA swabs, ATP tests) to confirm allergen residues are consistently removed between product changeovers.
• Employee Training: Role-specific instruction that includes allergen awareness, sanitation expectations, and how individual actions can create or prevent cross-contact.

Facilities are also expected to integrate allergen controls into their HACCP plans, with proper hazard analysis and designated preventive controls where required.

Common Allergens Facilities Must Control

While allergen regulations vary by region, most global standards recognize these as high-risk allergens:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, cashews, walnuts)
• Soy
• Wheat (gluten)
• Fish
• Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, shrimp)
• Sesame (now a major allergen under U.S. law as of 2023)

Actionable Tip: Don’t rely solely on supplier-provided specs. Perform periodic validation of allergen declarations through ingredient-level verification or third-party analysis.

Best Practices for Preventing Allergen Cross-Contact

Avoiding allergen-related non-conformances requires discipline, cross-department communication, and data-driven decision-making. Best practices include:

• Dedicated lines or tools: Where not feasible, robust cleaning and validated sanitation protocols must be established and enforced.
• Color-coded visual controls: Utensils, bins, and PPE color systems reduce the likelihood of misapplication across allergen zones.
• Scheduling logic: Run allergen-free or low-risk products first, and reserve high-allergen runs for the end of a production cycle.
• Environmental controls: Air handling, dust collection, and equipment design must minimize airborne allergen movement.
• Sanitation verification: Use protein swabs or allergen-specific lateral flow devices to confirm cleaning effectiveness.

Pro Insight: Track historical sanitation failures, complaints, or label deviations. These are indicators of systemic breakdowns—and they offer a blueprint for where retraining, equipment redesign, or procedural updates are most needed.

Auditor Expectations for Allergen Control

SQF auditors are expected to assess the allergen control program not just in policy but in practice. Key audit targets include:

• Verification that your allergen plan is integrated into your food safety plan
• Observations of sanitation changeovers during facility walkthroughs
• Label checks against lot-specific production data
• Training records tied to high-risk roles (sanitation crews, production line workers, labelers)
• Complaint logs and incident investigations related to allergens

Actionable Tip: Mock recalls that simulate allergen mislabeling or cross-contact scenarios are highly effective at preparing your team and demonstrating system maturity to auditors.

How Registrar Corp Supports SQF Allergen Compliance

Registrar Corp’s SQF and Allergen Control Training doesn’t just teach regulatory basics—it equips your team with:

• Tools to analyze allergen risks by product line and shift structure
• Templates for allergen maps, cleaning validation records, and label checklists
• Guidance on leveraging technology for real-time allergen traceability
• Support on integrating allergen control into supplier verification and procurement decisions

As Edition 10 pushes toward outcome-based performance indicators, facilities with embedded, responsive allergen programs will lead in both audit outcomes and customer confidence.

Final Takeaway: Allergen Control Is a Cross-Functional System

Effective allergen management is not a siloed QA activity—it requires coordination between procurement, R&D, production, sanitation, and warehousing. Communication lapses at any point can unravel an otherwise solid program.

True allergen control isn’t just about avoiding recalls—it’s about building trust. It signals to buyers, regulators, and consumers that your operation understands what’s at stake and has taken every step to mitigate risk.