October 02, 2025

How To Manage Food Allergens

In this column, the author explores the food manufacturer’s responsibility to manage and control the Big Nine food allergens and provides insight into food allergen labeling and management to ensure food safety.

Richard Stier

Food Technology Magazine

Allergen Control

Understand the food manufacturer’s responsibility to manage and control the Big Nine food allergens.
Allergen Labeling

Gain insight into food allergen labeling and management to ensure food safety.
Cross-Contact Prevention

Get tips on how to develop, document, implement, and maintain programs to prevent cross-contact between allergen-containing and non-allergen foods.

Food allergens are a significant food safety hazard. For the many people who are allergic to a food, the only thing that they can do to protect themselves is to avoid the food in question. People with a food allergy must therefore rely on the food manufacturer to do two things:

Properly label the food so that the person with an allergy can avoid that product.
Develop, document, implement, and maintain in-plant programs to prevent cross-contact between foods or ingredients containing allergens and those that do not.

It is now a little over 20 years since the U.S. Food …

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Authors

Richard Stier Food Scientist

Richard F. Stier is a consulting food scientist with international experience in food safety (HACCP), food plant sanitation, quality systems, process optimization, GMP compliance, and food microbiology (rickstier4@aol.com).