If you or your child has severe food allergies, life may sometimes feel like walking through a live minefield. Without proper precautions, you risk exposure to allergens that could threaten your quality of life and health. That’s why it is important to avoid cross-contact. Show What is cross-contact?Cross-contact is what happens when an allergen-containing food comes into contact with a food that does not naturally contain the allergen. Cross-contact spreads the allergen to the typically “safe” food, creating the risk of a reaction. Cross-contact vs cross-contaminationAlthough cross-contact and cross-contamination are often used interchangeably, they technically have different meanings. Cross-contact is properly used to refer to different foods that have been in contact with each other, either directly or indirectly. The allergen protein from one food is transferred to an allergen-free food. With cross-contact, the best way to stay safe is to avoid the food that has been in contact with the allergen. Anything that came in contact with the allergen should be washed thoroughly with soap and water. Cross-contamination occurs when a contaminant gets on the food and makes it unsafe to eat for anyone, with or without a food allergy or intolerance. Most contaminants are some form of bacteria, virus, or mold. Cross-contamination may lead to food-borne illness, or food poisoning. Although symptoms may be similar, this is not the same as having an allergic reaction. With cross-contamination, cooking the food in question may reduce or remove the chances of a reaction, though not always. How cross-contact happensThere are many ways that cross-contact can occur when preparing or storing food. Cross-contact may occur either by two foods coming in direct contact with each other, or through more indirect forms of contact. Cross-contact can be invisible to the naked eye, as even microscopic traces of allergens can trigger a reaction. Food/Food Contact Food-to-food cross-contact occurs when an allergen-free and an allergen-containing food come into direct contact. At a salad bar, for example, wheat-containing crouton crumbs may accidentally spill into a container of normally wheat-free shredded carrots. Food/Object Contact Sharing the same utensils among different types of foods may cause indirect cross-contact. For example, a chef may use the same knife to slice both egg-containing bread and egg-free bread. Without washing the knife in-between uses, crumbs from the bread with eggs may stick to the knife and then be transferred to the egg-free bread during slicing. Common cooking surfaces also can lead to cross-contact. A restaurant may use the same flat-top grill for cooking eggs, pancakes, and bacon. The common allergens of egg, wheat, or milk proteins may easily be transferred between these foods. Even though the bacon does not naturally contain egg, milk, or wheat proteins, it may pick some up from the shared cooking surface. Food/Skin/Saliva Contact This is another form of indirect cross-contact that can affect people with severe, highly sensitive food allergies. A person or animal that eats an allergen-containing food may transfer the allergen to someone else through their saliva. For example, a dog may eat a treat containing milk proteins. If the dog licks a person’s face, those proteins can be transferred by the dog’s saliva. A mother may eat peanuts before kissing her baby, leaving traces of peanut proteins on the child’s cheek. How to avoid cross-contactAvoiding cross-contact could be vital to your or your child’s health and safety. Planning ahead, staying alert, and asking the right questions can reduce your risk of cross-contact, both at home and dining out. Prepare foods safely ● Use separate utensils,dishes, and surfaces for making and serving different types of foods. ● If that is not possible,make sure to use utensils and surfaces that have been thoroughly washed with soap and water when making allergy-safe foods. ● When cooking different foods, prepare the allergy-safe options first. ● Cover allergen-free foods and store them away from other foods. ● After handling an allergen, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water before you touch anything else. ● Clean surfaces and utensils thoroughly with soap and water after preparing and cleaning up from meals. ● Do not share foods, drinks, cups, plates, or eating utensils. Make sure your children know not to share these items. ● Store and label foods at home as “safe” or “not safe” for allergies. ● Don’t be afraid to ask people to wash their hands, whether they are your guests or hosts. Plan ahead When dining at a restaurant or another person’s home, it is important make your needs understood. Not all places are prepared to handle food allergy needs, but some advanced preparation can help you have a safe and healthy dining experience. ● Let your host, server, or manager know of your food allergy needs; call ahead of time whenever in doubt ● Make sure they understand the importance of cross-contact ● Visit the restaurant website ahead of time to check the menu for safe meal choices ● If you are not sure whether there has been cross-contact, stay safe and do not consume the food in question Ask the right questions Whether you are calling ahead of time or sitting down at the table, knowing what to ask can help you avoid cross-contact in your meal. Somethings you might ask include: ● Is there a separate space for preparing foods for special diets? ● Can they use separate cutting boards and utensils for the allergy-safe meal? ● Does the restaurant use a shared grill or fryer for both regular and allergen-free foods? ● Ask whether the servers will be preparing any part of your meal; this should not be the case, as the servers may not be aware of which spaces or utensils are allergy-safe. ● Ask how the allergy-safe meal will be designated and delivered. The allergy-safe meal should be delivered separately, to avoid cross-contact. ● Ask if your table can be sanitized to reduce the presence of allergen proteins. OIT can makes cross contact less dangerousOral Immunotherapy is a treatment that helps people get past their food allergies. The primary goal of which is to be able to consume a full serving of the allergen with no adverse reactions. Concerned about food allergies or intolerances? Whether you’re looking for a safer lifestyle or relief from allergy symptoms, the expert team at Aspire Allergy& Sinus is here. Contact us for more information, or to request an appointment. We’re ready to help answer your questions and guide you through the process of navigating life with food allergies.
Knowledge Base » Food Hygiene »
Approximately 2 million people in the UK currently have a food allergy. Food allergies are more common in children, with up to 8% of children currently having a diagnosed food allergy, compared to 2% of adults. The severity of allergies in the UK is also increasing. The Anaphylaxis Campaign reported that hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis are increasing every year. In fact, hospital admissions as a result of food allergies have increased by 500% since 1990. Cross-contact is a common way that people are unintentionally exposed to a food allergy and can result in even the most allergy conscious people being exposed to allergens.
Cross-contact is when one food comes into contact with another food and an allergen protein is transferred between the foods. The contact between the foods results in the proteins mixing. Each of the foods will then contain a small amount of the other food. Allergen proteins are extremely small and are often invisible to the human eye. This means that when proteins are transferred between foods, they may not be visible, and you may be unaware that any cross-contact has occurred. The protein transferred between foods could be a food allergen or gluten. Even if the amount of protein that has been transferred is minimal, this could still be dangerous to those with allergies. This is because even microscopic traces of an allergen can trigger an allergic reaction. Cross-contact could occur at any stage of the food preparation process. Even after the food has been cooked, and safe cooking temperatures that kill bacteria have been reached, the allergen proteins that have been transferred still remain hazardous and could negatively affect a person’s health and safety. If cross-contact occurs, food that is considered to be safe may become contaminated with the allergen protein and individuals could be at risk of having a reaction. The transference of allergen proteins could be hazardous to a person’s health and safety and could result in a severe allergic reaction, anaphylaxis or even death. Any individuals involved in any part of the food process should be aware of how to reduce or eliminate the risk of cross-contact and what actions to take if cross-contact occurs.
Cross-contact and cross-contamination are two terms that are often used interchangeably. As cross-contact is fairly new terminology, many people, including those in the food industry, often confuse the two terms. It is crucial that any person involved in any part of the food process and those with food allergies are aware of the difference between cross-contact and cross-contamination. Let’s take a look at cross-contact and cross-contamination in more detail:
The main difference between cross-contact and cross-contamination is that cross-contact refers to allergens and can result in an allergic reaction, whereas cross-contamination refers to contamination that can result in food poisoning and foodborne illnesses. Once cross-contact has taken place the allergen cannot be removed, regardless of how long the food is cooked for, whereas some bacteria or microorganisms that are transferred through cross-contamination can be killed through cooking. If you are exposed to a hazard as a result of cross-contamination, the side effects can range from mild to severe. Many hazards result in foodborne illnesses or food poisoning. Some symptoms of cross-contamination include:
For more information on cross-contamination and how to avoid cross-contamination and remove or reduce potential hazards, consult the Food Standards Agency (FSA). If you are exposed to an allergen as a result of cross-contact, you could experience symptoms that range from mild to serious, depending on the severity of the allergic reaction. Symptoms can range from itching, hives and sneezing to hypotension, breathing difficulties and collapsing.
For individuals managing food allergies, or those involved in any stage of the food process, knowing how cross-contact can happen is key to preventing future contact and reducing the risk. Cross-contact can occur in a number of ways during the food preparation, storage or cooking process. It can be direct, meaning that the food comes into direct contact with another food that contains the allergen, or indirect, whereby the allergen transfers to the food via another source, such as through equipment, utensils, surfaces or the environment. Let’s take a look at direct and indirect cross-contact in more detail.
This is a common way that cross-contact occurs. Two foods or food ingredients come into direct contact, usually during the food preparation or food storage process. Quite often, the allergen was directly applied to the food and then removed. Food to food contact can also occur if different foods are stored in the same container, an allergen is removed from an already prepared food or food that is not separated properly at a buffet.
The food can become contaminated by an object, such as utensils, cookware, crockery or food equipment. This can happen if the same utensil is used for different foods, for example, using the same knife to cut regular bread and gluten-free bread. Not properly cleaning equipment, such as pots, pans and chopping boards can also result in an allergen coming into contact with other foods.
Food can come into contact with allergens that are found on surfaces. If an allergen-containing food is prepared on a surface and the surface is not properly cleaned, this allergen can then contaminate a different food that is prepared on the surface. All surfaces in a kitchen, including those that do not have direct contact with food, should be properly cleaned and disinfected. This is because environmental exposure can occur, whereby the allergen is inhaled.
This type of indirect contact may affect those with severe food allergies. If one person consumes an allergen and then comes into contact with another person who has a food allergy, this can result in an allergic reaction. Examples include, a baby drinking its mother’s breast milk, a dog licking your skin, and kissing or touching another person shortly after touching or eating food containing the allergen.
Cross-contact can occur at any stage of the food process. Some common examples of when cross-contact can occur include:
If you have an allergy and the food you have eaten has encountered cross-contact with an allergen, there are a range of signs and symptoms to be aware of. These symptoms can range from mild to severe and could even be potentially life-threatening depending on the severity of your food allergy. Signs and symptoms of being exposed to a food allergen may include:
More serious symptoms of being exposed to a food allergen could include:
In the case of a severe allergic reaction, the person may experience anaphylaxis and could be at risk of the reaction being life-threatening or fatal. In this situation, the individual who has experienced anaphylaxis will need immediate medical care and will likely need to be admitted to the hospital. They may also need to self-administer an adrenaline auto-injector or be given CPR.
As you cannot remove the allergens once cross-contact has taken place, preventing cross-contact from occurring in the first place is essential. Some ways you can avoid cross-contact include:
In some individuals, especially those with severe allergies, cross-contact can be life-threatening, regardless of how much of the allergen the individual is exposed to. People with severe allergies can experience a serious and potentially life-threatening reaction, even if they are only exposed to a very small amount of the allergen. In the event of a serious reaction, the individual could experience anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs when the immune system releases a flood of chemicals that can cause the person experiencing the reaction to go into shock. Anaphylaxis can result in serious signs and symptoms, such as a sudden drop in blood pressure, breathing difficulties, narrowing of the airways, a weak or rapid pulse, and a loss of consciousness. In some circumstances, anaphylaxis can be fatal. If there is a possibility that someone with a food allergy has eaten food that has been subjected to cross-contact and could therefore have been exposed to an allergen, any potential symptoms of a severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis should be treated this way, even if you are not 100% sure that cross-contact has taken place. To treat life-threatening symptoms and try and reduce the likelihood of the reaction becoming fatal, there are several ways you can treat the symptoms.
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