Allergen Removal and Transfer Using Wiping and Cleaning Methods in Retail Food Establishments

Background

Allergic reactions to foods are the most common cause

of anaphylaxis in the United States. Preventing food

allergen cross-contact is an important aspect of retail food

safety. Allergen cross-contact means the unintentional

incorporation of a food allergen into food. For this reason,

it is important to better understand and address how

wiping and cleaning of food contact surfaces relates to the

transfer of food allergens in retail food establishments.

Existing FDA Food Code recommendations for wiping and

cleaning food-contact surfaces have focused on preventing

microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses from

contaminating foods. To determine the effectiveness of these wiping and cleaning recommendations at

preventing allergen cross-contact, FDA has conducted a study that investigated: 1) allergen removal from

surfaces by wiping with paper wipes, terry cloths and alcohol/quaternary ammonium chloride (quat)

sanitizing wipes; 2) cleaning of allergen-contaminated surfaces using a wash-rinse-sanitize-air dry

procedure; and 3) allergen transfer from contaminated wipes to multiple surfaces. Food-contact surfaces

(stainless steel, textured plastic and maple wood) were contaminated with peanut-, milk- and egg-

containing foods, and subjected to various wiping and cleaning procedures.

Key Findings

• Overall, the nature and amount of allergen on a surface, as well as the type and state of wipe cloth,

food-contact surface texture and material composition, influenced the effectiveness of wiping and

cleaning on allergen removal and the extent of allergen transfer on surfaces.

• Full cleaning (using a wash-rinse-sanitize-air dry method) as recommended in the FDA Food Code was

effective at allergen removal and minimizing allergen transfer.

• Pre-scraping food from surfaces prior to full cleaning aided allergen removal.

• Wet cloths/wipes and alcohol/quat wipes were more effective in allergen removal from surfaces than

dry wipes.

• Storing cloths in sanitizer solution minimized allergen transfer between surfaces.

• Allergens were more difficult to remove from textured plastic than stainless steel or wood surfaces.

For More Information

A copy of the full article is available via open access in the Journal of Food Protection.

The FDA Food Code is available at: http://www.fda.gov/FoodCode

Send questions to the Retail Food Policy Team at: RetailFoodPolicyTeam@fda.hhs.gov

RETAIL FOOD PROTECTION STAFF

July 2020

https://www.fda.gov/media/139757/download?attachment