Peanut & tree nut
Which nuts are regulated in South Africa?
What is the severity of peanut and tree nut
Are tree nut allergic individuals sensitive
to all the nuts?
The misuse of blanket statements such as “made in a factory that uses nuts” has been one of the reasons for the inclusion of regulations in South Africa for the use of precautionary statements. As this type of statement has been used on so many products, all peanut and tree nut allergic individuals would either avoid purchasing and consuming these products as they may react to minute amounts of nuts, or would begin to ignore such statements if they consumed such products and did not react.. The irresponsible use of such statements therefore not only limits the selection of food products that nut-allergic individuals can consume, but may also lead to increased risk-taking and possible fatal allergic reactions.
How does one manage tree nuts and peanuts in
a food manufacturing facility?
An important distinction that needs to be made for peanuts and tree nuts compared to the control of other common allergens is that these are often handled in the whole or particulate form in the manufacturing environment. Therefore, if contamination with peanuts or tree nuts were to occur, this may very well involve a whole or piece of nut rather than a trace of allergenic residue. Since the nut fragments would not likely be evenly dispersed through the "cross contacted" product, an individual consuming such a product could encounter a much higher level of allergenic protein in a smaller portion of the final product, with a greater chance of a fatal reaction.
The particulate nature of peanuts and tree nuts also needs to be taken into account when sampling for allergen testing. Swabbing, for instance, may not be the best method of testing for the presence of particulate pieces of nut. Since in-line verification methods may not always pick up whole pieces of nut, inspection of production lines and processing areas after cleaning is crucial to ensure that all particulates are removed. A preferred option for nut testing would be to analyse a thoroughly homogenised portion of the next product (not intended to contain peanuts or tree nuts) for the presence of these nuts using suitable testing methods.
These points should be considered in your allergen control program to ensure that contamination is reduced and that due diligence in all parts of the manufacturing environment can be shown.
FACTS laboratory analyses for the presence of all of the tree nuts listed in the regulations: almonds, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, hazel nuts, macadamia nuts, pecan nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts.
For more information on pricing or other services that we offer, please contact Carine at 021 551 2993/ [email protected]