What is an Allergy?

Nature’s joke?
Normally, your immune system protects you
It makes good antibodies against bacteria and viruses
In some people, it does not work right
When they contact something in very small amounts, like
breathing pollen or eating food, their body goes crazy
Instead of making good antibodies, it makes a different type of
antibody, which acts more like an outlaw
 Why is it Deadly?
Nothing to laugh about
The outlaw antibodies make the body act in different ways
than the good antibodies
They make parts of the body release materials that cause
uncomfortable or dangerous events
Itching
Rashes (hives)
Eye watering
Sneezing
Asthma (lungs cannot get air or remove waste gases)
Heart unable to beat properly
Death
Why do we Need to Control Allergens?
Very important
An allergen is the material that the outlaw antibodies react
to – it’s the trigger that starts the reaction
It is in the food that the people became allergic to
It only takes a tiny bit to trigger the reaction
In some people, it takes as little as .000004 ounces
The allergen does not go away
It can remain on a table top for over 110 days if it is not completely
cleaned
It can get on your clothing and hands and move into the
product
And if someone eats something made with the
contaminated product, they could die
What Allergens do we Need to Control?
Many
We have to control many allergens
The most common food allergies are:
Peanuts
Tree nuts
Milk
Egg
Wheat
Soy
Fish
Shellfish
They are in most foods that people eat in snacks and
lunches
 How do we Control Allergens?
Very easy
Everyone is ONLY allowed to eat food in the lunchroom or
at the picnic table
No food is allowed near the production areas
If we get food on our clothing when we eat, we must clean
it off so it does not move into the product
Everyone must wash their hands after eating and after
putting on hairnets and beardnets
Remember, it only takes a tiny amount, less than you can
see, to make someone have a reaction
And those reactions could be fatal
 Conclusion
What this is all about
Food allergies can be deadly, and it only takes a tiny
amount of an allergen to cause a reaction
We have the legal responsibility and a moral responsibility
to make sure that our products will not cause a reaction in
someone with a food allergy
We do this by keeping all food, no matter what kind, away
from the production area and by practicing good sanitation
and hygiene