Allergen management is a central pillar of food safety. The PLM of beCPG supports this need with built-in features that simplify the identification and management of allergens at every stage of the production chain.
Thanks to these tools, companies can track allergens from raw materials to the finished product, ensuring comprehensive traceability. This also facilitates the implementation of effective preventive measures to minimize the risk of cross-contamination.
Identification and tracking of allergens with beCPG
With beCPG, companies can easily select and catalog the allergens present in their raw materials.
Adding an allergen is done in just a few clicks: select the corresponding allergen from the dropdown list on the beCPG sheet of the relevant resource. Moreover, the system is pre-configured with a comprehensive list of major allergens common in the food and cosmetic industry.
In addition, for even greater precision, beCPG enables allergens to be linked directly to the ingredients in the database. This ensures that any raw material containing a specific ingredient automatically inherits its associated allergens. More specifically, if this ingredient is used, the quantity of allergen will automatically be reported in the product’s allergen list.
Cross-contamination management
beCPG enables the tracing of allergens related to resources involved in manufacturing. The goal is to optimize the prevention of allergen risks at each stage of the process.
In other words, the software helps manage the risk of cross-contamination at both the line and production site levels. By creating a “Resource” within the finished product that represents the line or site, it is possible to list potential allergens and determine if their presence is incidental and whether the risk is controlled.
This integration in beCPG consolidates allergen control, ensuring rigorous tracking throughout the product lifecycle.
Compliance with regulatory constraints internationally
Managing regulatory thresholds for allergens is a key function of beCPG, allowing companies to comply with legal standards. In the beCPG administration interface, it is possible to configure and add regulatory limits for various allergens, in accordance with the specific regulations of different countries. For example, the threshold set by European regulation for sulfur dioxide and sulfites is 10mg/kg or 10 mg/l (expressed as SO2). The PLM thus integrates these specific regulations to adapt the display of major allergens according to the language of the generated report.
Additionally, the “Compliance” list helps control the exportability of products. If a specification mentions the prohibition of an ingredient or an allergen in a country or according to a particular regulatory use, it will be marked as “prohibited” on the corresponding line. For more details, see the blog: beCPG: Regulatory Compliance Analysis Software.
These features ensure that products do not exceed the legal limits of allergenic substances, thereby facilitating regulatory compliance.
Allergen formulation automation with beCPG
By integrating information on allergens from raw materials and resources used, beCPG automatically generates a detailed list of allergens in the finished product. This list clearly distinguishes between intentional sources and unintentional sources resulting from cross-contamination.
Reports and labeling of allergens in beCPG
The PLM generates detailed reports that identify the allergens in the products, specifying the route of contamination. These documents provide a comprehensive view of allergen management.
To improve information for consumers, beCPG incorporates labeling features into its finished product reports. The system allows for customization of the display in the reports, offering the ability to select the allergens to include and to determine the labeling languages. This optimizes compliance with international standards and the relevance of the information for consumers.
As seen earlier, beCPG integrates the regulations of different countries into its system, allowing for the adaptation of the display of major allergens according to the language of the generated report. For example, European regulation identifies 14 major allergens, while the United States recognizes 9. The software therefore generates specific labeling for each country, ensuring an adequate highlight of the required allergens.
In summary, beCPG provides a comprehensive solution for allergen management, from selection in raw materials to the generation of detailed reports, facilitating compliance with safety standards.
