Independent allergen control review for Morning Foods Ltd

Allergens Food safety management systems

Leading British oat and breakfast cereal supplier, Morning Foods Ltd requested a review of their food allergen management, from raw material intake and storage, through manufacturing, label generation, to packaging and finished product handling practices.

Allergen management in the food industry is built on robust Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs), Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs) and HACCP-based food safety systems, which together form the foundation of a proactive and systematic approach to food safety. By embedding allergen management into these core programmes – covering cleaning, segregation, supplier management and verification – food business operators (FBOs) can prevent, reduce or eliminate allergen hazards, minimise cross-contact risks, and ensure accurate allergen information is effectively communicated to consumers. These practices not only maintain compliance and consistency across operations but also support continuous improvement to meet evolving customer expectations and industry best practice.

Retailers and business-to-business customers often have differing requirements, making it challenging for manufacturers to satisfy all demands. Businesses must take a clear, justifiable position aligned with best practice and their operational needs. Consistency and credibility are essential to maintain trust internally and externally.

Morning Foods Ltd engaged us to provide independent, expert consultancy on food allergen management, ensuring alignment with relevant legislation, industry best practice and BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9.

The objectives were to:

Validate and verify the effectiveness of existing controls;
Identify opportunities for continuous improvement;
Reinforce credibility and transparency within their allergen management strategy.

Approach

We collaborated closely with Morning Foods Ltd to conduct a detailed, independent review of their food management allergen systems. Using our recognised expertise, we looked to answer the following key questions for the client:

Do current systems still represent best practice?
Are there opportunities for continuous improvement?

We undertook a comprehensive desktop review of allergen management procedures and documentation, assessing current systems against BRCGS requirements, Codex Alimentarius principles, and recognised standards, guidelines and codes of practice to highlight any potential gaps. The review assessed prerequisite programmes, hazard analysis, control measure categorisation and process controls to confirm current practices and identify improvement opportunities.

The evaluation was reinforced by site visits to two different locations, with one visit conducted at each site to observe processes in action, ensuring alignment between documented systems and operational reality.

Results

Our review confirmed that Morning Food Ltd’s allergen management approach reflects best practice, as well as identifying small, incremental improvements to strengthen allergen management further.

Our outputs for the client:

Confirmed that allergen controls are robust and credible;
Identified practical opportunities for continuous improvement, including enhanced training and clearer communication of allergen management strategies;
Recommended exploring Bowtie methodology to strengthen risk-based allergen training and provide a broader perspective on control measures;
Invested significant effort in defining incremental improvements that are achievable, effective and focused on reducing allergen risk.

The independent review gave us confidence that our systems are robust and aligned with best practice. The insights for improvement will help us continue to lead in allergen management

– Derek Croucher, Technical Director, Morning Foods Ltd

Benefits for the client:

Reinforced internal and external confidence in allergen controls;
Provided a clear, justifiable position for retailer and business-to-business discussions;
Delivered actionable recommendations for future improvements and training.

The Campden BRI difference

We have over 100 years of expertise and are well-equipped to support food and drink businesses in all areas of food allergen management. Our experience extends beyond food hypersensitivity and encompasses a holistic understanding of global food safety, quality and regulatory requirements.

We provide a comprehensive, holistic range of services to support your food allergen management needs, including; food safety management systems, gap analysis, allergen risk mapping, hygienic design, practical support with cleaning validation, allergen testing, cross-contact precaution strategies, quantitative risk assessment, labelling and legislation, and allergen training courses.