The unintended transfer of an allergen into a food where it is not an ingredient, for example via shared equipment, surfaces, hands or utensils.
Cross-contact is the unintended transfer of an allergen into a food. Cross-contamination usually refers to the transfer of microorganisms such as bacteria. The controls overlap, but cross-contact is specifically about allergenic proteins, which can trigger reactions even in tiny, invisible amounts.
Shared equipment and utensils such as boards, knives, fryers and grills; unwashed hands or gloves; shared containers and scoops; airborne particles like flour dust; and splashes or spills. Any shared contact point between an allergen and an allergen-free food is a risk.
Prepare allergen-free orders first, use dedicated or thoroughly cleaned equipment, wash hands and change gloves between tasks, separate storage so allergens cannot spill onto other foods, and clean surfaces properly with detergent rather than just wiping.
Not reliably. Wiping can just spread residue around. Effective allergen removal generally needs washing with detergent and thorough rinsing. Sanitiser alone targets microbes and does not guarantee removal of allergenic protein residue.
The business should be honest with customers about the risk rather than claiming a food is free of an allergen. Manufacturers may apply a risk-based precautionary statement, ideally informed by a VITAL assessment, to reflect the genuine residual risk.