In the last 20 years, food allergies have become a common concern in food manufacturing. It’s affected food in schools, labeling requirements, and how products are or aren’t made. Food manufacturers that make their own products have a strict protocol of cleaning production lines before each new run. This reduces cross-contamination. But when you entrust your product to someone else, how can you be sure they’re as stringent about cleaning as you are?
Food Allergies are a Growing Concern
A dedicated allergen-free facility can remove your worries about food allergies. Most facilities are allergen-free for the top eight allergens. This means no gluten, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, or shellfish. They’ve removed these allergens because food allergies can be a big worry. And they’re getting even more worrisome. Here are a few facts from FARE, the Food Allergy Research and Education organization
- 32 million people in the US (11% of the population) suffer from food allergies
- It’s estimated that food allergies have increased by 50% in kids
- Peanut or tree nut allergies has tripled
- A hospitalization occurs every three minutes due to a food allergy
- 200,000 people go to the emergency room per year in the US
- Medical procedures to treat anaphylaxis has increased by 377% in the last ten years
Needless to say, food allergies are no joke. So finding a co-packer that has a dedicated allergen-free facility makes a ton of sense. There are three reasons for using a co-packer with a dedicated allergen-free facility.
Zero-Risk of Cross-Contamination
You don’t want your food to send your customer to the emergency room because your co-packer was negligent in cleaning their production line. With no allergens ever in the facility, you never have to worry. Dedicated allergen-free facilities ensure that your food can’t contain allergens. Your food remains pristine, and your consumers stay safe.
Expertise in Allergen-Free
Dedicated facilities are knowledgable about allergen-free because they deal with it all the time. If any questions come about with regards to allergens, you know you have an expert that can help you. They can make recommendations about other ingredients to substitute for allergens. They can even steer you away from making decisions that might hurt your product.
Protection of Your Brand
When you put your customers’ health in jeopardy, it can have a big impact on your company as a whole. The risk of cross-contamination can have a devastating effect on your brand if it happens to you. By using a dedicated allergen-free facility, you’re better protected.
Conclusion
Some things aren’t worth the risk. Your customers are one of them. By choosing a dedicated allergen-free facility you protect your customers and their families. Your product is free from any dangers that might come from cross-contamination. You’re also protecting your company and your brand for years to come.
If you are looking for a dedicated gluten free and allergen free co-packer, we can help! We can also help you find shipping and packaging solutions, and if you don’t want to make your own product we have a variety of gluten free white and private label products to choose from.
