Food Allergen Detection for Safer, Compliant Production

Undeclared allergens are one of the top causes of food recalls. Food and beverage brands must prove that products are free from allergens like milk, egg, peanut, sesame, soy, and gluten and be able to document it. Hygiena’s rapid PCR, ELISA, and lateral flow solutions help you detect, quantify, and control allergens in ingredients, surfaces, and finished product - before it reaches consumers.

Why Food Manufacturers Rely on Allergen Detection and Control

Undeclared allergens can trigger severe reactions in consumers and drive costly recalls. Regulations now require clear labeling of major allergens — in the U.S., the FDA defines nine major food allergens, including sesame, and in the EU, food businesses must declare 14 allergens, including celery, mustard, lupin and others (FDA).

Reliable in-house allergen testing lets you release product faster, verify sanitation steps, and defend ‘free-from’ and ‘may contain’ claims with data.

Protect consumers: Reduce risk of severe allergic reactions.
Avoid recalls: Catch residue before it leaves the plant.
Prove label claims: Document ‘dairy-free,’ ‘gluten-free,’ ‘sesame-free,’ etc.
Satisfy auditors: Demonstrate validated cleaning and changeover controls.
Speed up release: Get actionable results in minutes (lateral flow), under 2 hours (PCR/ELISA). Hygiena’s lateral flow AlerTox® Sticks are designed for line-side checks with no lab equipment, and PCR/ELISA kits deliver highly sensitive quantitative results.

How Hygiena Supports Allergen Risk Management From Raw Materials to Final Pack

Allergen risk isn’t just in finished product. It can come from incoming ingredients, shared lines, tools, air/dust, employees, or rework. Hygiena’s workflow gives you checkpoints from pre-op through final label sign-off.

Testing can be surface-based (to verify sanitation), in-process (during changeovers), or product-based (to quantify allergen content before release or to defend ‘free-from’ claims). Hygiena offers tools for each step: rapid swab & lateral flow tests, quantitative ELISA, and high-sensitivity real-time PCR.

Incoming ingredients: Verify supplier claims (e.g., peanut-free, gluten-free) using PCR or ELISA kits that can detect down to low ppm levels, often within ~100 minutes.
Equipment & surfaces: After cleaning, swab and run a lateral flow device (like AllerFlow Gluten) to confirm the line is allergen-free in ~10 minutes, no lab required.
In-process changeovers: Use AlerTox® Sticks right on the floor during product switches (e.g., peanut → non-peanut SKU). Kits are designed to be run by production staff, not just lab techs.
Final product & label claim: Quantify allergen content with ELISA or PCR and keep digital records for auditors and regulators. Hygiena’s PCR kits (“foodproof®”) can detect allergens like gluten, peanut, hazelnut, soy, celery, etc., often to 0.1–1 ppm in complex matrices like spices, ice cream, chocolate, and meat products.