Assessment of the influence of technological factors on the risk of undeclared allergens in meat products

Abstract

Since the use of warning labels for the possible content of allergens in products, unfortunately, cannot fully protect consumers suffering from food allergies, producers must effectively manage allergens in the production of meat products at the stages of traceability «from farm to table». In the course of this study, questionnaires were developed to assess the degree of influence of factors on the risk of allergens entering meat products at the traceability stages “from farm to table” based on the Delphi method and a qualimetric scale, with the help of which a survey was conducted among employees of meat processing enterprises of the Russian Federation. Based on the results of this study, the most common food allergens used in the meat industry of the Russian Federation were identified. The key factors at the critical stages of field-to-table traceability have been identified that have a strong impact on the possibility of realizing the risk of allergens in meat products at the farm-to-table traceability stages, which will help producers to focus on the most vulnerable stages when developing an allergen management system.