Cleaning Methods to Effectively Remove Peanut Allergens from Food Facilities or Utensil Surfaces

Kim, S.A.; Lee, J.E.; Shin, J.M.; Shim, W.B.

Cleaning Methods to Effectively Remove Peanut Allergens from Food Facilities or Utensil Surfaces

2023

Kim, S.A. | Lee, J.E. | Shin, J.M. | Shim, W.B.

Peanut is a well-known food allergen that causes adverse reactions ranging from mild urticaria to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Consumers suffering from peanut allergies should thus avoid consuming undeclared peanuts in processed foods. Therefore, effective cleaning methods are needed to remove food allergens from manufacturing facilities. To address this, wet cleaning methods with washing water at different temperatures, abstergents (peracetic acid, sodium bicarbonate, dilute sodium hypochlorite, detergent), and cleaning tools (brush, sponge, paper towel, and cotton) were investigated to remove peanuts from materials used in food manufacture, including plastics, wood, glass, and stainless steel. Peanut butter was coated on the surface of the glass, wood, stainless steel, and plastic for 30 min and cleaned using wet cleaning. The peanut residue on the cleaned surfaces was swabbed and determined using an optimized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cleaning using a brush and hot water above 50℃ showed an effective reduction of peanut residue from the surface. However, removing peanuts from wooden surfaces was complicated. These results provide information for selecting appropriate materials in food manufacturing facilities and cleaning methods to remove food allergens. Additionally, the cleaning methods developed in this study can be applied to further research on removing other food allergens.

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