Allergen Policy

Macarons by Kiwi Debs is committed to reducing the risk to visitors and customers concerning the food provision, production and consumption of allergens in macarons which could lead to allergic reactions.

Through this policy, the aim is to minimise the risk of allergens causing harm through safe procedures, training and planning for effective responses to allergenic emergencies.

This policy is available on Macarons by Kiwi Debs website (www.macaronsbykiwidebs.co.uk) and will be reviewed annually.

Statement

Macarons contain three common food allergens eggs, tree nuts and dairy. Macarons are made up of egg whites, almond flour which makes them off limits for people with nut allergies. Macarons are gluten free, however, Macarons by Kiwi Debs is unable to guarantee a completely gluten free environment. However, we will aim to minimise risk to exposure and plan for effective response to emergencies.

Objectives of this Policy

To promote allergen awareness to customers of Macarons by Kiwi Debs.
To provide clear guidance on responsibilities in the provision of food to anyone consuming macarons.
To ensure all relevant food allergen training and food hygiene are adhered to.
To ensure appropriate information and support is available to customers.

Background

Food hypersensitivity is a blanket term used for an adverse reaction to food. This could be due to a food allergy, food intolerance or an autoimmune disease such as coeliac disease.

What is a food allergy?

Food allergies affect the body’s immune system to a specific food ingredient. An allergic reaction can occur even if eating a trace of the ingredient and can be life threatening.

Symptoms of a food allergy are often mild but can be very serious. Symptoms may include:

Itchy skin or a raised rash such has hives
Flushing of the skin
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
Swelling of lips, tongue throat, face and watery eyes
Coughing, wheezing, breathlessness, noisy breathing or hoarse voice.
Alterations in heart rate or drop in blood pressure
Sneezing or itchy, runny or blocked nose
Abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting
In severe cases, collapse and unconsciousness (anaphylaxis).

These are likely to occur soon after eating the allergenic food. In some cases, may develop hours later.

Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction which can develop rapidly. It is also known as anaphylactic shock. It happens when the immune system mistakes food or substance for something harmful. In response the immune system releases a flood of chemical to fight against it. These chemicals cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction. It can be caused by food, medicine, or insect stings. Anaphylactic shock can happen within seconds or minutes after being exposed to the allergen.

The most common triggers of anaphylaxis in children are food allergens like peanuts, milk, fish and shellfish.

Symptoms include:

Itchy skin or a raised, red skin rash (hives)
Swollen eyes, lips, hands, and feet
Feeling lightheaded or faint (low blood pressure – hypotension)
Weak and rapid pulse
Constriction of airways include swelling of the mouth, throat, or tongue
Wheezing
Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
Collapse and unconsciousness

If a customer is having an anaphylactic reaction, call 999. Treatment includes:

Assessing the airway, breathing, and circulation
Administering an EpiPen (epinephrine injection)
CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
Emergency intubation (a tube keeping the trachea open so air can get to the lungs. Intubation is usually performed in a hospital during an emergency or before surgery.)

What is a Food Intolerance?

A food intolerance does not involve the immune system and therefore is not life-threatening. Instead, the body has difficulty digesting certain foods, usually when consumed in large amounts.

Symptoms include:

Gas and bloating
Abdominal cramps
Diarrhoea
Headaches
Fatigue
Heartburn

These symptoms usually come on within a few hours of eating.

What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac disease is a condition which causes the body to react when gluten is consumed. It is not an allergy or intolerance to gluten nor a lifestyle choice. It is much more serious than just a personal preference, it is an autoimmune disease triggered by gluten which causes problems to the digestive system.

The adverse reaction by the body to gluten causes damage to the villi in the small intestine and disrupts the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food. Following a gluten-free diet is the only way to manage the symptoms of coeliac disease.

Short-term symptoms include:

Stomach cramps
Indigestion
Constipation
Diarrhoea

Long-term effects include:

Fatigue
Weight loss
Hair loss
Skin rashes
Mouth ulcers
Bowel cancer.

What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein that is found in three types of cereal:

Wheat
Bailey
Rye.

Additionally, oats contain a protein similar to the one found in gluten which causes issues from some coeliacs. Therefore, the presence of oats in macarons must also be highlighted even if produced on a separate site from the other three cereals. Gluten is a product made by using any of these cereals such as:

Pasta
Bread
Cakes
Sauces
Beer.

Some people with untreated coeliac disease can also develop a lactose intolerance. Lactose can be found in:

Milk
Butter
Cheese
Cream
Yoghurt
Ice cream.

Macarons by Kiwi Debs has a responsibility to know which food products contain gluten so we can inform customers about which foods are gluten-free.

Who is at Risk?

Anyone can develop hypersensitivity at any time of their life irrespectively of whether they have consumed the food previously. A person with an allergy is at risk even if they consume a small amount of the food product. Food hypersensitivities are life changing and the only way to manage them is by careful control of what the person consumes. In the UK 6%, 2.4m of adults have a food allergy (Food Standards Agency, May 2024).

Allergic reactions can be life threatening, known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. This occurs when the body’s immune system has overreacted to an allergen. It can cause swelling of the airways, and the person will need immediate medical attention. Severe allergies can be triggered by even trace amounts of the allergen in the food.

At Macarons by Kiwi Debs, we provide as much information as possible to all customers with food allergens or intolerance to allow them to make an informed choice, whether eating or purchasing macarons.

Common Food Allergens

There are currently common 14 allergens that must be clearly stated if they are to present in the macarons. People may have allergies to other foods not on the list below. Most common in the UK are kiwifruit, peas and other legumes, onions, seeds and other fruits and vegetables.

Macarons by Kiwi Debs commits that every macaron purchased is sold with a label detailing the ingredients and any allergens contained therein. The same information can be found on each product on the website (www.macaronsbykiwidebs.co.uk).

Customers can be allergic to any ingredient, so it is best practice to know all the ingredients in any food item. The ones above must be declared.

Allergens Present in Macarons

Eggs are in the macaron shells and can also be found in fruit curds.
Milk can be found in butter, cream, cream cheese and yoghurt.
Nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts.
Soya refers to the soya protein, flour and beans can be found in chocolate as an emulsifier to help bind together the fat-based ingredients such as cocoa butter with non-based ingredients such as sugar.
Fruits such as cherries, citrus fruits, kiwifruit mango, pear, pineapple, plum, strawberries
Sulphur Dioxide and sulphites are preservatives commonly found in dried fruit, fruit juice, wine and beer (concentrations of more than 10mg/kg or 10mg/litre).
E numbers in food colourings such as: Tartrazine E102, Quinoline Yellow E104, Sunset Yellow E110, Carmine/cochineal E120, Azorubine Carmoisine E122, Ponceau 4R E124, Allura red E129, brilliant blue FCF E133, may have an adverse effect of activity and attention in children.

Any changes to suppliers or to the product or ingredient that is delivered to Macarons by Kiwi Debs will be checked and updated with the new information. Any new product/ingredient will receive the same checks and information sharing.

Product Specifications
Macarons by Kiwi Debs has copies of the product specifications for each ingredient in macarons.

Responsibilities

Macarons by Kiwi Debs is responsible for ensuring all macarons provided for sale is using the most up to date and correct allergen labels.
Macarons by Kiwi Debs will ensure all recipes and associated allergen information is accurate and up to date, informing of any changes or substitutions.
Macarons by Kiwi Debs is responsible for following exact recipes and changes or substitutions to products are communicated to customers.
Macarons by Kiwi Debs is responsible for double checking the labels are correct and checking information being provided to customers regarding allergens is correct.
Macarons by Kiwi Debs is responsible for communicating with customers who have specific dietary requirements absolutely clear which ingredients have been used. Ensure they customer is aware that we cannot guarantee to be 100% free from any allergens.

Training

The business owner is completed the following training courses:

Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering
Level 2 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point in Catering
Food Allergen Awareness Training

Training courses are regularly renewed.

Good Kitchen Practices

The following lists procedures Macarons by Kiwi Debs has in place to minimise the risk of allergenic cross-contamination in the kitchen and customers. These procedures are based on the outcomes of a through HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) plan and Allergen Risk Assessment.

All ingredients will come from reputable suppliers. Any changes in suppliers will be detailed and full traceability records shall be kept.
Allergenic ingredients are kept in-house. They shall be stored separately in sealed containers on lower shelves to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Any ingredient changes/supplier changes affecting standard ingredients will be detailed.
Thoroughly cleaned and sterilised food preparation surfaces using the two-stage cleaning technique before and after using allergenic ingredients.

Use a single use cloth to clean up all spillages of allergenic ingredients as soon as they occur.
Ensure food handling equipment such as mixers, blenders, processors and weighing scales are cleaned thoroughly before using it for allergen-free ingredients.
When changing food handling equipment, dismantle it carefully to ensure all parts are cleaned and no allergenic residue such as powders and seeds is left in hard-to-reach places.
Use designated, colour-coded cleaning equipment to clean areas where allergen-free foods are prepared.
Only use the same utensils for allergenic and allergen-free foods after thoroughly clearing them with hot soapy water between uses.
Foods prepared for special diets are to be prepared in an area which is sanitised before started. Separated colour coded chopping boards and equipment will be used for this purpose.
Where macarons contain any of the 14 allergens, they will be clearly identified to the customer, either verbally or shown in an allergen matrix shown below.
Hand hygiene using the correct technique before and after handling allergenic ingredients and food products.

Allergen Matrix

An Allergen Matrix is a useful document to track and manage food allergens in the food items produced. It can be used to provide allergen information to customers and to demonstrate that the identification of food allergens has taken place.

Ingredients Labelling, Storage and Handling

Ingredients that have been transferred from packaging to an air-tight container are labelled and have red coloured dots showing they are allergens.

All ingredients remaining in their packaging are sealed tight with self-closing seals and labelled with red coloured dots if an allergen.

List of Suppliers

All ingredients are sourced from reputable suppliers. To view my list of suppliers, please contact me.

Any changes in suppliers will be detailed and full traceability records shall be kept.

Specifications for each of these products are available upon request.

Communication

Macarons by Kiwi Debs encourages conversations with customers to determine if they have any food hypersensitivities or specific dietary requirements. Signposting while at markets and events remind customers about food hypersensitivities they have. Furthermore, Macarons by Kiwi Debs declares on the website and product information that macarons may contain any of the 14 allergens.

Customers are encouraged to ask for further allergen information such as product specifications for each product.

Emergency Situations

If a customer is having a severe allergic reaction:

Ensure the casualty is comfortable, ideally lying down or sitting in a chair. If breathing is difficult, assist them in lying down and raise their legs.
If the casualty has an auto-injector such as an EpiPen, Jext Pen or Emerade Pen, ask them to locate and use it. The casualty might be able to inject themselves otherwise, you can assist them if you know how.
Call 999 for an ambulance as soon as possible and explain to the casualty is having a severe allergic reaction, specifically mentioning anaphylaxis.
If there is no improvement after 5 to 10 minutes, use the second auto-injector if a second dose is available. Ensure this is in the opposite leg.
If a qualified first aider is on site, notify them of what has happened.
Reassure the casualty and do our best to keep them calm.

Review my allergen information sheet for more detailed information of the allergens and intolerances found in macarons.

September 2024

Macarons by Kiwi Debs