Most manufacturers used dedicated and/or shared lines for their
production, while comparatively few used outsourcing. Frozen and
ready-to-eat meals was the category with the highest percentage
(68.7%) of using a dedicated line, followed by hydrogenated and
refined oils, and processed fruits and vegetables. Shared lines were
also widely used (43.3%) in order to achieve the most efficient use
of the production facility. The best-practice management for food
allergens is to use a dedicated line in order to avoid cross-contamination.
However, it is not easy to establish a dedicated
line when the volume of production is small. Accordingly, the
shared line practice of separating the production using an allergic
ingredient from that not using an allergic ingredient is already
conducted in many small- and medium-sized companies, based on
internationally recognized safety assurance systems such as HACCP
.Consequently, Thai food products have not experienced any serious
food allergy-related incidents.