possible the industry should use dedicated plant/room/systems for the preparation of gluten-free foods in order to prevent cross-contamination. This may be possible for some large scale manufacturers or large scale volume products where continual production on the same or multiple lines is needed to meet consumer demand. It is not financially possible, however, to have a dedicated system for each product that is manufactured by a company. When the issue of a dedicated plant/room or system is not an option for the manufacturer they will then need to use “separation” as a means to minimise inadvertent contact. This can be accomplished by physical barriers, such as the use of dedicated containers for raw materials that contain gluten as already mentioned and other means to prevent the inadvertent contact of gluten with gluten-free ingredients and products.
Separate premises should be arranged for preparing gluten-free products if possible. The use of separate equipment, dishes, baking forms, cutting boards, working surfaces (in direct contact) in preparing, baking and packing gluten-free products should also be employed. If this is impossible, equipment, dishes and working surfaces must be carefully cleaned before preparing gluten-free products, and it should be checked that there is no gluten containing products manufactured first in the morning for instance. Colour code areas, equipment, containers and/or utensils for gluten-free use. Be aware of how equipment design affects potential cross-contamination. Be vigilant in maintenance of equipment, ventilation and dust control equipment. Include any utensils and equipment tools in allergen planning. Encourage workers to speak up if they see need for changes or improvements