Partnering With A Lab Can Be Key to Allergen Management

Finding a lab that can conduct your full range of required analyses is tempting. It is worth remembering, however, that allergen analysis and data interpretation can be very different compared to other types of testing for food safety. It’s best to find an allergen analytical service that has a good understanding of food allergens, testing, and regulations. The advice such laboratories can offer in developing and carrying out an allergen management plan is potentially of more value than the convenience of using one supplier for all analytical needs. This being said, if a laboratory can offer both comprehensive food testing and expert guidance and interpretation, this should be a preferred option.

Sending a limited number of samples to an analytical lab can be a useful “road test” of a future relationship. Turnaround time is, for some food safety applications, a crucial factor. The laboratory may give a maximum turnaround time from receipt of samples, but how fast is shipping to their location? How your analytical data is presented to you is also extremely important. The quality and detail of result reporting can be surprisingly varied. Does the lab report contain all of the data you need for your allergen management plan and to satisfy potential auditors? ISO 17025 reporting requirements are a good reference for what constitutes a complete report. The method used and the units in which this method reports are essential information. It is important that the company help explain or further interpret data contained in the report.

Working with Your Analytical Laboratory on Allergen Management

After selecting a laboratory a good first step is to establish a point of contact. Being able to deal with the same knowledgeable person within a lab can smooth the process of getting the information you are after. This person will also have a good oversight of different analytical methods and validation data.

Get into the habit of contacting your partner laboratory before sending samples that are different from samples you would usually send. This might include differences in the material composition of the samples, which can cause issues for labs in terms of something as simple as grinding, or mean that results may be affected in ways in which the lab can help to predict. As noted previously, the food matrix on which an analytical method is used can greatly affect the results and their interpretation. Many heavily processed materials may give lower than expected analytical results. In some cases, methods may give false positive results when used with certain food matrices. Interpretation of analysis of materials that have been fermented or distilled can be particularly problematic. A good laboratory will be able to advise you ahead of time regarding the applicability of methods to your situation. Your partner lab will also appreciate advanced notice that you will be sending large numbers of samples so that it can plan for a heavy workload and pre-order necessary supplies.

In some cases, food manufacturers may be loath to disclose compositional details for confidentiality concerns. Such reluctance is often unjustified, as the terms of service of most analytical labs include guarantees of confidentiality. It is always worth checking these to assure yourself that you may speak freely to the analytical lab regarding details of your samples. The ability to fully describe the sample you are analyzing can often be crucial to selection and performance of methods as well as interpreting what results may mean.

Regardless of whether or not product compositional information is disclosed, it can also be beneficial to provide positive and negative controls to an analytical lab, particularly when analyzing a new ingredient, product, or formulation. You should also keep replicate samples of those sent for analysis. Not all analytical labs retain portions of analyzed samples, so if the lab needs to a repeat an analysis you may need to provide another sample. If possible, build sample replication into your analytical strategy. Taking replicate samples of ingredients or finished product may be relatively simple, but taking replicate swabs may be more challenging. When faced with unexpected analytical results, however, you will not regret the effort.

What to Expect from Your Lab

The benefits of maintaining a good relationship with a well-run, knowledgeable analytical laboratory will become evident over time. However, many clients do not request help beyond the analysis itself, thereby denying themselves a potentially invaluable source of information.