As a food consumer, you need information. There are newsletters and such buzzing about the Internet. But your main resource is, and always will be, the label.

Buying food is a matter of trust. You have to believe that the label is telling you what you are getting. The can of peas should not be a can of beans. The “no salt added” item shouldn’t have salt added.

Now, if the peas are in fact beans, you write your complaint letter, take it back to the store, and move on with your day. But mistakes aren’t always that harmless.

An allergic reaction is when your body overreacts to a harmless substance (allergen) as though it were dangerous. In fact, the reaction is the dangerous part. It can be serious to deadly.

Now, people typically know what their allergens are and avoid them. But you can’t know what the label does not tell you. That bag of mixed nuts? What if it forgets to tell you that there are peanuts, too? What if the peanuts that aren’t supposed to be there snuck in, somehow?

Allergen control simply means making sure the product is accurate to the label, and the label to the product. The fact is, all of this food you buy is made somewhere. Chances are the facility is making different products, with different allergens.

Cross-contamination is when allergens get into ingredients or products they are not supposed to. Protecting against this, there have to be procedures and verifications throughout the process – from storage to blending, to swabbing, to testing, to handwashing, to cleaning, to supplier auditing, and beyond.

Allergen control is an all-out effort. As a manufacturer, it has to be part of your life, your way of being. It requires layers upon layers of vigilance and commitment.

We remind ourselves each day that the products we make for you are our responsibility. And that while they may not bear our stamp, they bear your trust and livelihood.

We pride ourselves on having nothing to hide behind someone else’s name. This is what makes us the best in quality.