New Zealand’s food and beverage industry is built on a global reputation for purity, safety, and quality. But as consumer expectations evolve and allergy prevalence increases worldwide, Sirwan Eivani says managing allergens has become one of the industry’s defining challenges.
“The number of food recalls has been trending up over the last ten years and undeclared allergens account for nearly half of them,” Eivani says, Neogen’s food safety territory manager in New Zealand. “A single mistake can have serious consequences for consumer health, brand integrity, and export markets.”
At the heart of effective allergen management is a robust environmental monitoring programme. Eivani says that a layered approach is most effective: “Screening tests are your first line of defence. They give manufacturers rapid, on-site results that show if an allergen is present, so they can take immediate corrective action. Quantitative tests provide the hard data. They tell you exactly how much allergen is there, which is critical for validating cleaning, verifying suppliers, and meeting compliance standards.”
Neogen offers solutions across this spectrum.
“With our Reveal 3-D tests, you can get highly sensitive, easy-to-read results in minutes, right on the production floor. It means operators don’t have to wait around to know if there’s an issue, they can act straight away.”
For a more detailed quantitative analysis, Eivani points to Neogen’s Veratox Elisa kits. “Veratox delivers rapid results that can identify a target allergen down to exact parts per million. It’s about giving manufacturers confidence at every level,” he says.
For Eivani, the message is simple: allergen testing isn’t just a compliance exercise, it’s a responsibility.
“Ultimately, it’s about protecting consumers and protecting New Zealand’s reputation. Equipped with the right tools, companies can make a quick assessment from trace to truth, to alleviate the risks to themselves and their customers.”
Sponsored content: For more information visit www.neogenaustralasia.co.nz, email seivani@neogen.com or phone 022 511 5784.
