Live online
Allergen Management Training
Live, instructor-led training online, built around real allergen programs.
Upcoming dates$300 per seat
Next date coming soon. Ask about the next session
Allergen Management Training: Live Online in 4 Hours
A focused, live virtual course on building and running an allergen management program: assessing allergen risk, preventing cross-contact, getting labels right and verifying that your controls work. Aligned with FDA's preventive controls rule, the FASTER Act and GFSI scheme requirements.
- Live Virtual, Instructor-Led
- 4-Hour Course
- FDA & GFSI Aligned
- Certificate Included
Last updated October 8, 2026
Live online · Instructor-led
Enroll in Allergen Management Training
$300 per seat
The next live online class is being scheduled. Ask us to hold a seat.
Ask About the Next Session- Four hours of live, interactive instruction
- The nine major allergens and FDA's 2025 labeling guidance
- Allergen risk assessment and cross-contact controls
- Label controls and program verification
- A Certificate of Completion
Nothing to pay yet. We'll email you as soon as the next class is scheduled and registration opens.
Training 6+ people? Ask about private training.
Allergen Management Training, Live Online · $300
Reserve a SeatWhat Is Allergen Management Training?
This four-hour, live instructor-led course teaches food safety and operations teams how to manage allergens from receiving to finished label. You'll learn what FDA's allergen rules require, how to assess allergen risk across your ingredients, equipment and schedule, and how to prevent cross-contact and labeling errors before they turn into recalls.
Every participant who completes the course receives a Certificate of Completion. The next public session hasn't been scheduled yet. Ask us to hold a seat, or book a private session for your team.
Why does allergen control matter so much?
FDA reports that about one-third of foods reported through its Reportable Food Registry as serious health risks from September 2009 to September 2014 involved undeclared allergens. See what FDA and the GFSI schemes require.
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Live and Virtual
Instructor-led and online, so you can ask about your own products and processes as you go. Not recorded or self-paced.
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Four Focused Hours
From the rules to cross-contact, labels and verification in a single session.
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Practical
Allergen maps, changeover cleaning, label approval and the records an auditor asks for.
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FDA and GFSI Aligned
FDA's preventive controls rule (21 CFR 117.135) plus the SQF, BRCGS and FSSC 22000 allergen requirements.
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Certificate
A Certificate of Completion when you finish the course.
Upcoming Dates & Pricing
Live online allergen management training is $300 per seat. The next date hasn't been announced yet; ask us to hold a seat, and we'll email you as soon as the class is scheduled.
Need to train 6+ people? Ask about private on-site or virtual training.
What Is an Allergen Management Program?
An allergen management program is the set of procedures a food facility uses to keep major food allergens where they belong: in the products that declare them. Under FDA's Preventive Controls for Human Food rule, food allergen controls must cover protecting food from allergen cross-contact, including during storage, handling and use, and labeling the finished food so it isn't misbranded (21 CFR 117.135(c)(2)).
The stakes are high. Milk is the most common cause of recalls for undeclared allergens, and a strong program protects consumers and keeps you out of the recall headlines.
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Step 1
Assess Allergen Risks
Map every allergen in your ingredients, rework and shared equipment, and rank where cross-contact could happen.
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Step 2
Prevent Cross-Contact
Use segregation, production scheduling and effective cleaning and changeovers to keep allergens out of products that don't declare them.
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Step 3
Control Your Labels
Make sure every package declares its allergens correctly, and that the right label ends up on the right product.
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Step 4
Validate and Verify
Show that your controls work and keep working, with verification, records and a plan for when something goes wrong.
The Nine Major Food Allergens
U.S. law recognizes nine major food allergens. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) named the first eight, and the FASTER Act added sesame, effective January 1, 2023. FDA's final allergen labeling guidance (Edition 5, January 2025) changed some of the details your program has to reflect.
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1
Milk
Includes milk from goats, sheep and other domesticated ruminants under FDA's 2025 guidance. The label should name the animal.
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2
Eggs
Includes eggs from ducks, geese, quail and other domesticated fowl under the 2025 guidance.
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3
Fish
Labels must name the species, for example bass, flounder or cod.
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4
Crustacean Shellfish
Such as crab, lobster and shrimp. Labels must name the species.
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5
Tree Nuts
Labels must name the nut, for example almonds, pecans or walnuts. The 2025 guidance narrowed the list, and coconut is no longer on it.
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6
Peanuts
A legume, listed separately from tree nuts.
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7
Wheat
Wheat-based ingredients such as flour and semolina must be declared as wheat.
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8
Soybeans
Soy ingredients such as soy protein and soy lecithin must be declared as soy.
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9
Sesame
Added by the FASTER Act. Its labeling requirements took effect January 1, 2023.
FDA's 2025 guidance also says a product with a "free-from" claim shouldn't carry a "may contain" statement for the same allergen. Source: FDA, Food Allergies.
Who Should Attend Allergen Management Training?
Anyone who builds, runs, reviews or signs off on your allergen controls.
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Food Safety and Quality Managers
Program ownersThe people who own the allergen program and answer for it at audit time.
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SQF Practitioners and GFSI Leads
CertificationThe people who keep your SQF, BRCGS or FSSC 22000 allergen requirements in order.
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Production and Sanitation Supervisors
OperationsLeaders who run changeovers, scheduling and allergen cleaning on the floor.
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Label and Regulatory Staff
LabelingAnyone who writes, reviews or approves labels and packaging.
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R&D and Product Development
DevelopmentTeams whose formulas and ingredient changes shape your allergen profile.
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Purchasing and Supplier Quality
Supply chainStaff whose supplier and ingredient decisions bring allergens into the plant.
Course Topics
Four parts, from the rules to proving your program works.
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Part 1
Allergens and the Rules
What counts as a major food allergen and what FDA and the GFSI schemes expect from your program.
- The nine major food allergens and FDA's 2025 labeling guidance
- FALCPA and the FASTER Act
- FSMA food allergen preventive controls (21 CFR 117.135)
- GFSI scheme allergen requirements
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Part 2
Assessing Allergen Risk
Find where allergens enter, move through, and could escape from your process.
- Allergen mapping for ingredients, rework, and equipment
- Supplier and incoming-ingredient controls
- Risk assessment for shared lines and facilities
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Part 3
Preventing Cross-Contact
Put practical controls in place on the floor, in storage, and at changeover.
- Segregation, storage, and handling
- Production scheduling and changeovers
- Allergen cleaning and verifying it works
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Part 4
Labels and Program Verification
Keep labels right and prove your program is working.
- Label review, approval, and packaging controls
- Precautionary "may contain" statements
- Verification, records, and responding to an allergen incident
What FDA and GFSI Schemes Expect
Allergen control is written into FDA's Preventive Controls rule and into the SQF, BRCGS and FSSC 22000 standards. The course covers what each one asks for.
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FDA
21 CFR 117.135(c)(2)
When a facility's hazard analysis identifies allergens as a hazard requiring a preventive control, its food allergen controls must include procedures for:
- Protecting food from allergen cross-contact, including during storage, handling and use
- Labeling the finished food so it isn't misbranded
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SQF Food Manufacturing, Edition 9
SQF 2.8.1
Allergen Management, a mandatory clause: an allergen risk analysis of raw materials, ingredients and processing aids (including food-grade lubricants), segregation, validated changeover cleaning, label accuracy and controlled rework.
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BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9
BRCGS 5.3
Management of allergens, a fundamental requirement: identify allergen-containing materials, assess the risk of cross-contact, document controls, validate allergen cleaning and control labels.
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FSSC 22000 Version 6
FSSC 22000 2.5.6
Management of allergens: a documented plan with a list of the allergens on site, a cross-contact risk assessment, validated and verified controls and staff training, reviewed at least annually.
Source for the FDA requirement: 21 CFR 117.135. The current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements in Part 117 also require protecting food against allergen cross-contact.
Course Details
Everything you need to know before you enroll.
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Live online
Format
Live, virtual, instructor-led training. It isn't recorded or self-paced.
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Coming soon
Schedule
The next date will be announced soon. Ask us to hold a seat.
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4 hours
Length
One four-hour session online.
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$300
Price
Per seat for the live virtual course.
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Computer & mic
What You Need
A computer with a stable internet connection. A webcam and microphone let you join the discussion.
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Included
Certificate
A Certificate of Completion when you finish the course.
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6+ people
Groups
Private on-site or virtual training for 6+ people, built around your own products and allergen matrix.
Your Instructor
Harmeet brings nearly two decades of food safety consulting and training experience to every class. She has worked with companies ranging from small startups to multinational corporations, helping them navigate regulatory compliance, quality systems and audit readiness.
As a certified lead instructor and SQFI Certified Trainer, Harmeet combines deep technical knowledge with practical, real-world insight, from HACCP plans and FDA Food Safety Plans to allergen controls, internal audits and staff training.
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Harmeet Kaur
Director of Training & Consulting Services, Kiwa ASI
FSPCA Lead Instructor · SQFI Certified Trainer & Consultant · HACCP Specialist
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Why Train With Kiwa ASI?
Allergen management taught live, by the team that teaches PCQI, HACCP and SQF.
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Format
Live and Interactive
Ask about your own products, lines and labels as you go, not after the fact.
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Focused
FDA and GFSI in One Course
The Preventive Controls rule and the SQF, BRCGS and FSSC 22000 allergen requirements, side by side.
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Instructor
Experienced Instructor
Led by a Director of Training with nearly two decades of food safety training and consulting.
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Training
One Team for Related Courses
PCQI, cGMP, HACCP and SQF courses from the same training team.
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Integrity
Kept Separate From Certification
Training is delivered by ASI Training and Consulting, LLC, separately from our accredited certification body, ASI Food Safety, LLC. Taking it has no bearing on any audit outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions About Allergen Management Training
What is allergen management training?
Allergen management training teaches food industry teams how to identify allergen hazards, prevent allergen cross-contact, label products correctly, and verify that their allergen controls work. This course covers FDA requirements and GFSI scheme expectations in a single four-hour live session.
What are the nine major food allergens?
Milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. U.S. law requires them to be declared on food labels, and they're the allergens an FDA-regulated facility's allergen controls are built around.
When did sesame become a major food allergen?
The FASTER Act, signed April 23, 2021, made sesame the ninth major food allergen. Its labeling requirements took effect January 1, 2023, so foods containing sesame must now declare it like any other major allergen.
What changed in FDA's 2025 allergen labeling guidance?
In January 2025 FDA finalized Edition 5 of its food allergen questions-and-answers guidance. Milk from goats, sheep, and other domesticated ruminants and eggs from ducks, geese, quail, and other domesticated fowl are now treated as major allergens, and labels should name the animal source. The tree nut list was narrowed, so coconut is no longer considered a major food allergen tree nut. FDA also says a product with a "free-from" claim shouldn't carry a "may contain" statement for the same allergen.
What does FSMA require for allergen control?
Under the Preventive Controls for Human Food rule, a facility whose hazard analysis identifies allergens as a hazard needs food allergen controls. They must include procedures for protecting food from allergen cross-contact, including during storage, handling, and use, and for labeling the finished food so it isn't misbranded (21 CFR 117.135(c)(2)). The current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements in Part 117 also require protecting food against allergen cross-contact.
What is allergen cross-contact?
FDA defines allergen cross-contact as the unintentional incorporation of a food allergen into a food. It can happen through shared equipment that isn't cleaned effectively, rework, airborne dust, spills, and improper storage or handling. Preventing it is at the heart of any allergen management program.
Are "may contain" statements required?
No. Precautionary allergen statements such as "may contain" or "made in a facility that also processes" are voluntary in the U.S. FDA says they must be truthful and not misleading, and they shouldn't be used as a substitute for following current good manufacturing practices.
Why are undeclared allergens such a common cause of recalls?
Small mistakes add up. A wrong label, an ingredient change that never reached the label, or cross-contact on a shared line can each put an undeclared allergen in a product. FDA reports that about one-third of foods reported through its Reportable Food Registry as serious health risks from 2009 to 2014 involved undeclared allergens, and milk is the most common cause of these recalls.
Do GFSI schemes require an allergen management program?
Yes. SQF requires one under clause 2.8.1 Allergen Management, BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 under clause 5.3 Management of allergens, and FSSC 22000 Version 6 under clause 2.5.6 Management of allergens. Each expects an allergen risk assessment, cross-contact controls, label controls, effective cleaning and staff training. This course is aligned with those expectations as well as FDA's requirements.
Who should attend?
Food safety and quality managers, SQF Practitioners, production and sanitation supervisors, and anyone who writes, reviews, or approves labels. It's also a good fit for R&D and procurement staff whose ingredient and supplier decisions affect your allergen profile.
How long is the course, and what's included?
The course is four hours, delivered live and virtually by an instructor. Registration is $300 per seat, and everyone who completes the course receives a Certificate of Completion.
When is the next allergen management training session?
The next public session hasn't been scheduled yet. Registration is $300 per seat. Use the enroll box at the top of this page, email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com or call 1 (800) 477-0778 and we'll let you know when registration opens. Teams of six or more can book a private session at any time.
How does this course relate to PCQI and HACCP training?
PCQI training covers food allergen preventive controls as one part of an FDA food safety plan, and HACCP training covers hazard analysis in general. This course goes deeper on allergens specifically: risk assessment, cross-contact prevention, labeling, and verification. Many teams take it alongside one of those courses.
Can you deliver this on-site for our team?
Yes. For groups of six or more, we offer private training on site or virtually, built around your own products, allergen matrix and production schedule. Email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com or call 1 (800) 477-0778 for a quote.
Ready to keep allergens where they belong?
Hold a seat in the next live online class, or train 6+ people with private on-site or virtual allergen management training built around your own products, allergen matrix and schedule.
Training & Trust
Training is delivered by ASI Training and Consulting, LLC, separately from our accredited certification body, ASI Food Safety, LLC, to safeguard against conflicts of interest. For private training, email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com.