{"id":10793,"date":"2026-06-16T09:53:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cplgroup.com\/uk\/blog\/\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T11:37:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:37:27","slug":"data-centre-noise-compliance-uk-eu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cplgroup.com\/uk\/blog\/data-centre-noise-compliance-uk-eu\/","title":{"rendered":"Food Processing Cross-Contamination in the UK and EU: Meeting BRCGS Issue 9 and Natasha’s Law with Physical Allergen Barriers"},"content":{"rendered":"

A single allergen cross-contamination incident in a food processing facility can result in a product recall, a regulator investigation, and \u2014 in the worst cases \u2014 serious harm to consumers. In 2026, allergen controls are one of the most actively enforced areas of food safety compliance under BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9, EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU FIC \/ Regulation 1169\/2011), and UK retained food law post-Brexit. Facilities across Kent and East Anglia (UK), County Cork (Ireland), Brittany (France), and the Netherlands food processing corridor and beyond are facing increased audit scrutiny for physical allergen separation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The challenge for most production facilities is not awareness \u2014 it is execution. Many plants operate in facilities designed before allergen segregation was a regulatory priority. They rely on time-based separation, cleaning, and scheduling. These methods are insufficient for modern audit standards and break down under production pressure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical barrier systems \u2014 food-grade PVC walls, washdown curtains, strip curtain doors, and flexi doors \u2014 are increasingly being specified as the engineered control layer that replaces reliance on procedure alone. This article explains why, what BRCGS \/ EU FIC requires, and how CPL Group’s solutions are deployed in live food production environments.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The allergen control problem in modern food production<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Food<\/p>\n

The scale of allergen cross-contamination risk is consistently underestimated in facilities that have managed without incidents. The fourteen major allergens regulated across most jurisdictions \u2014 including peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish \u2014 require positive declaration on product labels. An undeclared allergen due to cross-contamination triggers a mandatory recall.<\/span><\/p>\n

The production reality is that many facilities run multiple product lines in close proximity: a bakery with nut-containing and nut-free lines on adjacent tables; a dairy plant packing lactose-free and standard products from shared processing zones; a seafood facility processing shrimp and fish in the same area with sequential cleaning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under EU FIC and UK Natasha’s Law, all fourteen major allergens must be declared on pre-packed food labels. Any undeclared allergen arising from cross-contamination is a mandatory recall trigger. BRCGS Issue 9 (2022) strengthened requirements for physical allergen separation, explicitly requiring that where allergen cross-contact risk cannot be adequately controlled by cleaning and scheduling, physical barriers and dedicated equipment must be implemented. This shift is directly driving demand for engineered separation systems in UK and EU food processing sites.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What BRCGS \/ EU FIC requires in 2026<\/b><\/h2>\n

There has been a consistent shift in auditor expectations across the 2024\u20132026 period. The key requirements CPL Group’s customers are being assessed against include:<\/span><\/p>\n