Substitutions and change control

Most labels are right on the day they are written. The danger comes later, when something changes. A supplier sends a different brand. An item is out of stock and someone buys a replacement. A recipe changes. Any of these can make a label wrong without anyone noticing.

Change control is a simple routine. Keep a master list of each product, with its recipe, ingredient specifications and label. Give one person the job of keeping it up to date. Check deliveries against the specification. If anything is different, stop and read the new label before you use it. Compare the allergens. Update the label and the allergen records before the food is made. Record the date and who approved the change. Then remove old labels and delete old templates, and tell the team.

Here is a worked example. A sandwich shop's usual white rolls are out of stock, so the supplier sends seeded rolls. The label says nothing about sesame. If staff carry on as normal, a customer with a sesame allergy gets no warning. The right action is to stop, read the new label, then update the sandwich label and allergen records before any are sold.

Review all your labels on a regular schedule as well, because suppliers can change their recipes without any change to the pack design.

If you find a wrong label on food that is already out, stop selling it and remove it. Tell your manager straight away. If unsafe food has reached customers, the business must report it to the authorities, and your local authority can advise you.