Effective cleaning is a cornerstone of food allergen management, but its importance is particularly acute in food service settings, where shared equipment, time pressure and variable practices increase the risk of cross-contact. Recent research examining common kitchen surfaces, such as stainless steel, plastic, ceramic and wood, confirms that cleaning outcomes vary significantly depending on both the method and the type of food residue.
In controlled trials, surfaces were deliberately contaminated with allergens including egg, wheat (gluten), sesame and almond, then subjected to either manual washing (wash–rinse–sanitise) or commercial dishwashing systems at high and low temperatures.
Mechanical washing of kitchenware (warewashing) consistently outperformed manual cleaning, delivering higher rates of allergen removal across most food types. However, the study also highlights important limitations. Sticky, high-fat foods such as tahini and almond butter proved particularly difficult to remove; even when surfaces appeared visually clean, allergen residues were often still detectable. Pre-cleaning steps and multiple low temperature wash cycles improved results but did not always completely eliminate residues.
A critical finding for food service operations is the risk of recontamination during washing, where allergenic material can transfer via shared wash water onto otherwise clean items.
Overall, the study findings reinforce that effective allergen control in food service requires more than standard cleaning: it demands targeted protocols, careful handling of high-risk foods, and an understanding that “visually clean” does not necessarily mean “clean enough”.
Reference: Kidd, J., et al. (2026) ‘Effectiveness of manual and mechanical warewashing methods for removing allergen- and gluten-containing foods from food-contact surfaces used in retail and food service operations’, Journal of Food Protection, 89(2), 100689. DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100689. Available with Open Access here.
