WORKSHOP | VITAL® 4.0 allergen risk assessment tool

VITAL® Training for standardised allergen risk management

2026

Why not attend our other allergen events too? This year we are presenting 2x PACKAGE OFFERINGS to attend a combination of our public training events at a discounted price! Click here for details.

As the only endorsed VITAL® trainers in Africa, FACTS is proud to offer expert guidance in mastering the Allergen Bureau’s VITAL® (Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling) Program—a standardised allergen risk assessment process developed by the food industry for the food industry.

Food allergens can be introduced into products intentionally as part of a recipe or unintentionally through cross-contact during manufacturing. This cross-contact can happen anywhere along the supply chain, from the ingredients used to the shared equipment and processes involved.

Even with the best practices in place, completely eliminating cross-contact can be challenging. That’s why food manufacturers are legally required to use precautionary allergen labelling based on risk assessment, ensuring allergic consumers are informed about potential risks.

By conducting a VITAL® risk assessment with the tools provided by the VITAL® Program— including VITAL® Online—you can thoroughly assess the allergen status of all your ingredients and the processing conditions that affect your final product. This process helps identify likely sources of allergen cross-contact, evaluate the amount of allergenic material present, and implement controls to minimise these risks.

The VITAL® Program ultimately provides a clear ‘labelling outcome’ that not only identifies food allergens intentionally included in a recipe but also determines whether allergens present due to cross-contact should be declared on the label with a precautionary statement such as ‘May contain: allergen X, allergen Y.’

Equip your team with the knowledge and tools to protect your consumers and ensure your products are regulatory compliant. Join us for comprehensive VITAL® training and take the next step in safeguarding your food products.

If you are interested in our allergen management services, please contact us.

Registration Prerequisite:

You must have attended allergen management training and understand relevant allergen control and declaration regulations.
Note: If, after the training, you’d like to implement the tool in your company, please note that the VITAL® online calculator is available on a subscription basis, managed by the Allergen Bureau.​​

In addition to our public training calendar, we also offer in-house training which can be hosted virtually or on-site. Our in-house training can be structured according to your availability and customised to address your specific challenges.

COMPLIMENTARY EVENTS
WORKSHOP | Practical allergen management

Highlights:

  • What is the VITAL® program?
  • How does VITAL® fit into an allergen management programme? 
  • The science that underpins VITAL®
  • The role of allergen testing
  • VITAL® core concepts
  • Managing raw materials in the VITAL® tool
  • Managing allergen cross-contact in the VITAL® tool
  • Creating recipes & labelling outcome reports
  • Practical use of the tool
  • Practical exercises using VITAL® online

Who Should Attend:

  • Food Safety Professionals
  • Quality Assurance (QA) Teams
  • Quality Control (QC) Teams
  • Allergen Risk Assessors​
  • Regulatory Compliance Teams​

Dates:

    5-6 November 2026

  • VIRTUAL:
    2 days
    5 hours per day (starting at 09:00 each day)

    • REGISTRATIONS

  • CLOSE: 26 October 2026

Cost:

  • R3 950.00

    FOR THE FULL EVENT (excl VAT)

Queries:

Presenters:

Comaine van Zijl

FACTS

-

(Food Technologist)

B. Tech Food Technology

(Cape Peninsula University of Technology)

Kayla Steyn

FACTS

-

(Food Scientist)

B.Sc. Food Science

(University of Stellenbosch)