Allergen cross-contact handling
Applies to: any order flagged with an allergen requirement (e.g. nuts, dairy, gluten, soy) on the ticket or communicated verbally by the guest.
Target: allergen confirmed before any ingredient is touched; safety takes priority over speed.
- Read the full ticket or order flag before starting prep — never assume based on a guest's usual order.
- If there's any ambiguity, confirm the specific allergen and its severity with the guest or front-of-house directly.
- Identify whether dedicated allergen-safe equipment exists (separate blender jar, steam wand, scoop, cutting board).
- Wash hands and change gloves before handling the order.
- Check labels on syrups, mixes, and pre-made bases for hidden allergens, including shared-facility warnings.
- Confirm the specific allergen and any cross-contact concern directly from the ticket or with the guest before touching any ingredient.
- Confirmed on the ticket or verbally — never inferred from memory or assumption.
- Wash hands and put on fresh gloves, then clear the workstation of any open allergen-containing ingredients or containers.
- A clear surface, not just clean hands — cross-contact happens through the counter and utensils as often as through hands.
- Use dedicated equipment where it exists (separate blender jar or blade, steam wand, scoop, cutting board); if only shared equipment is available, fully wash and sanitize it first — a quick rinse is not sufficient.
- Full wash with detergent and sanitizer, then air-dry or towel-dry with a clean cloth — not a rinse under running water alone.
- Draw ingredients from sealed or first-use containers rather than shared bulk containers that may carry cross-contact from other orders' utensils.
- A shared scoop or spoon left in a bulk bin is a common, easy-to-miss cross-contact source.
- If the item cannot be made safely allergen-free with the equipment and ingredients on hand, say so clearly to the guest and front-of-house rather than substituting or guessing.
- A clear no is always safer than an uncertain yes on an allergen order.
- Label or flag the finished drink or item clearly for its allergen status before it leaves the station.
- A verbal heads-up to whoever expedites or serves it, plus a visible marker on the ticket or cup.
- Allergen and severity were confirmed from the ticket or with the guest before prep started, not assumed.
- Dedicated or freshly washed-and-sanitized equipment was used and confirmed clean, not assumed clean.
- The finished item is clearly labeled, and if safety couldn't be guaranteed, that limitation was communicated rather than the item served as a guess.
When in doubt, treat the order as a full allergen risk rather than a minor one — a clearly communicated limitation is always safer than a guessed substitution. This follows the same hazard-control logic as HACCP: identify the hazard, control it at the point where it occurs, and verify before the item reaches the guest.