Cross-contamination of coffee steamers

Cafés are offering a greater range of milk types, including soy, tree nut (e.g. almond, cashew, macadamia, walnut), oat and rice milks.

For people with food allergies, there is a risk of cross-contamination of their coffee from milk that’s left on the steamer wand.

Many cafés, restaurants and bars wipe the coffee machine steamer wand with a cloth to remove any milk. This does not fully remove the allergen. The cloth itself can also become contaminated when it’s used more than once.

The safest option for those with food allergies is to order a black coffee (espresso) and ask for their ‘safe milk’ (whether it’s a plant-based milk or an animal milk) on the side, poured from the original container or packaging.

Once the milk is poured into a jug or the steam wand is used, there is a risk of cross-contamination with other milk.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are preparing a coffee or milk-based drink:

• Use a separate steam wand for every type of milk used.
• Use separate jugs that are clearly labelled for each milk type and deeply clean the wands each time they are used.
• To clean the wands, use hot, soapy water and wipe them clean with new paper towel each time.
• Flush the wand with hot water.

The person with the allergy needs to tell wait staff about their food allergy.

Cafés and restaurants are not required by law to list food allergens on the menu or tell you about allergens in a meal or drink if you don’t ask. They need to tell you about common allergens contained in a menu item if you ask them.

If they then agree to make a meal or drink for you, they must not serve you food or drink that contains your allergen.

It’s important to declare your food allergies every time you order, even if it’s a simple coffee.