Allergen requirements - Print version

Food Information Regulations 2014

Allergen requirements 

All food businesses must provide information if any of the following ingredients are included in the foods that they prepare/sell:

• nuts
• peanuts
• eggs
• celery
• molluscs & crustaceans
• sesame
• milk
• fish
• lupin
• cereals containing gluten
• mustard
• soya
• sulphur dioxide/sulphites

You need to know what is in the food you provide

The change in the law means that you are no longer be able to say that you don't know what allergens are in the food you serve. You are also not allowed to say that all the foods you serve 'could' contain an allergen without careful consideration.

There are a number of ways in which allergen information can be provided to your customers. You will need to choose the method which is best for your business and the type of food you serve.

If food is sold at a distance, such as online or a telephone order for a takeaway, the allergen information must be provided before the purchase of the food is complete (this could be in writing or verbally) and also be available when food is delivered.

Prepacked for direct sale 

From 1 October 2021, the requirements for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food labelling changed in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. The new labelling helps protect consumers by providing potentially life-saving allergen information on the packaging. Read more on the Food Standards Agency website [http://www.food.gov.uk/allergen-labelling-changes-for-prepacked-for-direct-sale-ppds-food] and see if the new legislation affects your business.

There is also a short explanatory video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bah7uLtuJZc] about the new food labelling rule produced by a lecturer at Birmingham University which you may find useful. 

Further advice and online training

Specific advice on the requirements for loose food sold in restaurants/cafes etc. [https://www.food.gov.uk/research/food-allergy-and-intolerance-research/baseline-study-to-investigate-the-provision-of-allergy-information-for-foods-sold-loose]

Further details about the regulations can be found on the Food Standards Agency website [https://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/allergy-guide/allergen-resources#toc-2].

View the Food Standard Agency's interactive food allergy training tool [https://food.gov.uk/allergy-training]. It highlights steps that should be followed to make sure good practice is used in the manufacture and production of food. This training has been developed by the Agency for enforcement officers. However, it might also be of interest to food business operators, those involved in selling or producing food or anyone wanting to learn more about food allergies.

Failure to manage

Failing to manage allergens properly can result in serious health implications and even death of allergy sufferers. Recently a man died after being falsely served a "nut free" curry in North Yorkshire. The food business operator was sentenced to 6 years in prison. The food business operator was sentence to 6 years in prison [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/23/curry-house-owner-convicted-of-manslaughter-of-customer-with-pea/].

Take a look at this powerful video "A Day in the Life of Chloe" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADZ-mCJ-mrY] which shows how difficult eating out can be for someone with an allergy and also why it is so important to manage allergens properly.

Controlling allergens in the kitchen

As well as providing customers with the correct information about the allergens [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/152/food_safety/2307/food_information_regulations_2014] in the food that you sell, you must also consider how you will ensure that you provide a customer, when advised of an allergy with a meal that is safe for them to eat i.e. allergen free.

You must do this by ensuring that there is no cross contamination from other ingredients/equipment/packaging.

Things to consider

• Purchase - are products ever substituted by your supplier or changed when ordering? This could lead to slightly different ingredients. Make sure any changes or substitutes are checked.
• Goods in - are allergen containing products pre-packed? Could anything drip/ crumbs fall into another product?
• Storage - are allergen containing products stored so as not to cause any cross contamination – consider open packaging – dripping liquids – foods stored above/in contact. Is allergen information retained if the product is decanted.
• Preparation - do you use standard recipes (this prevents chef flourishes with extra ingredients which could contain an allergen not listed on your allergen information). You must use separate clean and sanitised equipment, ensure hands are washed, clean overalls are used and the preparation space is clean, sanitised and free from allergens.
• Dual use of equipment - such as a grill where allergen residues could remain if not thoroughly cleaned. Also consider items such as fryers where oil will contain traces of the allergens cooked in it. Separate fryers would be required.
• Dual use of complex equipment - some equipment is considered "complexed" as it is difficult to clean adequately to be 100% sure that all allergen residues have been removed. This may include, but not limited to: blenders, mincers, slicers. You should therefore not use complexed equipment for producing both allergen containing and allergen free food e.g. a smoothie and then a non-dairy smoothie.
• Ingredients ready for service - consider pizza prep tables, salad prep tables, ingredients laid out to "grab". Ensure allergens are stored separately, separate utensils are used and there isn't a risk of food falling into adjacent containers or when being picked out of a container.
• Cooking Separate - use separate clean and sanitised cooking equipment and separate utensils when preparing an allergen free meal.
• Chill (display, storage, cooling) - consider separation in storage – food containing allergens above and next to /in contact with other foods.
• Hot Holding (including buffet style service) - is there separation between dishes, can spoons be transferred between dishes? Ensure separate utensils are available to prevent this.
• Delivery to customer How do waiters/counter staff/delivery staff give the right food to the right customer? Is food adequately stored separately to prevent any dripping/cross contamination?

Importance of managing allergens

Take a look at this powerful video "A Day in the Life of Chloe" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADZ-mCJ-mrY] which shows how difficult eating out can be for someone with an allergy and also why it is so important to manage allergens properly in the kitchen.

Legal requirement

Remember - You must legally be able to provide customers with the correct information about the 14 allergenic ingredients [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/152/food_safety/2307/food_information_regulations_2014] in your food, if you have undertaken a risk assessment and do not feel that you can confidently, and safety provide them with an allergen free product, you are not obliged to take the order. Document your decision - perhaps in the allergy section of the Safer Food Better Business Pack or write a simple "allergen policy". You want to show customers that you have taken time and thought into your decision, not just put a blanket "no" to serving allergen free meals. You may reach your decision based on equipment and space available or the amount of a particular allergen used in the kitchen. E.g. as a Chinese takeaway you may find it difficult to prevent cross contamination of a number of allergens due to the style of your cooking.

Staff training

Make sure staff are fully aware of your allergen policy and what to do if any allergy enquiries are received. In particular making sure information is carefully shared with the kitchen, and that kitchen staff are fully trained on how to prepare an allergen free meal. The Food Standards Agency have produced some free training available online [https://allergytraining.food.gov.uk/].

Please contact the Food & Safety Team if you have any further questions about this requirement.