Food allergy: guidelines for businesses
Taking food allergy seriously
When someone has a food allergy or intolerance, eating even a small bit of that food can make them very ill. Sometimes they could even die. If you work in a café or restaurant, or in a business selling food you wrap yourself eg sandwiches, loose bread rolls, cakes, deli products or other unpackaged foods you need to make sure you follow certain standards.
The law
The EU Food Information for Consumers Regulations requires that allergen information is given in a clear and consistent way making it easier for you to make safer food choices when buying food.
Allergen information
Pre-packed and loose foods
There is specific allergen information for different types of food including pre-packed and loose foods.
Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food
Food labelling protects consumers by providing potentially life-saving allergen information on the packaging.
Any food business that produces PPDS food is required to label it with the name of the food and a full ingredients list. Allergenic ingredients must be emphasised within this list. This can include food that consumers select themselves, for example from a display unit, as well as products kept behind a counter, or some food sold at mobile or temporary outlets
The Food Safety Agency (FSA) produces a PPDS Toolkit and sector specific guidance to help food businesses identify whether they provide PPDS food and what changes they may need to make. See also the FSA Food allergen labelling and information: Technical Guidance.
Checklist for food businesses
The FSA provides advice on allergen information and avoiding cross-contamination in a food business for managers, kitchen staff and front of house servers.
Online training
The FSA offers food allergy and intolerance training. It highlights steps that should be followed to make sure good practice is used in the manufacture and production of food.
It also offers practical advice to local authority food law enforcement officers (both food hygiene and food standards) and anyone wanting to learn more about food allergy, such as managers and staff in the manufacturing and catering industries.