The Food Information Regulations place a requirement on food businesses to provide consumers with correct information on the allergenic ingredients used in their food.
This applies to all catering and retail businesses that serve or sell loose foods including:
- meals in cafés or restaurants
- foods you wrap yourself, such as loose bread rolls, sandwiches, cakes, deli products or other unpackaged foods.
- institutional catering such as in schools, hospitals and care homes
Steps to comply
As a food business you will need to:
- Identify the allergens in your food - there are 14 listed you need to consider.
- Manage allergens - ensure there are practices in place to prevent allergenic cross contamination and raise awareness in staff by training.
- Provide consumers with allergen information - this can be done verbally or in writing
- Record information about allergens - for every menu item or food product served or sold, the presence of any of the 14 allergens should be recorded. The information can be recorded on paper records or electronically, but should always be accessible to the member(s) of staff responsible for giving the allergen advice and be complete, correct and up to date.
List of Allergens
There are 14 allergens that must be identified in your food. These are:
- Celery - this includes celeriac. It is often found in celery salt, meat products, soups and stock cubes.
- Cereals containing gluten - this includes wheat, rye, barley and oats. It is often found in foods containing flour, such as some baking powders, cakes, couscous, pasta, sauces and soups.
- Crustaceans - this includes crabs, lobster, prawns and scampi. It is often found in shrimp paste used in Thai curries or salads.
- Eggs - this is often found in cakes, some meat products, mayonnaise, mousses, pasta, quiche, sauces and foods brushed or glazed with egg.
- Fish - this is often found in some fish sauces, pizzas, relishes, salad dressings, stock cubes and in Worcestershire sauce.
- Lupin - this includes Lupin seeds and flour, and can be found in some types of bread, pastries and pasta.
- Milk - this is found in butter, cheese, cream, milk powders and yoghurt.
- Molluscs - this includes mussels, land snails, squid and whelks. It is often found in oyster sauce.
- Mustard - this includes mustard seeds. It is often found in breads, curries, marinades, salad dressing, sauces and soups.
- Nuts - these can be found in breads, biscuits, crackers, desserts, ice cream, marzipan (almond paste), nut oils and sauces. Ground, crushed or flaked almonds are often used in Asian dishes such as curries or stir fries.
- Peanuts - this can be found in curries, desserts and sauces such as for satay and in groundnut oil and peanut flour.
- Sesame Seeds - this can be found in bread, breadsticks, hummus, sesame oil and tahini (sesame paste).
- Soya - this can be found in beancurd, edamame beans, miso paste, textured soya protein, soya flour, tofu, sauces and vegetarian products.
- Sulphur dioxide - this is often used as a preservative in dried fruit, soft drinks and vegetables as well as in wine and beer.
Providing customers with allergen information
Written allergen information
Written information can be provided in a number of different ways including:
- menus
- menu boards
- websites, when selling online.
- allergen menu folders with ingredients labels
- recipes or charts of the dishes provided and the allergen content could be used to communicate or aid communication of allergen information to the consumer.
During the preparation of loose food, businesses may be using pre-packed foods as ingredients in a recipe. Allergenic ingredients must be emphasised within the ingredients list on all pre-packed foods. This will assist the business to identify allergens in the food they produce and advise accordingly.
Telling a customer about allergens
Information on allergens can be provided as part of a conversation with the customer or by providing written allergen information.
Signposting allergen information
Where allergen information is not provided upfront in writing, signposting a customer to where they can get this information will be required. This should be in a prominent place such as at the till point where they would be giving their food orders, on menu, or on the menu board.
Allergen training and tools
This Interactive food allergy training tool on the Food Standards Agency website 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 managers and staff in the manufacturing and catering industries.
Download and display the Think Allergy poster to raise awareness about how to deal with allergen information requests from customers.
Food allergy training and e-learning resources can be found at Allergy training for food businesses page on the Food Standards Agency website.
More information
For more guidance on providing allergen information and best practice for handling allergens visit Allergen guidance for food businesses on the Food Standards Agency website.
For specific information for different types of food including pre-packed and loose foods visit Allergen information for pre-packed and loose foods on the Food Standards Agency website.
