Food Allergens advice for Businesses

The Food Information for Consumers Regulations, introduced in 2014, made the biggest change in food labelling requirements in almost 20 years.  All food businesses including manufacturers, restaurants, takeaways, retailers, bakeries, sandwich bars, etc. are now required to inform the customer if any of fourteen specific allergens are contained in the food they serve or sell.

Food businesses are required to show by means of a label, menu, chalk board, ticket or verbally, details of the 14 allergens, which include nuts, peanuts, egg, milk, cereals containing gluten, soya, celery, sesame, crustaceans, fish, mustard, molluscs, lupin and sulphur dioxide/sulphites, contained in the food they serve or sell.

Food businesses should ask about allergy requirements when taking orders and on delivery of food to the table.

More detailed information is available on the Food Standards Agency website.