Which allergens does the law name?
There are 14: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, and tree nuts.
People can react to other foods too, but these are the ones the law makes businesses declare. Learn the list; customers will test you on it without warning.
Remember
- 14 allergens must be declared.
- Gluten means wheat, rye, barley and oats.
- Tree nuts and peanuts are separate allergens.
What must a label show?
Prepacked food carries an ingredients list, and every allergen in it is emphasised each time it appears. Bold type, capital letters, contrasting colour or underlining all count.
Food packed on the same premises it is sold from is called prepacked for direct sale. Since 1 October 2021 its label must show the name of the food and a full ingredients list with any of the 14 allergens emphasised.
Remember
- Allergens stand out in the ingredients list.
- Sandwiches made and wrapped on site need full labels.
- Check labels whenever a recipe changes.
Facts and sources for this part
- Prepacked food must have an ingredients list on the packaging, with allergens emphasised each time they appear in it. [S15]
- Allergens can be emphasised with bold type, capital letters, contrasting colours or underlining. [S16]
- Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food is packed on the same premises it is sold from. Since 1 October 2021 its label must show the name of the food and an ingredients list with any of the 14 allergens emphasised. [S15] [S16]
How do loose food and buffets work?
For food sold loose or served on a plate, allergen information is needed for every item that contains any of the 14 allergens. It can be written, or given by staff with a clearly visible notice telling customers to ask.
On a buffet, give the information dish by dish, not for the buffet as a whole.
Remember
- Every loose item needs allergen information.
- A visible sign must tell customers to ask.
- Buffets are labelled dish by dish.
Facts and sources for this part
- For non-prepacked (loose) food, allergen information must be given for every item that contains any of the 14 allergens. It can be written, or verbal with a clearly visible written notice telling customers how to get it. [S15]
- For a buffet, allergen information must be given for each food item separately, not for the buffet as a whole. [S15]
What about online orders and deliveries?
Allergen information is needed twice: before the customer completes the order and when the food is delivered. A website menu covers the first; stickers on the food or a copy of the menu cover the second.
If someone orders an allergen-free meal, it must be clear which container it is in when it arrives.
Remember
- Before the order and on delivery.
- Label the allergen-free meal clearly.
- Pack it so spills cannot reach it.
How do you stop allergen cross-contamination?
Clean utensils before each use, wash your hands between dishes and store allergen ingredients separately in closed, labelled containers. Oil counts: gluten-free chips cannot go in oil already used for battered fish.
If cross-contamination cannot be ruled out, tell the customer you cannot provide an allergen-free dish. Keep allergen information current whenever a recipe or ingredient changes.
Remember
- Shared oil and utensils carry allergens.
- If you cannot be sure, say so.
- Recipe changes mean information changes.
Facts and sources for this part
- Cooking oil can carry allergens: gluten-free chips cannot be cooked in oil previously used for battered fish. [S15]
- If cross-contamination cannot be avoided in preparation, customers should be told that an allergen-free dish cannot be provided. [S15]
- Giving accurate allergen information is a legal requirement. Keep it up to date whenever recipes or ingredients change, and make sure kitchen staff know when a meal has been ordered without an allergen. [S9]
Can you call a dish free-from or vegan?
Only with strict controls. A free-from claim is a guarantee that the food suits everyone with that allergy or intolerance.
Vegan is not the same as free from egg, fish, crustaceans, molluscs or milk, because traces can get in during preparation. Businesses that ignore advice on allergens can get an improvement notice, with 14 days to appeal.
Remember
- Free-from is a promise, not a label style.
- Vegan does not mean allergen-free.
- Allergen mistakes lead to enforcement.
Facts and sources for this part
- A free-from claim is a guarantee that the food is suitable for everyone with that allergy or intolerance. [S15]
- Vegan meals are not always free from animal-based allergens such as egg, fish, crustaceans, molluscs and milk. [S15]
- A business that ignores local authority advice on allergens may get an improvement notice, and has 14 days to appeal it from the date it was issued. [S15]
- Food businesses must make sure staff receive training on allergens. [S15]
Check what you have learned
Three questions from the test, each explained. Tap an answer.
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is one of the allergens the law names?
Question 2 of 3
How is allergen information given on a buffet?
Show the answer
Right answer: A, For each food item separately. For a buffet, allergen information must be given for each food item separately, not for the buffet as a whole. [S15]
Question 3 of 3
A customer asks if a vegan dish is safe for their milk allergy. What is true?
Show the answer
Right answer: D, Vegan meals are not always free from allergens such as milk, because of cross-contamination. Vegan meals are not always free from animal-based allergens such as egg, fish, crustaceans, molluscs and milk. Check before answering. [S15]