Food Allergen Awareness Training: Legal Requirements and Responsibilities

Food businesses must provide accurate allergen information to consumers to ensure safe food choices and comply with legal requirements.

### Food Allergen Awareness Training: Legal Requirements and Real-Life Consequences
* 🥜 Food businesses must comply with legal requirements to provide **accurate allergen information**, including the **14 allergens required to be declared by law**.
* 🚨 Failure to provide correct allergen information can have severe consequences, including **criminal charges** and **tragic fatalities**, such as the cases of Megan Lee, Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, and Owen Carey.
* 📋 New regulations for pre-packed for direct sale food came into effect on October 1, 2021, requiring **specific allergen labeling** on these products to **protect consumers with allergies**.
* 🏥 Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe, with **anaphylaxis being life-threatening** and requiring **immediate medical attention**.
* 👩 The training emphasizes the importance of **accurate allergen information for consumers**, especially young people who may feel **embarrassed or unsure** about asking for allergen information when dining out.
* 📊 Statistics show that **1-2% of UK adults and 5-8% of children have a food allergy**, with about **10 people dying from food-induced anaphylaxis in the UK each year**.
* 📽 The training includes a video showing "**A Day in the Life of Chloe**," a young girl with severe allergies, to provide insight into the **daily challenges faced by individuals with food allergies**.
* 📝 Food businesses are provided with practical steps to ensure compliance with allergen regulations, including **staff training, ingredient checking, and emergency action plans**.

### Ensuring Food Safety for Customers with Allergies: Best Practices for Food Businesses
* 🥜 Allergen information is crucial for customers with food allergies, as even a **trace of an allergen can cause a severe reaction**.
* 📝 Keep written records of **allergenic ingredients** in dishes, and retain **up-to-date food labels**.
* 📊 Implement tools like the FSA's **dishes and allergen content menu chart** to manage allergen information.
* 🚫 Don't guess about allergen content; if in doubt, **admit it and check the information**.
* 🍽 ️ Follow strict kitchen procedures to prevent cross-contamination, including **food-to-equipment, food-to-food, and food-to-hand contact**.
* 📞 Front-of-house staff should ask every customer about **allergies or intolerances**, and have access to **up-to-date allergen information**.
* 🚗 For delivery services, ensure **allergen-free meals are clearly identified** and **cross-contamination risks are minimized**.
* ⚖ Failure to comply with allergen information requirements can result in serious consequences, including **fines, compensation claims, and even imprisonment**.

Allergen training video - English

Chartered Trading Standards Institute

Understanding Food Hypersensitivity and Allergen Awareness

This training provides information on food hypersensitivity and legal requirements for providing allergen information to consumers.

It covers the 14 allergens required by law, the difference between food allergy, food intolerance, and celiac disease, and the potential consequences of allergic reactions.

The training emphasizes the importance of effective allergen management, the severity of allergic reactions, and the challenges faced by people with food allergies, especially young adults, in dining out and asking for allergen information.

The campaign aims to encourage young people to speak up about their food allergies when ordering food and highlights the varying symptoms and severity of allergic reactions.

The Tragic Consequences of Food Allergies

Food businesses' negligence in providing allergen information has led to tragic deaths from anaphylaxis.

These incidents have prompted changes in food labeling and serving procedures to prevent similar tragedies.

Accurate food allergen information is crucial for customers with allergies, as it can make a life-saving difference.

Living with a Life-Threatening Strawberry Allergy

Chloe's life is constantly at risk due to her severe strawberry allergy, requiring her to carry an EpiPen and be vigilant everywhere she goes.

Her allergy not only affects her physical health but also causes her stress, isolation, and the need to constantly explain her condition to others.

Chloe's family experiences constant anxiety and fear, with her mother struggling to keep her safe outside of their home.

Legal Requirements for Food Allergen Labeling

Food businesses are legally required to ensure the safety of the food they produce and provide accurate allergen information to consumers.

Failure to comply with these requirements can result in criminal offenses and serious consequences.

The law has recently been changed to increase food labeling requirements for pre-packed for direct sale food, aiming to better protect consumers with food allergies and provide them with more confidence in the food they purchase.

Requirements for Pre-Packaged Food for Direct Sale Labeling

Food presented to a consumer in packaging requires labeling for direct sale.

The packaging must be done at the same place it is sold, including temporary or mobile sites.

Businesses must ensure allergen information is available to consumers before purchase and at the time of delivery, and they can use the prepared-for-direct-sale labeling decision tool provided by the Food Standards Agency.

Managing Allergen Cross-Contamination in Food Businesses

MenuCal is a free online tool that helps businesses develop menus, keep recipes, and flag allergens.

Cross-contamination in the kitchen can cause fatal allergic reactions and should be managed with strict policies.

Food businesses should provide information about allergen presence and consider precautionary labeling when cross-contamination risk is present.

Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in a Restaurant

It is important to proactively ask customers about food allergies or intolerances when taking orders or seating guests.

Staff should have easy access to up-to-date allergen information and be trained to double-check this information when a customer notifies them of an allergy.

Clear communication and a designated person responsible for managing allergens are crucial for handling orders and preventing cross-contamination.

Guidelines for Providing Allergen Information in Food Business

Non-pre-packed food allergen information can be provided in writing on menus, chalkboards, or notices, and verbally if clearly signposted.

For pre-packed food, the full ingredients list with allergens emphasized must be provided.

It's important to have prominent allergen signposting, regularly updated information, and clear communication of allergen requests to the kitchen.

Delivery of allergen-free food should be carefully handled to avoid cross-contamination, with dedicated allergen-free bags and double-checking of orders.

For event catering, allergen information should be provided for each food item separately, with clear labeling and easily accessible information for customers.

It's crucial to prevent cross-contamination during self-service with separate serving utensils and visible allergen information.

Ensuring Allergen Safety in Your Food Business

It is crucial to inform customers about the presence of allergens in your food to ensure their safety and build trust.

Ways to do this include using allergen statements in your menu, providing allergen information through flyers or stickers, and offering customers the opportunity to speak directly to the chef or manager.

Failing to comply with allergen information regulations can not only lead to serious illness or fatalities but also result in financial, reputational damage, and legal consequences for your business.

Two specific cases, one resulting in a serious fine and the other in a tragic fatality, highlight the importance of taking allergen safety seriously.

The Tragic Consequences of Allergy Negligence

A young girl's tragic death due to a nut allergy highlights the importance of taking allergies seriously.

The presentation emphasizes the need for businesses to comply with allergen management procedures to avoid devastating consequences.

The training provides clear guidelines for businesses to create a positive food safety culture and effectively manage allergens, stressing the importance of being well-informed and responsible.