Businesses will be expected to provide written allergen information to customers when serving non-prepacked food as part of newly published allergens guidance.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said written information should be available alongside a conversation between servers and customers about their allergen requirements in out of home settings like cafes, pubs and restaurants.
It said the guidance, which also applies to loose fold sold online, would help businesses provide allergen information in a more consistent and helpful way for people with food hypersensitivities.
The guidance applies to businesses operating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and follows consultation on a draft proposal published last year.
The new guidance is not legally binding and the minimum legislative requirement for information to be provided by any means, with a sign indicating when it will be provided verbally, has not changed.
Campaigners have consistently called for greater emphasis to be placed on written allergen information in out of home settings rather than rely solely on verbal communication. They include the family of Owen Carey who lost his life in 2017 after suffering an anaphylactic reaction to a chicken burger purchased from a branch of Byron Burger. The menu did not mention that the chicken was marinated in buttermilk.
The guidance says written allergen information should follow the principles of being easy to use, clear, comprehensive and accurate. Businesses can choose whether to provide the information using words alone, or symbols with accompanying words.
Food businesses who may need to change their menu or allergen information regularly will have the option of making the information available upon request in a separate document so they can more easily update it and control the information.
Prior to the guidance being finalised, business groups had been stressing the need for a flexible approach that accounts for the wide variety of operating models across the hospitality sector. UKHospitality said these calls had been reflected in the FSA’s guidance.
“Flexibility is critical [….], as is a common sense approach to implementing the guidance,” said Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality. “Businesses will already have written allergen information available, but some may prefer a digital format, for example, and those decisions are best made by venues who know what will work for them.”
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