Providing Consumers With Allergen Information
Requirement for non-prepacked and prepacked for direct sale foods
Information on allergenic ingredients must be either
It is important that customers with food allergies or intolerances are able to make informed choices when choosing products. All staff serving customers should be made aware of the potential risks to customers' health if they advise them incorrectly. A process must be in place to ensure that allergen information can be easily obtained and is accurate and consistent.
Customers are strongly advised to speak to staff regarding their allergy requirements. If a member of staff is unsure of the answer to a customer's question, they must ask somebody who knows.
You might find it useful to show these animations to the food businesses in your area. Or you could download this booklet or poster. The booklet is aimed at anyone who works in a café or restaurant selling unpackaged foods. The poster is a visual tool aimed at people who work in these businesses but do not have English as a first language, or those who have language difficulties.
'Gluten-free' or 'very low gluten' claims
About 1% of people in the UK are intolerant to gluten – this condition is also known as coeliac disease. People with coeliac disease need to avoid foods that contain gluten to prevent potentially serious health effects. This means labelling claims about gluten in foods are very important. Foods that contain gluten include wheat, rye and barley.
European legislation has set levels of gluten for foods that claim to be either 'gluten-free' or 'very low gluten'. These levels are:
Caterers can only use the phrase ‘gluten-free’ if they can demonstrate that, when tested, their product is 20 parts or less of gluten per million. They will also be required to demonstrate that any products claiming to be 'very low gluten' also comply to the legislation.
Caterers producing foods with no deliberate gluten containing ingredients, but due to the high risk of gluten cross-contamination, will be unable to label foods as ‘gluten-free’ or ‘very low gluten’. Instead, if steps have been taken to control gluten cross-contamination, caterers will be able to indicate which foods do not contain gluten containing ingredients. This allows people with coeliac disease to make choices about the food they eat based on their individual levels of sensitivity.
Information on allergenic ingredients must be either
- written up front (for example on a menu or menu board) without the customer having to ask for information
- sign-posted to where written information can be found or obtained
- sign-posted to say that oral information can be obtained from a member of staff
- if information on allergenic ingredients is provided orally, this must be consistent and verifiable (i.e. a business must have processes in place to capture information from recipes or ingredients lists from products bought in, and make this available to staff)
It is important that customers with food allergies or intolerances are able to make informed choices when choosing products. All staff serving customers should be made aware of the potential risks to customers' health if they advise them incorrectly. A process must be in place to ensure that allergen information can be easily obtained and is accurate and consistent.
Customers are strongly advised to speak to staff regarding their allergy requirements. If a member of staff is unsure of the answer to a customer's question, they must ask somebody who knows.
You might find it useful to show these animations to the food businesses in your area. Or you could download this booklet or poster. The booklet is aimed at anyone who works in a café or restaurant selling unpackaged foods. The poster is a visual tool aimed at people who work in these businesses but do not have English as a first language, or those who have language difficulties.
'Gluten-free' or 'very low gluten' claims
About 1% of people in the UK are intolerant to gluten – this condition is also known as coeliac disease. People with coeliac disease need to avoid foods that contain gluten to prevent potentially serious health effects. This means labelling claims about gluten in foods are very important. Foods that contain gluten include wheat, rye and barley.
European legislation has set levels of gluten for foods that claim to be either 'gluten-free' or 'very low gluten'. These levels are:
- 'gluten-free' – 20 parts or less of gluten per million.
- 'very low gluten' – 100 parts or less of gluten per million. However, only foods with cereal ingredients that have been specially processed to remove the gluten may make a 'very low gluten' claim.
Caterers can only use the phrase ‘gluten-free’ if they can demonstrate that, when tested, their product is 20 parts or less of gluten per million. They will also be required to demonstrate that any products claiming to be 'very low gluten' also comply to the legislation.
Caterers producing foods with no deliberate gluten containing ingredients, but due to the high risk of gluten cross-contamination, will be unable to label foods as ‘gluten-free’ or ‘very low gluten’. Instead, if steps have been taken to control gluten cross-contamination, caterers will be able to indicate which foods do not contain gluten containing ingredients. This allows people with coeliac disease to make choices about the food they eat based on their individual levels of sensitivity.