Correct allergen practice is an absolute essential for any establishment that serves food or drink. Legislation was introduced in 2014 requiring any premises where food or drink are served to provide detailed allergen information for all products. Since 2021, Natasha’s Law has also been in effect across the UK. As a result, all food retailers must clearly list all ingredients and allergens used to make food on the premises and for pre-packaged food for sale. This legislation was developed in the aftermath of the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse in 2016. This tragedy highlighted the critical importance of food allergens, and how the correct steps must be taken to prevent cross-contamination when food is being prepared and stored.
What are the different allergens?
There are fourteen identified allergens that kitchens need to be wary of. They are as follows:
- Celery (including celeriac)
- Gluten (wheat, rye, barley, and oats)
- Crustaceans (prawns, crabs, lobster)
- Molluscs (mussels, oysters, clams, etc)
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lupin
- Milk
- Mustard
- Peanuts
- Seasame
- Soybeans
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
- Tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and macadamia nuts)
How can I develop an allergen strategy for my business?
There are various ways you can ensure that your establishment is adhering to the law and following an effective allergen strategy. If you are a new business owner or you’re looking to refresh your allergen strategies to make them more effective, here is a brief guide to help you get started.
1. Allergen Training
The best place to start with any allergen strategy is training your staff and ensuring that their knowledge is up-to-date. This will ensure that your team can:
- Accurately provide allergen information to customers.
- Understand the risks of cross-contamination and know how to prevent it.
- Are able to guarantee that allergen-free meals are served to the right customers.
- Follow correct hygiene protocols at all times, especially after being in contact with allergen foods.
- Have at least one member of staff who can deal with allergic reactions in emergency situations.
The government run Food Standards Agency have various resources and free-to-access allergen training courses on their website.
You can also explore accredited allergen training at JACS Ltd. Founded by respected allergen advisor and expert, Jacqui McPeake, who has over 35 years of experience in the catering and hospitality industry.
2. Signage and Display
Clearly signposting which foods are an allergen risk is another vital step in your overall allergen strategy. While your staff should always ask customers if they have allergies or dietary requirements, having signs reminding customers to alert staff to this is also important.
Additionally, using signs in your buffets, food counters, and food preparation areas is a must to clearly signal to both customers and staff where allergen risk foods are present.
We have a wide selection of allergen signage for you to utilise for your business.
3. Preparation and Utensils
Creating a separate area for preparing allergen-free dishes is a simple and effective method for ensuring safety and preventing cross-contamination. Using clear, visible signage in your kitchens for allergen-related food preparation will be incredibly useful.
Additionally, keeping separate utensils for allergen-free food prep will keep your customers safe. Purple kitchen utensils are universally recognised for allergen safety, and we have a wide range products available for your business.
4. Cross-Contamination and Storage
Following on from purple utensils and an established allergen-free preparation area, there are a few other excellent ways to prevent cross-contamination.
By using purple gastronorm containers in the kitchen, you can clearly indicate allergen-free food items, and the airtight lids and hygienic plastic bodies will keep food fresh. This also creates a secure seal to further prevent cross-contamination when food is stored in the fridge, freezer, or pantry. These containers could also be used to store your allergen utensils when they’re not in use.
You should also use allergen food labels to clearly indicate produce that contains allergens so everyone working in your kitchen or food service areas are aware.
By following this simple steps, you’ll be taking the necessary actions to ensure allergen safety throughout your food service business.