Guidance for food businesses on allergy and intolerance
This guidance is designed to help food businesses provide information to customers who need to avoid certain ingredients because of an allergy. It includes general advice and information on allergy and intolerance, the food labelling rules and specific voluntary best practice guidance on cross-contamination controls for pre-packed foods and loose foods.
Additionally, there are a number of other resources available that provide advice on food allergy, including Safer food, better business (SFBB) and a number commercial guidance notes produced, for example, by the British Retail Consortium and the Food and Drink Federation.
New allergy labelling legislation
At the end of 2014, new legislation will be introduced that will require food businesses to provide allergy information on food sold unpackaged, in for example catering outlets, deli counters, bakeries and sandwich bars. There will also be changes to existing legislation on labelling allergenic ingredients in prepacked foods. Guidance is being developed to help businesses meet these new requirements and this page will be updated as this progresses. More information about the new European legislation can be found on the European Commission website at the link below. If you would like to be kept up-to-date with changes to the legislation contact Sue Hattersley at: sue.hattersley@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk.
Food allergy training online
An interactive food allergy training tool can be found at allergytraining.food.gov.uk.
It highlights steps that should be followed to make sure good practice is used in the manufacture and production of food. It also offers practical advice to local authority food law enforcement officers (both food hygiene and food standards) and anyone wanting to learn more about food allergy, such as managers and staff in the manufacturing and catering industries.
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Guidance on food allergen labelling legislation
These guidance notes on the food labelling legislation provide informal guidance on food allergen labelling for pre-packed foods. They aim to help manufacturers, retailers, caterers and enforcement authorities ensure consistent and transparent labelling.
Allergen management and labelling for pre-packed foods
Best practice guidance on managing food allergens with particular reference to avoiding cross-contamination and using appropriate advisory labelling (e.g. 'May contain' labelling).
Providing allergen information for non pre-packed foods
These documents, published in 2008, provide voluntary best practice advice to help food retailers and caterers selling food that is not pre-packed provide allergen information on the food they sell.
Labelling of 'gluten free' foods
Around 1% of people in the UK are intolerant to gluten (often referred to as coeliac disease) and need to avoid foods containing gluten to prevent potentially serious health effects. This makes labelling claims about gluten in foods an important issue.