Complete guide to managing allergens in hospitality

There are no set rules on how this information should be given to customers: Whether restaurants decide to list the allergens on their menus alongside the dishes containing them, provide the information elsewhere on-site, direct customers to their websites, or leave it to front-of-house staff to give diners information verbally, the key requirement is to let customers know whether the food they are ordering contains these 14 allergens or not. 

However, despite the legislation being in place for more than five years, there is still confusion around food allergen labelling and information requirements, with 17% of restaurants still unsure of what the 14 allergens are and how to dish details about them up to their diners according to the results of a report by Access Hospitality. 

Confusion around allergen labelling can have serious ramifications for customers with allergies: If information is unavailable, or wrong they could end up consuming food that will make them seriously ill or worse, so it's vital that restaurants and their staff are clear on allergen laws. 

And with new legislation on allergen food labelling having been introduced in October 2021, there's a greater need to ensure you fully understand the law as it currently stands. 

To help ensure you have the correct allergen information, we answer a few important questions we hear all the time:  

What are the 14 food allergens? 

The 14 major allergens which must be mentioned on a menu or displayed elsewhere on the premises are: 

• Celery 
• Cereals containing gluten (e.g. Wheat, barley, rye and oats) 
• Crustaceans 
• Eggs 
• Fish 
• Lupin (a flower that can be found in flour) 
• Milk 
• Molluscs (including those found in the sea like mussels and whelks, and land snails) 
• Mustard 
• Nuts (referring to those which grow on trees, like almonds and hazelnuts) 
• Peanuts (peanuts are legumes and grown underground, unlike tree nuts) 
• Sesame seeds 
• Soya 
• Sulphur dioxide / sulphites (found in dried fruit, some meat products and wine and beer) 

Who should receive training in allergen awareness? 

All members of staff who handle or prepare food - from the ones taking orders, to those preparing food in the kitchen – should know what the 14 allergens are, which dishes contain allergens (or know where to find the information) and how ingredients should be handled. There are many ways this information can be shared with teams, including with the help of technology. Whichever means is used by your restaurant, having a system that means you and your team are aware of allergenic food will ensure you keep your customers, and your business, safe. 

Where should you store and prepare allergenic foods? 

Food should be stored in sealed and labelled containers and those containing the 14 allergens should be kept separately to avoid cross contamination. The labels should include allergen ingredients information on them so chefs know exactly what they will be using. 

Kitchens also need to be careful to avoid cross contamination during meal preparation so ideally should have separate work spaces, chopping boards and utensils for foods prepared free from one or several allergens. If a kitchen is unable to prepare food separately, the restaurant must make this clear to customers. 

What does Natasha’s Law mean for businesses? 

The changes to the allergen legislation brought in on 1st October 2021 relate to food which is pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS), so if you sell any pre-prepared dishes to take away, like sandwiches or salads.  

The changes – made in response to the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse – are designed to allow those with a food allergy or intolerance to make safe choices when buying PPDS food.   

How can I ensure I have the correct allergen information? 

You can always check that you have the correct allergen information by checking a government ran site such as the Food Service Agency website where you will find the latest guidance.  

Using technology to effectively manage allergens

Allergen management in food processing businesses can be time-consuming and can have fatal results if not carried out correctly. Everyone – employers, staff and customers – should know what is in the food being served, so allergen ingredient recording – on product specification sheets, ingredients labels, recipes and in explanations of dishes – is essential. 

In an Access Hospitality survey conducted prior to the introduction of Natasha’s Law on operators’ use of technology in the kitchen, 71% of respondents said they were completely reliant on manual processes when it comes to allergen management, leaving them open to error. The same survey found that 48% of operators of hotels, restaurants and pubs/bars were concerned about the way they handle allergens, yet this figure dropped to 42% when operators used technology to manage this element of the business. 

Larger operators were more likely to use technology with 54% of 51+ sites favouring this method as they look for greater control and a streamlined operation. But smaller organisations should not leave themselves vulnerable to error and should consider how their current technology solutions might help them with allergen management.  

Here are three hospitality management solutions that can help with allergen management:  

1. Procurement software 

Access Procure Wizard is the leading provider of purchase to pay software and food & beverage solutions in the hospitality industry and can support businesses in allergen management and compliance. Featuring a purpose built Allergen and Nutritional Management module where suppliers load allergen and nutritional information against each of their products enabling our system to automatically reflect this data across all your menus, recipes and dishes offering operators peace of mind that they are meeting the legal requirements. 

2. Digital checklists 

Food safety checklist tech like Trail can help you keep organised and ensure processes are followed. Trail’s digital checklists make communicating allergen processes much clearer and are particularly helpful when it comes to legislation updates and changes to make sure everyone is made aware. Trail also alerts your teams to take corrective action when a problem does occur and record evidence of the correction to protect your business against serious incidents.  

3. Training software 

All hospitality businesses must offer a certain amount of training to be legally compliant with age restricted selling and other legal requirements as well as food safety legislation. Learning management systems like CPL Learning offer the most up to date legislation information and best practices for food safety – so, it’s worth checking out the latest training resources available. CPL Learning offer a comprehensive Allergen and Natasha’s Law e-Learning Course that is a helpful introduction to allergen labelling and safety information for anyone working in hospitality.  

Need help managing allergens in your business? Let’s talk. 

In this article we’ve explored some key definitions and best practices when it comes to managing allergens in your business and some of the technology solutions that can make things easier.  

If you’re interested in talking to our team about allergen management then contact us to discuss your needs.

Read more about allergen management in our What is Natasha’s Law and what does it mean for my hospitality business article.