Allergens

“For your equipment – make sure you are using separate utensils, keeping chopping boards segregated and have clean down procedures for each. Make sure you don’t claim to be gluten free if you still handling wheat flour in the kitchen and cant remove the risk of contamination through segregation of time and space. If you need to use the fryer for gluten free dishes, make sure this fryer is for gluten free products only, and have one for fish and one for meat.

Ensure all ingredients are stored in a sealed and labelled container to avoid confusion, and have a look to see if your spillage policy is updated and in one place.

Making sure all menu change allergens are up to date for staff to use and being aware of menu allergen changes are also essential. As well as making sure the staff training in the kitchen and front of house is all up to date – have a designated person on each shift that knows about any changes or allergens, and provide thorough kitchen training so staff know how to avoid cross contamination.

Finally, don’t forget about the garnishing! Always check allergens that may be present in those, and make sure they are listed within the allergen list on menus.“

“A food allergy is when the body’s immune system reacts to a certain food, believing it is under attack. Many allergic reactions can be mild but in more serious cases this can cause an anaphylactic response in the body, which can be life threatening.

Around two million people in the UK have been diagnosed with a food allergy, and 600,000 with Coeliac Disease¹, an autoimmune condition which attacks your own tissue when you eat gluten. This means that it is likely we all know someone with a food allergy or Coeliac Disease or another form of food hypersensitivity, like a food intolerance, which is less serious than an allergy but can still cause someone serious discomfort.

Eating out of the home environment can cause anxiety and fear for those with a food allergy, Coeliac Disease or a food intolerance. From the planning of where may be safe to eat, having conversations with the staff before and during their visit, navigating their food options and ensuring they feel safe that the food they are having is suitable for their dietary needs, it can be a lot for someone to manage. Especially for someone with a serious food allergy.

This is why it’s so important to embed safe procedures and practices for the preparation and communication of allergens in your catering environment. Not only to ensure allergens are being managed appropriately and safe food is provided but also to give that much needed reassurance to the consumer.“

1. Food.gov.uk