The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a new consultation; giving businesses, consumers, and local authorities the chance to share their thoughts on allergen labelling in the out-of-home sector.

The FSA has announced the launch of a new Consultation on Best Practice Guidance; a project that encourages stakeholders to share feedback on a proposal relating to effective allergen labelling.

In the following article, we will provide an overview of the FSA’s proposal. We will also share the details you need if your hospitality business would like to submit feedback.

What is the current legislation surrounding allergen information?

In UK law, it is the responsibility of hospitality businesses such as restaurants and cafes to inform their customers if the food they are serving contains the following 14 allergens:

Celery, Cereals containing Gluten, Crustaceans, Eggs, Fish, Lupin, Milk, Molluscs, Mustard, Nuts, Peanuts, Sesame seeds, Soya, and Sulphur Dioxide (commonly referred to as sulphites).

Currently, the businesses impacted by this legislation can decide if allergen information is written or expressed verbally. However, if they decide to express it verbally, it is essential that they direct customers to where the information can be found.

What is the FSA proposing?

The Food Standards Agency has launched a new Consultation with the intention of developing a consistent approach to allergen labelling in the out-of-home sector.

Throughout this consultation period, the FSA will be asking food businesses, consumers, and local authorities to share their feedback on the proposal that allergen information is always written and available. The proposal also highlights the importance of consumers with a food hypersensitivity discussing any allergen requirements with their servers.

Stakeholders can engage with the Consultation on Best Practice Guidance – Allergen Information for Non-Prepacked Foods until Wednesday 27th November 2024. To learn more about the process of sharing your own feedback, click here.

If you have any questions about the guidance provided in this article, we would be happy to share further details relating to the Provision of Allergen Information Consultation.

We are also available to tell you more about our wide selection of products and services, with a focus on the way in which they could help your business to drive standards and secure compliance.

You can contact us directly on 01473461800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can fill out the contact form below and one of our friendly team members will be in touch.

If you would like further guidance in this area, the Klipspringer team would be happy to help. Share your details below to arrange a consultation.