There are big changes to the information that food businesses must give to their customers. From 13 December 2014, the EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU FIC) comes into force. These European rules will be enforced in the UK by the Food Information Regulations 2014 (FIR).

Why food allergy matters

Allergic reactions can make people very ill and can sometimes lead to death. However, there is no cure for food allergy. The only way someone can avoid getting ill is to make sure they don’t eat the foods they are allergic to. If you work with food, it is important to take food allergy seriously. When the new FIR rules come in, you will have a legal responsibility to provide the correct allergen information about the ingredients that is in the food you make or serve, to your customer.

The legal requirements are that food businesses must be able to declare accurate and consistent allergen ingredient information to their customers and ensure that the information of the 14 identified allergens for the food they serve or prepare, is accurate and verifiable.

There are 14 major allergens which need to be declared when used as ingredients. The following list tells you what these allergens are and provides some examples of foods where they may be found:

Celery

This includes celery stalks, leaves and seeds and celeriac. It is often found in celery salt, salads, some meat products, soups and stock cubes.

Cereals

containing gluten This includes wheat (such as spelt and Khorasan wheat/Kamut), rye, barley and oats. It is often found in foods containing flour, such as some baking powders, batter, breadcrumbs, bread, cakes, couscous, meat products, pasta, pastry, sauces, soups and foods dusted with flour. The cereal will need to be declared. However, it is up to you if you want to declare the presence of gluten with this.

Crustaceans

This includes crabs, lobster, prawns and scampi. It is often found in shrimp paste used in Thai curries or salads.

Eggs

This is often found in cakes, some meat products, mayonnaise, mousses, pasta, quiche, sauces and foods brushed or glazed with egg .

Fish

This is often found in some fish sauces, pizzas, relishes, salad dressings, stock cubes and in Worcestershire sauce.

Lupin

This includes lupin seeds and flour, and can be found in some types of bread, pastries and pasta.

Milk

This is found in butter, cheese, cream, milk powders and yoghurt. It is often used in foods glazed with milk,
powdered soups and sauces.

Molluscs

This includes mussels, land snails, squid and whelks. It is often found in oyster sauce or as an ingredient in fish stews.

Mustard

This includes liquid mustard, mustard powder and mustard seeds. It is often found in breads, curries,
marinades, meat products, salad dressing, sauces and soups.

Nuts

This includes almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia or
Queensland nuts. These can be found in breads, biscuits, crackers, desserts, ice cream, marzipan (almond paste),
nut oils and sauces. Ground, crushed or flaked almonds are often used in Asian dishes such as curries or stir fries.

Peanuts

This can be found in biscuits, cakes, curries, desserts and sauces such as for satay. It is also found in groundnut oil and peanut flour.

Sesame Seeds

This can be found in bread, breadsticks, houmous, sesame oil and tahini (sesame paste).

Soya

This can be found in beancurd, edamame beans, miso paste, textured soya protein, soya flour or tofu. It is often
used in some desserts, ice cream, meat products, sauces and vegetarian products.

Sulphur Dioxide

This is often used as a preservative in dried fruit, meat products, soft drinks and vegetables as well as in wine and beer.

So if you have a nut allergy, from the 13th December you should be able to walk into any restaurant and either see allergen information applying to all the menu or be able to ask a member of staff for full allergen details.

For more information please see http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/allergy-guide/allergen-resources or if you are worried about your event please do not hesitate to call us.