Selling Food and the Law

Businesses selling food need to consider two things:

• the ingredients used deliberately in the food on sale

• whether that food on sale has come into contact with other ingredients which could be a risk to people with allergies and intolerances

   

In practice, prosecutions have been taken against food businesses who sold food with the wrong ingredients listed on the label, or where an allergic person specified that their food should not contain something which was later proved to be present. In such cases, the allergic person usually suffered symptoms requiring emergency medical attention.

The Food Standards Agency - Food Safety Act 1990: a Guide for Food Businesses - can be downloaded here

(General Food Law Regulation 178/2002) requires food businesses to assess risks to food on sale (hazard analysis) and control them using a management system.

Key areas of focus include:

• holding ingredients information which is accurate and up to date

• controlling cross contamination in storage, preparation and service

• inviting customers to explain what they need to avoid (for example by displaying a notice)

• training all your staff about food allergy risks and what they should do to protect people.