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Practical Steps for Allergen Management

Navigating the complexities of food allergen management requires more than just awareness; it demands proactive strategies and concrete actions. To help businesses ensure the safety and satisfaction of their customers with food allergies, we have compiled a comprehensive set of solutions and recommendations. These measures, grounded in industry best practices and regulatory requirements, address key areas such as staff training, labelling, communication, operational protocols, and customer engagement.

Implementing these strategies not only enhances the dining experience for allergic customers but also protects businesses from potential legal and reputational risks. By adopting a holistic approach to allergen management, businesses can create a safer, more inclusive environment that fosters trust and loyalty among all patrons.

Bristol City Council

Improving Allergen Safety: Tips and Strategies

Implementing these strategies not only enhances the dining experience for allergic customers but also protects businesses from potential legal and reputational risks. By adopting a holistic approach to allergen management, businesses can create a safer, more inclusive environment that fosters trust and loyalty among all patrons.

Implement Effective Training Programs

By combining internal training programs with expert-led external certifications, businesses can stay ahead of industry standards and continuously improve their allergen management practices.

Training

Enhance Labelling and Information

To enhance allergen safety, businesses should clearly label all pre-packaged foods and ensure that menus are regularly updated with allergen information.

Allergy Labelling and Information

Improve Communication

Businesses should encourage proactive communication by having staff ask customers about any allergies before orders are placed. Allergen information should be prominently displayed both in the establishment and on the business’s website, making it easily accessible and transparent for all patrons.

Communication

Adopt Robust Operational Protocols

Businesses should establish and enforce strict procedures for food preparation and handling. Additionally, regularly auditing practices and updating protocols as necessary ensures ongoing compliance and improvement in allergen management.

Operational Protocols

Customer Feedback and Engagement

Effective allergen management in food businesses hinges on comprehensive training programs that ensure all staff members are well-versed in the protocols and procedures necessary to handle food safely for customers with allergies.
  • right_arrow_orange_icon Regular Reviews: Conduct regular reviews of your communication strategies and update them based on customer feedback and changes in legislation or best practices​
  • right_arrow_orange_icon Customer Feedback Systems: Encourage customers to provide feedback on their experiences with allergen communication. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes​
Here’s how to implement such program

Guidance on Food Regulation

In the UK, food businesses must provide information about any of 14 major allergens when they are used as ingredients in the food and drink they provide. The way the information is communicated to the customer depends on what kind of business they are (e.g. retail or catering), and how the food is presented. The rules differ depending on whether the food they sell is:

  • Prepacked (for example, labelled food sold at retail)
  • Prepacked for direct sale (for example, sandwiches prepared and wrapped on-site before the customer has selected/ordered)
  • Non-prepacked/loose food (for example food sold in restaurants and takeaways, or packed at the customer’s request, such as at in-store bakery and delicatessen counters)

Helpful Links

The 14 Major Allergens

In the UK, food allergen labelling regulations recognise 14 foods as the most common causes of food allergies and intolerances.

Go to page

Other allergens

Other foods outside of the top 14 allergens that can cause allergic reactions.

Go to page

Allergen guidance for food businesses

Food Standards Agency guidance for food businesses on providing allergen information and best practice for handling allergens.

Go to the Food Standards Agency website

Free Allergy training for food businesses

Free online food allergy training and e-learning resources for food businesses from The Food Standards Agency.

Go to the Food Standards Agency website

Managing allergies in the workplace

If someone on your team has serious allergies, there are steps you can take to make the environment safe and learn what to do in an emergency.

Creating a working environment where employees can safely do their jobs is part of an employer’s Duty of Care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Use this guide for employers and employees so that people with allergies can be safe at work.

Can you help Anaphylaxis UK?

Make a donation to help further our work

There are many ways to support Anaphylaxis UK and all will help to raise much-needed awareness and vital funds for our work.

Support the charity

Sponsor an AllergyWise School in Bristol

Help your local school become AllergyWise and provide training for all staff to be a safer place for children with allergies.

Support a school In Bristol

Articles and News

Legal Obligations and Employer Responsibility 6th September 2024

Accommodating allergies in the workplace is not just about compliance with legal obligations; it is about creating a supportive and inclusive environment where all employees can thrive.
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Implementing Threshold-Based Precautionary Allergen Labelling in the UK Food Industry 15th August 2024

Read how adopting threshold-based precautionary allergen labelling can enhance food safety and consumer trust. This approach helps food businesses provide clearer, more reliable information, reducing the overuse of warnings and improving choices for allergic consumers.
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Risk Assessment of Food Allergens. Part 2: Review and establish threshold levels in foods for the priority allergens 5th January 2023

Knowledge of thresholds constitutes a critical requirement to assessing the risk from allergens, as they are a characteristic of the hazard that allergens present to the food-allergic population. An expert committee of The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concurred that
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