The FSA Issues Best Practice Guidance on Providing Allergen Information

For individuals with food allergies, intolerances, or coeliac disease, access to accurate allergen information is a matter of health and safety. The consequences of consuming allergens range from mild discomfort to life-threatening anaphylaxis. With this new guidance, the FSA seeks to enhance transparency and accessibility of allergen information, ensuring consumers can make informed choices about their food.

Key Recommendations from the FSA

• Provide allergen information in writing – This can be displayed on menus, signage, or an accessible allergen matrix, reducing the reliance on verbal communication alone.
• Support written information with a conversation – Staff should be trained to discuss allergen concerns confidently and accurately with customers.
• Ensure accuracy and accessibility – Allergen details should be regularly updated to reflect changes in ingredients and menu items.
• Adopt clear and user-friendly formats – Whether using written descriptions or symbols, businesses should ensure clarity to prevent misunderstandings.

Who Needs to Follow This Guidance?

This best practice guidance is designed for food businesses across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that serve non-prepacked food. For example, this includes restaurants, cafes, delis, market stalls and takeaways.

The 14 Mandatory Allergens

Under existing regulations, food businesses must inform customers if their food contains any of the 14 regulated allergens:

• Celery – Found in celery sticks, spice mixes, soups, and stock cubes.
• Gluten – Present in wheat, barley, rye, and oats, commonly found in bread, pasta, and baked goods.
• Crustaceans – Includes prawns, crabs, lobsters, and crayfish, often used in seafood dishes and sauces.
• Egg – Found in cakes, mayonnaise, pasta, and some sauces.
• Fish – Used in fish sauces, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and some Asian cuisine.
• Lupin – A type of legume used in some bread, pasta, and baked goods.
• Milk – Present in dairy products like cheese, butter, cream, and yogurt, as well as in some processed foods.
• Molluscs – Includes mussels, squid, oysters, and snails, often found in seafood dishes and sauces.
• Mustard – Used in mustard seeds, condiments, dressings, and marinades.
• Treenuts – Includes almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and Brazil nuts, commonly found in baked goods, sauces, and desserts.
• Peanuts – Often found in peanut butter, sauces, confectionery, and snacks.
• Sesame – Present in sesame oil, tahini, hummus, and some bread.
• Soybean – Found in soy sauce, tofu, miso, and some processed foods.
• Sulphur Dioxide (Sulphites) – Used as a preservative in dried fruit, wine, and some processed foods.

You can list all allergens present in each food item on a menu, food ticket, or label, such as:

• Chicken Satay: Contains wheat, soy, fish, and peanuts.

Alternatively, you can use symbols to represent allergens in the food.