EU FOOD INFORMATION FOR
CONSUMERS REGULATIONS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
FOOD ALLERGEN LABELLING
Nikki Blackler
What we are going to cover today
 The legislation
 The 14 allergenic ingredients
 Loose foods, this refers to Restaurants, cafes, schools,
hospitals, mass caterers, takeaways etc.
 Pre-packed food labelling eg sandwiches
 What you need to do
 Questions and answers.
Food labelling is changing
 Regulation 1169/2011 – introduced in 2011
 From 13th December 2014 new rules on allergen
labelling apply
 Existing requirements for pre-packed foods are
retained
 New requirement to emphasise allergenic foods in the
ingredients list
 New requirement to provide allergy information for
unpackaged foods/loose foods.
Scope of the Regulations
All food businesses will need to be able to
provide allergen ingredients information
direct to the consumer
What is an allergy?
 Caused when your immune system mistakenly
thinks that certain foods are a threat to your body.
 A food intolerance doesn’t usually involve your
immune system.
 Coeliac disease is an intolerance to gluten and
does involve the immune system.
Food allergy
Food allergy reactions range from mild to
very serious. Symptoms can affect different
areas of the body at the same time and can
include rashes, swelling, chest tightness
and shortness of breath. Serious cases can
lead to anaphylaxis (a life threatening
reaction) and death.
The impact of a food allergy
Communication is key
 Engage with serving staff
 Extra precautions can be made
 Recipes change
 Ingredients change
Food Intolerance
Food intolerance can result in difficulties
digesting certain ingredients, such as
lactose from milk. Symptoms include
diarrhoea, bloating and stomach cramps
and usually only occur several hours after
eating the food.
Coeliac disease
Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction
of the immune system to gluten.
Symptoms include bloating, diarrhoea,
tiredness, mouth ulcers, anaemia,
osteoporosis and usually occur several
hours after eating the food.
Key facts
1.92m people have food allergy in the UK (based on
population of 63.1m). This figure excludes food intolerance.
Estimated: 4,500 hospitalisations between 2011-12 and 10
deaths, due to food allergies and eating out.
No Cure for an Allergy!
You must avoid what makes you ill
Read ingredient labels
Look out for hidden allergens
ANNEX II: ‘THE BIG 14’
Celery
Molluscs
Cereals containing gluten
Mustard
Crustaceans
Nuts
Eggs
Peanuts
Fish
Sesame seeds
Lupin
Soya
Milk
Sulphur dioxide
Non Pre-packed / Loose Food
A new mandatory requirement for allergen
ingredients information to be provided for:
 non-prepacked
foods/loose foods – without
packaging or where packed on premises: cafe,
restaurant, school, hospital, hotel, takeaway, etc
 food provided prepacked for direct sale – to eat
immediately – bakery, sandwich bar.
Providing information
• Display signage indicating verbal allergen advice is
available.
• Verbal information must be accurate, consistent and
verifiable upon challenge o ingredients information on a chart,
o recipe book,
o ingredients information sheets,
o scrap books with labels
Allergen declarations
 By use of a “Contains Statement” e.g. Chicken Tikka
Massala – contains: milk and almonds (nuts)
 Marked in a conspicuous place, easily visible and
clearly legible.
 Where a customer would expect to find it; e.g. in a
folder, on a menu, at the till, on the specials board.
 When information is not provided upfront,
signposting is required.
Signposting to allergen info (example)
FOOD ALLERGIES
and
INTOLERANCES
Please speak to our staff about the ingredients in
your meal, when making your order.
Thank you.
Selling on-line/phone eg.Takeaways
Mandatory food allergen information required:
 Available before the purchase is concluded eg. On the
takeaway menu and website.
 Available upon delivery in writing (eg. Stickers on
takeaway food containers)
Allergen management
 Step 1 – Identify Allergens in your Business
 Step 2 – Manage Allergen Risks
 Step 3 – Communicate with your Staff and
Customers
Step 1- Identify allergens in your business
Allergen
Examples
Cereals containing Gluten e.g. Wheat,
rye, barley, oats
Bread, stock cubes, batter, semolina,
couscous, soups, cakes
Celery and celeriac eg stalks, seeds
Salads, soups, celery salt.
Mustard
Mustard paste, powder and liquid
mustard, salad dressings, marinades
Other nuts, eg. Walnut, cashews,
pecan, brazil, pistachio.
In sauces, desserts, essences and oils,
marzipan and frangipane
Soya e.g. Flour, tofu or beancurd
Some ice creams, sauces, vegetarian
products.
Lupin seeds and flour
Some types of bread and pastries.
ALLERGENS: CHEF RECIPE CARDS
Dish/Ingredient:
Date:
Celery
Chef:
Cereals containing
gluten


Crustaceans
Eggs
Fish



Lupin
Milk
Mollusc
Mustard
Nuts





TICK THE ALLERGENS
WHICH ARE IN THE
DISH
Peanuts

Notes:
Sesame Seeds

Soya

Sulphur Dioxide


PROVIDING ALLERGEN INFORMATION
DISHES AND THEIR ALLERGEN CONTENT – [INSERT THE NAME OF YOUR FOOD BUSINESS HERE]
DISHES
Celery
Tuna
Salad

Review Date:
Cereals
containing
gluten
Crustaceans
Eggs
Fish


Lupin
Milk
Molluscs

Reviewed by:
Mustard

Nuts
Peanuts
Sesame
seeds
Soya
Sulphur
dioxide
Step 2 - Manage Allergen Risks
Deliveries and Labels
 Check food delivered against order
 Be aware of hidden ingredients
 Storage
 Keep original documents
 Keep records
 Prevent cross contamination
Step 2 - Preparing Dishes
Always:
 Use separate area
 Clean and everything
 Wash hands thoroughly
 Check ingredients
 Use fresh oil
 Removing an allergenic ingredient doesn’t make
it allergy-free
 Display food carefully
Step 3 – Communicate with your staff & customers
 Train all your staff (food handlers, service staff and
staff taking orders by phone)
 Communicate with your customers – let them
know you are allergy aware
 You must have signage saying please ask
 Communicate customer request to kitchen staff –
chef cards, order tickets, receipts.
SFBB – allergy safe method
http://multimedia.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/foodallergiessfbb-0513.pdf
Chinese Takeaway Meals
The following two dishes are typically
found on the menu in a Chinese
restaurant. Each dish has a list of
ingredients, some of which are common
allergens and may cause an allergic
reaction in sensitive individuals.
Chinese Takeaway – Special Fried Rice
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
Garlic
Ginger root
Spring onions
Chinese roast pork
Prawns
Sesame seed oil
Red peppers
Peas
Eggs
Rice
Light soya sauce
Oyster sauce
Black pepper
Chinese Takeaway - Special Fried Rice
Allergenic ingredients
 Crustacea – prawns
 Soya – in the light soy sauce and in the Chinese roast pork
(which contains soy sauce)
 Wheat – in the light soy sauce and in the Chinese roast
pork (which contains soy sauce)
 Eggs
 Molluscs – in the oyster sauce
 Sesame – in the sesame oil
Chinese Takeaway - Sweet & Sour Prawn Balls
Ingredients
Cornstarch
Green pepper
White vinegar
Flour
Prawns
Soy sauce
Tomatoes
Onion
Pineapple
Baking soda
Oil
Baking powder
Ginger powder
Sugar
Salt
Chinese Takeaway – Sweet & Sour Prawn Balls
Allergenic ingredients:
 Crustacea – prawns
 Wheat – in the flour and soy sauce
 Soya – in the soy sauce
 Cooking oil can contain a blend of several
ingredients, including nuts, peanuts and
soya
Deli Counter
The following two dishes are typically found on
the menu in a deli. Each dish has a list of
ingredients, some of which are common
allergens and may cause an allergic reaction in
sensitive individuals.
Deli counter – Scotch Egg
Ingredients:
 Eggs
 Sausage meat
 Flour
 Fine breadcrumbs
 Vegetable oil
Deli counter – Scotch Egg
The allergenic ingredients in Scotch eggs are:
 Eggs
 Wheat (gluten) – in the flour and from the
rusk in the sausage meat
 Sulphites – in the sausage meat
 Cooking oil can be a blend of several
different ingredients, including nuts,
peanuts and soya
Deli Counter – Crumbed Ham
Ingredients:
 Ham
 Breadcrumbs
 Egg wash
Deli Counter – Crumbed Ham
The allergenic ingredients in crumbed
ham are:
 Sulphites – in the ham
 Wheat – in the breadcrumbs
 Eggs – in the wash which binds the
breadcrumbs to the ham
Regular reviews - keep it current
Food businesses need to have processes in
place to ensure the information they provide
is accurate
• Regularly review the ingredients
information
• Where ingredients change, review the
accuracy of the recipe
• Do your garnishes or dressings change the
allergenic profile? Check!
Communication is Key
Accuracy is dependent on correct labelling, updating
allergen information, updating staff and consumers
• The person buying the food
• The person handling the food
• The person taking the order
• The person ordering the food
What information has to be on a
pre-packed food label?
There are 9
 Name of the food
 Ingredients list
 Use by/best before/best before end
 Storage instructions
 Details of who made the food
 Origin
 Instructions for use
 Lot number
 Quantity
How a label can change
Pre-packed Foods: Clear Allergen Indications
The reference to the allergen can only be made in the
following ways:
 In the name of the food
- wholewheat spaghetti
 Otherwise, repeatedly in the ingredients list of the
product, emphasised using a different typeset eg. bold
Ingredient: ‘skimmed milk powder’, ‘couscous (wheat),
emulsifier, soya lecithin, ‘malt vinegar (from barley), whey
protein milk
Pre-packed Foods – Allergy Information/Alert Boxes
 The allergens can only be names as indicated in the
previous slide
 So voluntary allergen advice boxes can direct
consumers to the ingredients list, but not name the
allergens; they may also indicate cross contamination
risks.
 WRONG Allergy advice
Contains Wheat Eggs Milk and Nuts
 RIGHT
Allergy Advice
For allergens see ingredients in bold
Pre-packed foods – Allergen Information
INGREDIENTS
Pork (61%), Water, Rusk (Wheat) , Pork Fat,
Starch (Potato Wheat), Vegetable Protein
(Pea Soya) ingredients less than 2%. Salt,
Yeast Extract, Dextrose, Flavourings,
Stabilisers E4500, E450, Metabisulphite,
Spice Extracts, Antioidants,E300 E307, Herb
Extracts, Colour: Cochineal
Casings made with beef collagen
For allergens, including cereals containing
gluten see ingredients in bold
Clarity and Legibility
 For prepacked foods, mandatory information to appear
directly on the package or on a label attached to it
 Mandatory food information to be marked in a
conspicuous place, be easily visible, clearly legible and,
where appropriate, indelible. It should not be hidden,
obscured, detracted from or interrupted by other written
or pictorial matter.
 To ensure clear legibility, use characters with a font size
where x-height is at least 1.2mm
 In case of packaging or containers, the largest surface of
which has an area of less than 80cm, the x-height of the
font size to be at least 0.9mm
Voluntary Information
May Contain nuts.....!!!?
Quiz
Little be of FUN!!!
FACT or FICTION Quiz
“A food intolerance is
just a less severe type
of allergy.”
Allergy and tolerance are quite different. A food
allergy is a reaction produced by the body’s
immune system when it encounters a normally
harmless foodstuff. This tends to happen
relatively quickly and will happen even with a
tiny amount of that food. An intolerance
doesn’t usually involve the immune system and
is when a foodstuff causes an unpleasant
reaction (such as diarrhoea). Effects are rarely
immediate and people with an intolerance may
still be able to eat that foodstuff in small
quantities.
“If you think you have an
allergy or intolerance to a
certain food, you should
cut it out of your diet.”
You shouldn’t cut food groups out
of your diet without medical advice,
because you could miss out on
important nutrients. Consult your
GP first, who can refer you for tests
to diagnose your symptoms if
appropriate.
“Levels of food allergy
are rising.”
It is thought that allergies to food are rising.
It is not known why, but theories include
changes in diet and improved levels of
hygiene, which leave children’s immune
systems underexposed to germs. Food
allergy is thought to affect 5-8% of young
children and 3-4% of adults. The number of
children admitted to hospital for food related
anaphylaxis has risen by 700% since 1990.
“Most children grow out
of their allergy to eggs,
milk, wheat and soya.”
Most children will grow out of
their allergy to eggs, milk, wheat
and soya generally by about the
age of five. It is thought to be as
a result of the gut maturing or a
change in the immune system’s
response to that food.
“Most people will grow
out of allergies to
peanuts, seafood, fish
and tree nuts.”
An allergy to peanuts,
seafood, fish and tree
nuts is very rarely lost.
“You can be allergic to
any foodstuff.”
This is true in theory, but in fact just a handful
of foods are to blame for 90% of allergic
reactions to foods in the UK. They are celery,
cereals containing gluten (including wheat,
rye, barley and oats), crustaceans (including
crabs and prawns), eggs, fish, lupin, milk,
molluscs (such as mussels and oysters),
mustard, nuts (including brazil nuts, hazelnuts,
almonds and walnuts), peanuts (groundnuts or
monkey nuts), sesame seeds, soya, sulphur
dioxide or sulphites.
“Symptoms of an allergic
reaction will always
appear immediately after
eating the food that
caused it.”
It may be that symptoms of an
allergic reaction appear
immediately, but it can be
several hours before they
present themselves. It is also
the case that symptoms can be
more or less severe on different
occasions.
“Food allergies can be fatal.”
People with allergies can have a
reaction called anaphylaxis
(pronounced anna-fill-axis), sometimes
called anaphylactic shock. Anaphylaxis
can be fatal if it isn’t treated
immediately, usually with an injection
of adrenaline (epinephrine). This is why
it’s extremely important for someone
with an allergy to take their medication
with them wherever they go.
“A food allergy or
intolerance can be easily
self-diagnosed.”
It is thought that a much higher number of
people will believe that their symptoms are
being caused by a food allergy or intolerance
than is actually the case. Around 30% believe
they are allergic or intolerant to one or more
foods, but a Food Standards Agency (FSA)
report in 2008 estimated that only 5-8% of
children and 1-2% of adults have a food allergy.
Always consult with your GP first if you are
experiencing symptoms.
“Food allergies or
intolerances can be cured.”
There is currently no cure for food allergies or
intolerances. The only way to prevent a
reaction is to avoid the food you are sensitive
to. Research into desensitisation strategies is
under way, but this is still at an early stage and
should not be attempted without close medical
supervision. If you think you may have a food
allergy or intolerance, it is important to visit
your GP, before you start cutting out foods.
“Allergies and intolerances
run in families.”
If you have parents or a sibling with an
allergic condition such as eczema,
asthma or a food allergy , you are at a
higher risk of developing a food allergy
or intolerance. However, you may not
develop the same allergy.
“If you have eczema or
asthma you are more
likely to develop an
allergy or intolerance.”
Children who are born with other
allergic conditions, such as asthma
or atopic dermatitis (an allergic skin
condition) are more likely to
develop a food allergy.
“You are required to
carry medication if your
allergy is very severe.”
If you are diagnosed with a food allergy you
should carry medication with you at all times,
since an allergic reaction can range in
severity. Your GP will provide you with two
types of medication: antihistamine tablets
and/or gels, which can be used to manage
the symptoms of a mild to moderate reaction
and adrenaline, which is used to manage the
symptoms of anaphylaxis. Adrenaline is
normally supplied in a device called an
adrenaline auto-injector pen.
“If you have a food allergy
or intolerance you may
have an allergic reaction to
cosmetics.”
If you have an allergy it is important
to train yourself to read labels on
everything that comes into contact
with your body, not just the food
you eat. For instance, some
cosmetics may contain nut oils or
extracts of fruit or vegetables.
SUMMARY
 Know what goes into the food you
serve
 Document the allergens
 Train your staff
 Use signage
 Regularly review your recipes
Q&A
Community Safety
Trading Standards and Food Safety
01803 208025
www.torbay.gov.uk/index/yourbusiness/foodsafety/ad
viceforbusinesses/allergens
@TorbayFSL