Food Allergies
‘A food allergy is when the body's immune system reacts unusually to specific foods.’
NHS Choices
Whilst most reactions and symptoms are mild there are a few occasions where the reactions can be much more serious such as anaphylaxis, which can be life threatening.
New legislation came into force in December 2014 called the Food Information (Wales) Regulations, which places a responsibility on food businesses to inform customers if any of the 14 prescribed allergens below are used within a dish.
- Celery
- Cereals containing gluten
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lupin
- Milk
- Molluscs
- Mustard
- Nuts
- Peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Soya
- Sulphur dioxide
Please Note: There are other food allergens that people may suffer from and care must also be taken to cater for their needs if they make the business aware of such an allergy.
These 14 allergens must be clearly listed in an obvious place such as a menu, chalkboard or information pack.
Should such information not be on display, the business must indicate how such information can be obtained e.g.
‘Please speak to our staff about the ingredients in your meal, when making your order'
Resources
The Food Standards Agency has developed various resources to assist businesses to comply with the regulations varying from posters, leaflets, recipe cards as well as free online allergen training.