Allergen Labeling Obligations for Food Handlers

Allergens are among the things a food worker has to get right every time. A wrong answer is not a paperwork slip: for an allergic customer it can be life-threatening.

The 14 allergen groups

EU food information rules list fourteen allergen groups: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soy, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin and molluscs.

Prepacked food

On prepacked food, allergens are emphasised in the ingredient list, for example in bold, capitals or a background colour. A missing allergen declaration on a package is a hazard, and the business's own-check has to deal with it.

Food without packaging

For food that is not prepacked, such as restaurant dishes, buffets and counter items, information about allergenic ingredients is mandatory. It may be given in writing or orally, provided that this possibility is clearly stated near the foods. A menu marking, a sheet at the counter or a trained staff member who answers correctly can all work.

The key word is correctly. A guess like "probably not" is not an answer. Anyone who plates, portions or answers customer questions about a dish needs accurate information about it.

Cross-contact is a different problem

Knowing the ingredients covers only part of the risk. Cross-contact of allergens, for example fish protein transferred to tomatoes cut on the same board, can be life-threatening to allergic customers.

The rule for equipment: tools or containers that have held an allergenic food must not be used for other food unless they have been cleaned and checked at least for visible traces of the allergen. Storage matters too. Products that commonly cause allergies, and gluten-containing raw materials, must be stored well labelled and protected, for example in closed packages. Even storing gluten-free and ordinary bread close together can cause contamination.

Everyone in the chain

It is a common mistake to treat allergens as the head chef's job. The person a customer asks is usually not the person who wrote the recipe. Everyone between the kitchen and the customer's hands needs to know the answer or know where to find it.

Keeping information current

A recipe change, a new supplier or a new seasonal dish can add an allergen. Allergen information has to be updated whenever the food changes, not only when the menu was first written.

On the test

Allergen and cross-contact statements appear in the hygiene passport test. The free lesson on hazards and perishable food covers the allergen groups, and the free quiz lets you check yourself.