Introduction

Food allergy, food intolerance or coeliac disease affects about one in 10 people.

This booklet sets out what people in the catering industry need to know about these conditions and how to serve customers who must avoid certain foods. It will help you meet your legal obligation to serve safe food.

Note to managers:

We recommend you use this resource as part of your staff training in food allergen management.

Disclaimer: This guidance is provided in good faith and outlines the general principles of good food allergen management. Safefood and the district and borough councils of Northern Ireland will not be held responsible for any adverse effects resulting from following the information in this booklet. We do not guarantee that following the advice in this publication will prevent an allergic reaction from occurring. Food businesses must comply in full with the law on the manufacture, preparation and sale of safe food. Sole responsibility for the safety of supplied food rests with the owner of the business.

Definitions

Food allergy

Food intolerance and coeliac disease

Allergenic foods

Caterer's responsibilities

Preparing allergen-free food

PPDS Resources

Allergies and intolerances

The number of people with food allergy and intolerance continues to rise throughout the world.

For example, peanut allergy -

The most common food allergy to cause fatal or near fatal reactions

prevalence has trebled since 1995

now affects almost 2% of children starting school

The rate of food allergies and intolerances in Northern Ireland.

Approximately:

2% of adults and 5%-8% of children have a food allergy

1% of adults have coeliac disease

more than 9% of adults have a food intolerance

UK and EU legislation* recognises 14 foods as being responsible for the majority of allergic and intolerance reactions in Europe. The main problem foods in Northern Ireland are cereals containing gluten, peanuts, nuts, eggs, milk, crustaceans, sesame and fish.

If you work in the food industry, particularly in catering, you need to know how you can control food allergens. This can be a matter of life or death.

^*Identifying the 14 allergens: Annex 2 to Regulation No. 1169/2011. Enforced through the Food Information Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014