Best Practices for Allergen Management
Some best practices for food business to follow:
- When seating a table, it is good practice to ask if anyone has any food allergies alongside any dietary requirements. This will show that business is taking food allergy seriously. If a customer explains that they have a food allergy, listen to them carefully and if necessary, (or if it is your company policy) let them speak directly to the chef or a senior member of staff.
- Make sure all staff know where your allergen information is kept, this may be in the form of an allergen matrix, electronic device, central folder, product book etc. This is a legal requirement and it is not acceptable to say “I don’t know” when asked for information about allergens.
- If there is any doubt about whether a food is free from of a certain ingredient, admit to the customer that you are unsure but assure them that you will find out.
- Make sure that the customer’s allergy is noted clearly on their order.
- If a customer receives their meal and finds a garnish to which they are allergic, you must not just remove the garnish and return the dish to customer. Tiny traces that remain after the garnish has been removed may be enough to cause a severe reaction. A new meal without the garnish must be prepared and served.
- Ensure to serve the right dish to the right customer and double check.
- Cooking in unrefined oils, e.g., groundnut oil (peanut oil) or sesame oil may leave traces of nut protein in food.
- Any oil that has previously been used to cook products containing nuts/egg/fish etc. may contain traces of these foods so they should not be used to cook for anyone who is allergic to these foods.
- If preparing food for someone with a food allergy, be aware of transferring traces of food from one plate to another or using the same spoons etc. This could cause cross-contamination, which could put someone with a food allergy at risk of a severe reaction.
- Utensils, cutlery and work surfaces should be washed scrupulously after preparing foods containing allergens. They should even be washed thoroughly before they are put in a dishwasher if they are sticky e.g., peanut butter, mayonnaise, chocolate sauce etc.
- Separate utensils should be used for food containing allergens.
- Hand-washing is paramount, preventing cross contamination of allergens.