ADVICE FOR CATERERS ON ALLERGY AND INTOLERANCE

It is very important for all caterers to be aware about food allergy and to take it seriously. Caterers need to be aware that if someone eats a food they are allergic to even the tiniest amount, this may cause anaphylaxis.

So if someone with a food allergy asks you whether a dish contains a certain food, you should never second guess the answer. Find out the information and let them decide if they can eat the food. In theory any food could cause an allergic reaction in someone, but labelling legislation requires 12 foods always to be labelled on pre-packed foods. The 12 foods are: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, shellfish, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations of more than 10mg/kg or 10mg/litre expressed as SO2. These foods can cause severe allergic reactions.

How do you know whether a certain food is in one of your dishes? If you make a dish from scratch you will know what goes into it, but you will also need to think about each of the ingredients you use and what they contain. Consider what you use to cook the dish, to thicken a sauce, as a topping or garnish, in a salad dressing. You also need to check the ingredients of anything that is bought in ready-made. Do not rely on what you think is in these products because foods that can cause an allergic reaction can turn up in products where you might not expect them e.g. peanuts or nuts can be used in pesto, cheesecakes bases can contain nuts to make them crunchier, mustard is often used in dressings.

What can you do?

At ordering and storage

• If possible a copy of the ingredient information on labels of any ready-made foods you use
• Keep ingredients in original containers
• Check what is delivered matches what is ordered
• Check that foods delivered are the same brand you normally use. Different brands might have different ingredients
• Check with suppliers if ingredients have changed in the foods
• Store these foods separately in closed containers especially peanuts, nuts, seeds, milk powder and flour

Menu

• Ensure you mention these foods in the name of the dish or the description on the menu e.g. strawberry mousse with almond shortbread
• Update menu when recipes change
• If unrefined nut or seed oils are used in cooking or in dressings say so on the menu
• It’s a good idea to put a message on the menu, to let customers with food allergies know that they can ask staff for advice about what dishes contain

Preparation, cooking and cleaning

• If asked to prepare a meal that doesn’t contain a certain food ensure all precautions are taken to prevent even small amounts of the food that the person is allergic to from getting into their meal.
• When asked to prepare a meal that doesn’t contain a certain food, make use that it is not cooked in the same oil that was used to cook other foods
• Staff should make sure to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before they prepare the meal and avoid touching other foods until they have finished preparing it

Serving customers

• Encourage customers to ask about whether the food they are allergic to is used in the dishes they want to order
• Ensure staff understand not to guess whether an ingredient is in a dish or not, they should check with kitchen staff every time someone asks for a meal that doesn’t contain a certain food
• If staff are unsure about a particular ingredient and it can’t be checked then tell the customer they don’t know
• Don’t remove the food that someone is allergic to from a dish that has already been prepared, e.g. don’t remove a nut decoration from a gateau
• Serving staff need to be informed of recipe changes, particularly if foods that can cause severe allergic reactions are now being used in a dish
• Separate serving utensils should be used for meals that don’t contain a certain food
• For self service areas make sure you have signs saying what is in each food, salads, desserts and sandwiches