Food standards and hygiene

Food allergies and allergen management

Food allergy vs food intolerance

Some individuals have sensitivities to certain foods that others would find harmless. A food allergy involves the immune system and can cause a severe, potentially life-threatening reaction. Food intolerance does not involve the immune system and is generally not life-threatening. It is essential that staff understand allergen risks to protect customers.

Food Standards Scotland can provide up-to-date information on all of this and more.

Allergen management can easily be achieved in three steps.

Step 1: Identify allergens

The table below lists the most common allergens and provides examples of foods which typically contain them:

Allergen	Examples of typical foods which contain this allergen. (Please note this list is not exhaustive)
Cereals containing Gluten, for example, wheat, rye, barley, oats	Bread, pasta, cakes, pastry, sauces, soups, batter, stock cubes, breadcrumbs, semolina, couscous, some meat products.
Celery and celeriac, for example, stalks, seeds and leaves	Salads, soups, celery salt, some meat products.
Eggs	Cakes, sauces, pasta, mayonnaise, some meat products, glazed products.
Fish, Crustaceans and Molluscs, for example, all fish, prawns, lobster, crab, clams, langoustines, mussels, oysters	Some salad dressings, fish extracts, oils and paste, soy and Worcestershire sauces, relishes.
Milk	Milk powder, yoghurt, butter, cheese, cream, ghee, foods glazed with milk, ice cream.
Mustard	Mustard paste, seeds, leaves, flour, powder and liquid mustard, salad dressings, marinades, soups, sauces, curries, some meat products.
Peanuts	Arachis oil, peanut butter, flour, satay sauce, refined peanut oil.
Other nuts, for example, walnuts, cashews, pecan, Brazil, pistachio, macadamia, Queensland nuts.	In sauces, desserts, bread, crackers, ice cream, praline (hazelnut), nut butters, essences and oils, marzipan and frangipane (almond), pesto, nut salad dressings.
Sesame seeds	Oil or paste, tahini, hummus, halva, furikake, Gomashio, bread
Soya, for example, flour, tofu, bean curd, textured Soya, protein, soy sauce, edamame beans.	Some ice cream, sauces, desserts, meat products, vegetarian products.
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites	Some meat products, stock cubes, bouillon mix, fruit juice drinks, dried fruit/ vegetables, wine, beer, cider.
Lupin seeds and flour	Some types of bread and pastries.

Lists are not exhaustive - always check ingredients.

Step 2: Manage allergen risks

Deliveries and labels

check that the food matches your order. If it does not match, check the ingredients of the replacement produce. Never accept a delivery without it being accompanied by an ingredient list.
be aware of hidden ingredients, for example, nuts used in the base of a cheesecake
any foods whose ingredients are unknown to you will require further investigation to declare allergen information
look out for ‘may contain’ warnings on labels

Storage and cross-contamination

store foods that contain allergens separate from other foods. Consider using colour coded containers
store foods that contain allergens in powdered form such as milk powder in air-tight containers
do not lose the original product description following unpacking, decanting and storage
keep a record of all foods and ingredients purchased by you to ensure traceability
put in place steps to prevent cross contamination between foods that contain allergens and those foods that do not. Remember - Small traces of foods which contain allergens can get into other foods and cause a reaction.

Preparation

Know all the ingredients in the food you handle to ensure you provide accurate allergen advice to customers. Whenever preparing or serving food for an allergy sufferer, you should always:

use a separate area to prepare the food
clean and disinfect the work surface, equipment and serving utensils first
wash your hands thoroughly
check all ingredients including secondary ones, for example, thickeners for sauces
do not cook food in oil in which you have cooked other foods
do not remove allergenic ingredients such as nuts from a dish and call it allergy free as residues can remain in the dish
when displaying food in buffets or displays lay out dishes in a way that minimises the risk of cross contamination

Step 3: Communicate

Staff training

train all staff (including phone/order staff) in allergen awareness
staff must never guess allergen content
ensure communication of recipe changes to all staff who need to know

Customer communication

let customers with allergies know that you are allergy aware and give advice on which foods to avoid
where possible, design your menu so that allergenic ingredients are stated, for example “strawberry mousse with almond shortbread” or “ satay sauce made with peanuts”

Key takeaway

Effective allergen management relies on:

knowing your ingredients
controlling contamination risks
clear communication with staff and customers