Allergen info

ALLERGENS & ALLERGY LAW 

What is food allergy? 
 

What is the difference between food allergy, intolerance and celiac disease? 
Food allergy is a form of hypersensitivity to certain ingredients that contain allergens. The immune system of a person with food allergies reacts to those allergens. Known symptoms include itching, rash, shortness of breath, vomiting and swelling. In people with a food intolerance, the body reacts abnormally to a certain substance. The intolerance reactions are predominantly milder than with an allergic reaction. People with 'celiac disease', also known as gluten intolerance, make antibodies against their own tissues. Gluten or traces there of cause damage to the intestines. Celiac disease is a lifelong condition.

Why a special law? After all, the group of people with intolerance/allergy is small. 
Every catering guest has the right to clear information about the food he or she eats. In addition, the law can also represent an opportunity for your company. Positive experiences are often shared. Make sure that guests speak positively about your property! Moreover, when choosing a restaurant for a group of people, people with allergies are increasingly taken into account. The target group that you serve with good information is therefore much larger. 

Do I have to state my menu on all allergens? 
You are not legally obliged to state the allergens on your menu. It is enough if you let the guests know that they can ask for it. If you still want to indicate allergens in your dishes, then work with pictograms or symbols, for example. Or create some custom menus that list all dishes plus allergen information. You can hand these over to your guests with allergies or intolerances. 

Do I have to memorize all allergens? 
No that is not necessary. You do need to be reasonably aware of allergens. It is sufficient if you point out to the guest that the allergen information is available. Of course, you must be able to hand over that information clearly and in an organized manner.

Is a course, training or certificate on allergens mandatory for my employees? 
A course or training is only mandatory if you choose not to record allergen information in writing or digitally. In that case, your staff must have a certificate from 1 February 2015 as substantiation for the oral provision of information. 

Do I also need to check my drinks for allergens? 
Yes. The same applies to drinks as to foods. If a drink contains an allergen, this must be stated on the label. This also applies to drinks that do not have an ingredient declaration on the label.

Am I obliged to also report nutritional values ​​of dishes? 
New. You do not have to report nutritional values, complete ingredient lists and guidelines about cross-contamination. As of December 13, 2016, nutritional information will be mandatory. 

What about cross-contamination with manufacturers? 
Manufacturers of packaged products do not have to label cross-contamination because it is not an ingredient. Unintended presence does not need to be declared. If there is a real risk of cross-contamination, it is recommended to state this on the label (but it is not laid down in law).

Please note: more and more manufacturers are listing possible traces of allergens on the label. For example, consider 'This product is made in a factory that also processes nuts'. As a result, the declarations are taken less and less seriously. 

What about cross contamination in my restaurant? 
As with packaged products, cross-contamination is not covered by the legislation. The information that you need to record for your recipes only concerns the allergens based on the ingredients. Most people with allergies or intolerances are not sensitive to the spores that can end up in the product through cross-contamination.

 We recommend that you tell the guest that your allergen information is based on the ingredients listed. People who are seriously allergic also have a responsibility to indicate this themselves. You can then jointly determine how this will be dealt with. This way you can prepare the dish for this guest separately, with clean materials. 

Source: sligro.nl