Page 19 - Comprehensive Food Safety

31.03.2020

FOOD ALLERGENS

There are 11 common food allergens you must know about. These are sulphites, cereals
containing gluten (eg wheat), shellfish, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, soybeans, sesame seeds, tree
nuts and lupin. Food allergies can result in life-threatening reactions that affect the whole
body, often within minutes of eating the food.

Know what’s in the food
Someone who has a food allergy needs to know the exact ingredients of the food that they eat,
so you need to be aware of all ingredients used in the food, as well as what is used to cook the

food (eg oils etc) as well as sauces and garnishes served with, or added to, the food.

If you are told by a customer that they suffer from an allergy, talk to them about what food you
have that may be appropriate for them to order. If you are not confident that you can produce
food for them safely, don’t. It is better for them to buy food elsewhere than risk an allergic
reaction. If there is any doubt about whether a food contains even a small amount of an
allergen, tell the customer – never guess!

Avoid cross-contamination
Food that is sold as not containing an allergen must not be contaminated with an allergen from
surfaces, utensils and equipment that have been used to prepare other foods. Clothing and
hands must be clean before handling foods that don’t contain. Ideally, prepare food containing
different allergens in separate areas using separate equipment and utensils.

A person with Ceoliac Disease can have an allergic reaction triggered just by eating a piece of
gluten free toast that has been cooked in the same toaster used for normal bread.

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