Food businesses must provide allergen information at both stages in the ordering process for prepacked and non-prepacked food products; this includes catering services.
Food allergy charts provide a convenient and straightforward method for recording which dishes in your business contain each of the 14 allergens, making the information easily retrievable for staff who might otherwise struggle to recall this data from memory.
Symptoms
Allergy symptoms occur when an allergen (substance that triggers allergic responses) causes the immune system to mistake it for something harmful and produce antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE) against it, binding with mast cells lining the nose, throat and eyes to release chemicals which trigger swelling in blood vessels as well as other symptoms.
Food allergy symptoms typically begin within minutes to two hours after ingesting offending foods, and may range from mild to severe or even life-threatening anaphylaxis reactions.
Common symptoms may include a runny nose, watery eyes, itchy skin that becomes red or swollen after scratching, itchy lips or face or ears swelling up, itchy mouth tongue throat/mouth itching (hives), itching of mouth tongue throat (itchiing), itchy tongue or throat itching (itching), belly pain diarrhea wheezing trouble breathing (constriction or tightening of airways), difficulty speaking due to swelling/lumping throat feelings which makes speaking hard or sudden drops in blood pressure which causes dizziness/fainting effects.
As symptoms can be potentially life-threatening, it is crucial that a visit is made to a clinical immunology/allergy specialist for testing, diagnosis and treatment. Make sure you inform them what foods, medicines or other products your child may be allergic to so they can avoid these products altogether. In addition to carrying emergency allergy medicine (like injectable epinephrine), always carry emergency medical supplies on you if a situation arises that requires emergency action such as injectable epinephrine injection.
Diagnosis
Allergies occur when the immune system reacts inappropriately to otherwise innocuous substances. Common allergens include foods, pollen, fungus, house dust mites, animal epithelial materials (hair or saliva), drugs and insect venoms; their symptoms range from mild to severe reactions – in rare cases they can even prove fatal.
Diagnostic of allergies depends on a thorough medical exam that takes into account patient history, symptoms and physical examination. Doctors will pay close attention to eyes, ears, nose and throat. A skin test or blood test may also be ordered; skin tests involve placing drops of different allergens onto the skin to observe for any reaction while blood tests detect immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies directed against specific allergens.
Both skin tests and blood tests can accurately measure an individual’s sensitivity to allergens; however, just because one or the other tests show positive results does not guarantee that symptoms will occur when exposed to that allergen.
Recent advances in food allergy testing allow us to dissect an allergen into its component proteins for more precise diagnostic tests, and “component” tests provide our doctors with information on whether you may develop mild but still serious symptoms, like itchy mouth or lips or breathing difficulties and decreased blood pressure (anaphylaxis). This information helps patients decide how best to manage their allergies.
Management
Food allergies pose an immense health threat, with symptoms ranging from digestive distress and skin irritation to anaphylactic shock and death. To reduce risk, effective management practices and effective communication must be employed in order to decrease likelihood of allergic reaction.
Effective allergen display is vital to both compliance and customer satisfaction. Allergen information must be displayed consistently across packaging, menus and digital platforms in order for customers to know what they’re eating while giving businesses the chance to prioritize allergen transparency.
Training staff on allergen management is key to effective allergen control. Since allergen-related information and regulations change often, regular allergen training courses or online resources provide staff with up-to-date knowledge they need for managing allergens safely.
Allergen charts can help staff keep an accurate record of which dishes contain allergens, making it easy for customers with declared allergies to receive advice on their menu choices.
Natasha’s Law (Opens in a new window) in the UK requires all prepackaged foods sold direct for direct sale to be clearly labelled with allergen information, in accordance with EU legislation. Our technical guidance for both prepacked and non-prepacked food labelling requirements (Opens in a new window) outlines minimum guidelines that food businesses should abide by when labelling products for sale directly to consumers.
Prevention
Allergens can trigger serious allergic reactions in some people, while they may also induce nonallergic hypersensitivity (hypersensivity) reactions in other individuals. Hypersensivity symptoms typically include tingling, itching, swelling and hives – these reactions aren’t life-threatening but may still be uncomfortable and unpleasant.
Food allergies have no cure, but there are steps that can be taken to help protect against them. Early childhood exposure to various allergens, proper nutrition, keeping indoor environments clean, breastfeeding and consulting with an allergy specialist are among the strategies which may reduce the risk of allergies developing in later years.
FDA’s Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act mandates that foods and ingredients clearly display and declare major allergens easily identifiable to consumers. They should either appear within an ingredient list as its common or usual name (for instance “buttermilk”) or in parentheses immediately following or immediately preceding a list of ingredients with a “contains” statement.
Whenever a restaurant provides its food in buffet form, allergen information must be readily available at each step from ordering through to receipt. Furthermore, different requirements apply depending on whether prepacked or nonprepacked foods are purchased by customers – these are discussed further in their technical guidance document.
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