by
Louise Vickers
|
21
Dec 2021
Are you a food business? If your business deals in food you must:
· make sure food is safe to eat
· make sure you don’t add, remove or treat food in a way that makes it harmful to eat
· make sure the food is the same quality that you say it is
· make sure you don’t mislead people by the way food is labelled, advertised or marketed
· keep records on where you got food from and show this information on demand - known as ‘traceability’(PDF, 90KB)
· withdraw unsafe food and complete an incident report
· tell people why food has been withdrawn or recalled, for example by using a leaflet or poster
· display your food hygiene rating (if you sell food direct to the public)
and providing guidance to consumers with food hypersensitivity which includes food allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease.
In the UK, food businesses must inform you under food law (Opens in a new window) if they use any of the 14 allergens as ingredients in the food and drink they provide. This list has been identified by food law as the most potent and prevalent allergens.
The 14 allergens are: celery, cereals containing gluten (such as barley and oats), crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobsters), eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs (such as mussels and oysters), mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites (at a concentration of more than ten parts per million) and tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts).
‘Natasha’s Law’ introduced to protect allergy sufferers and give them confidence in the food they buy.
Millions of allergy sufferers across the country will be protected by a new law laid in Parliament today, requiring food businesses to include full ingredients labelling on pre-packed for direct sale foods.
Following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette, the government confirmed stronger laws would be implemented to protect those with allergies and give them greater confidence in the food they buy.
Currently, food prepared on the premises in which it is sold is not required to display allergen information on the label, meaning allergy sufferers sometimes lack confidence buying food to eat whilst they are out.
(source Gov.uk08.12.21)
What businesses need to know about the changes to allergen labelling for pre packed for direct sale (PPDS) food, also known as Natasha's Law.
This introduction is to help you check if your business is affected by the changes to allergen labelling requirements, also known as Natasha's Law, and what to do next to comply with the law.
From 1 October 2021, the requirements for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food labelling changed in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. This labelling helps protect your consumers by providing potentially life-saving allergen information on the packaging.
Any business that produces PPDS food is required to label it with the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within the list.
Businesses need to check if their products require PPDS labelling and what they need to do to comply with the law.
(source FSA 2021)
read more https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/introduction-to-allergen-labelling-changes-ppds
Business owners MUST ensure continual refresher training to ensure all food handlers keep refreshed with current guidelines and skills.
It is also vital that those new to a job or industry have training in line with their job role.
We have been working with the Birmingham NHS community trust to provide all food handlers with a legally accredited qualification at level 2 in food safety.
It is vital that everyone is trained to an adequate level to ensure the public& everyone in the workplace is kept safe.
Read more regarding new laws and regulation click read more https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/introduction-to-allergen-labelling-changes-ppds
We are excited to announce our new accredited food allergens training course that incorporates up to date guidelines keeping you and your customers safe
For further information click here
(Sources FSA.gov Dec2021)
