Allergen management is one of the most critical aspects of food safety in the UK. Getting it wrong can have devastating consequences — allergic reactions can be life-threatening, and businesses that fail to comply with allergen legislation face serious legal penalties.
Yet allergen training requirements are often misunderstood. Many food businesses are unsure exactly what the law requires, who needs to be trained, and how to meet their obligations. This guide sets out the current legal framework for allergen training in the UK, explains what you need to know, and shows you how to get your team compliant.
Current UK Allergen Law
Allergen management in UK food businesses is governed by two key pieces of legislation:
EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU FIC)
The EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation (retained in UK law after Brexit) requires food businesses to provide accurate allergen information to consumers. For food sold loose (not pre-packed) — which includes most restaurant, cafe, and takeaway meals — businesses must be able to tell customers which of the 14 major allergens are present in each dish.
This information can be provided verbally, but there must be a system in place to ensure it is accurate and consistent. Staff must be able to direct customers to written allergen information when asked.
Natasha’s Law (October 2021)
Natasha’s Law (the UK Food Information Amendment) came into effect on 1 October 2021, following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse from an allergic reaction to a pre-packed sandwich. The law requires that all food that is pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) — such as sandwiches, salads, and baked goods made and wrapped on the same premises where they are sold — must carry a full ingredients list with the 14 major allergens clearly emphasised.
Before Natasha’s Law, PPDS food was exempt from full labelling requirements. Now, every item in this category must have a label listing all ingredients, with allergens highlighted in bold, italics, or a different colour.
This law applies to cafes, bakeries, sandwich shops, delis, and any food business that pre-packs food for direct sale on site.
The 14 Major Allergens
Under UK law, there are 14 allergens that must be declared when present in food. Every member of staff who handles or serves food should be able to identify these:
- Celery — including celeriac, found in soups, stocks, and seasonings
- Cereals containing gluten — wheat, rye, barley, oats, and their derivatives
- Crustaceans — prawns, crab, lobster, and crayfish
- Eggs — found in cakes, mayonnaise, pasta, and many sauces
- Fish — including fish sauce, found in some Asian dishes and Worcestershire sauce
- Lupin — a legume found in some flour blends and baked goods
- Milk — including lactose, found in butter, cheese, cream, and many processed foods
- Molluscs — mussels, oysters, squid, and snails
- Mustard — including mustard powder, seeds, and oil
- Nuts — almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts
- Peanuts — a legume, separate from tree nuts
- Sesame — seeds and oil, found in bread, hummus, and Asian dishes
- Soya — found in tofu, soy sauce, and many processed foods
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites — at concentrations above 10mg/kg, found in wine, dried fruits, and some processed meats
These 14 allergens must be highlighted whenever they appear in a food product, whether on a label (for pre-packed and PPDS food) or communicated verbally or in writing (for loose food).
Who Needs Allergen Training?
The answer is straightforward: anyone who handles, prepares, or serves food needs to understand allergen management. This includes:
- Chefs and kitchen staff — responsible for preparing food and preventing cross-contamination
- Front-of-house staff — responsible for communicating allergen information to customers
- Bar staff — many drinks and bar snacks contain allergens
- Catering assistants — working in any food preparation environment
- Retail food workers — anyone labelling, packaging, or selling food products
- Managers and supervisors — responsible for ensuring systems are in place and staff are trained
- Food manufacturing operatives — allergen control is critical in food manufacturing environments
It is the food business operator’s responsibility to ensure that all staff are adequately trained. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends that allergen training forms part of every food handler’s induction and is refreshed regularly.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Failure to comply with allergen legislation can result in serious consequences:
- Improvement notices — requiring you to fix identified problems within a set timeframe
- Prohibition orders — preventing you from operating until issues are resolved
- Fines — allergen offences can result in unlimited fines in the Crown Court
- Criminal prosecution — in the most serious cases, particularly where an allergic reaction leads to injury or death, individuals can face criminal charges including manslaughter
- Damage to food hygiene rating — allergen management is assessed as part of local authority inspections
- Reputational damage — in an era of social media and online reviews, allergen incidents can permanently damage a business’s reputation
The human cost is even more significant. Allergic reactions cause approximately 10 deaths per year in the UK and thousands of hospitalisations. Proper allergen training is not just about legal compliance — it is about protecting people’s lives.
How to Comply
Meeting your allergen obligations involves three key areas: training, labelling, and communication.
Training
Every member of staff who handles or serves food should complete allergen awareness training. This ensures they understand:
- The 14 major allergens and where they are commonly found
- How to prevent allergen cross-contamination during preparation and service
- How to respond when a customer asks about allergens
- What to do in an emergency if someone has an allergic reaction
Training should be part of every new starter’s induction and refreshed regularly for existing staff.
Labelling
For pre-packed food and PPDS food, you must ensure that labels are accurate, up to date, and clearly highlight all 14 allergens present. This means:
- Maintaining accurate recipes and ingredient records
- Updating labels whenever recipes or suppliers change
- Ensuring allergens are emphasised (bold, italics, or colour) on every label
- Having a system to check labels before food goes on sale
Communication
For loose food (most restaurant and cafe meals), you need a reliable system for communicating allergen information to customers. This can be:
- A written allergen matrix or chart accessible to staff and customers
- Menu annotations highlighting allergen content
- Verbal communication from trained staff, backed by written records
- Clear signage directing customers to ask about allergens
The key is consistency. Staff must know where to find allergen information and how to communicate it accurately every time.
Our Allergen Awareness and Food Intolerances course covers all of this in detail and is included in every Chefs Bay Academy licence alongside 130+ other hospitality courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is allergen training a legal requirement in the UK?
While there is no specific legal requirement to hold an allergen awareness certificate, food businesses are legally required to provide accurate allergen information to consumers and to ensure that staff are adequately trained to do so. The Food Standards Agency strongly recommends formal allergen training for all food handlers. Having certified staff demonstrates compliance and due diligence during inspections.
How often should allergen training be refreshed?
There is no legally mandated renewal period, but best practice is to refresh allergen training at least every three years — or sooner if there are changes to legislation, your menu, or your suppliers. Many employers include allergen awareness as part of annual refresher training.
Does Natasha’s Law apply to all food businesses?
Natasha’s Law specifically applies to food that is pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) — food that is made and packed on the same premises where it is sold, before a customer selects it. This includes items like sandwiches and salads made in-house and wrapped for display. It does not change the existing requirements for loose food (which must still have allergen information available) or fully pre-packed food (which already required full ingredient labelling).
What should I do if a customer has an allergic reaction?
Call 999 immediately if someone is having a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). If the person carries an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen), help them use it if they are unable to do so themselves. Do not leave them alone. After the incident, document what happened, what food was involved, and report it to your manager and local environmental health team. This is exactly the kind of scenario that proper allergen training prepares your staff to handle.
All these courses are included in your Chefs Bay Academy licence — £29 for instant access to 130+ courses.