Allergen risks, and how Labl.it can help mitigate them
Managing allergens isn’t just about good service, it’s a legal requirement. With around 2.4 million people in the UK living with a diagnosed food allergy, and many more with intolerances or coeliac disease, it’s essential that food businesses get this right.
Allergic reactions can be severe and even life-threatening. That’s why it’s essential for food businesses to have robust systems in place to manage allergen risks and provide safe food to customers.
Here are five common allergen-related risks and how a clear labelling system like Labl.it can help to reduce them.
1. Inaccurate allergen information
Food businesses must provide accurate allergen information to customers. This applies whether food is prepacked, non-prepacked, or prepacked for direct sale (PPDS).
But with changing menus and supplier substitutions, allergen information can quickly become out of date, especially if there’s no effective system in place for managing these changes.
How Labl.it helps:
Labl.it makes it easy to create consistent, up-to-date labels that include allergen information for each item. This helps ensure everyone in the kitchen knows exactly what’s in each product, reducing the risk of misinformation or assumptions.
2. Hidden allergens and supplier substitutions
Allergens aren’t always obvious. They can be found in all sorts of products as ingredients or even as processing aids.
Then there’s ingredient substitutions; even when the item looks the same, allergens that weren’t present before can be introduced. For example, switching mayonnaise brands could introduce egg, mustard, or sulphites that weren’t in a different brand of the same product.
How Labl.it helps:
When ingredients change, Labl.it allows teams to quickly update prep labels so everyone knows exactly what allergens are present.
3. Lack of secondary labelling
Once a product is removed from its original packaging in the kitchen, allergen information can be lost. If the item is decanted, split into smaller containers, or prepped in advance, staff still need to know which allergens are present so that this information can be passed on to customers.
How Labl.it helps:
With Labl.it, you can generate custom labels for prep items or items that have been removed from the original packaging. Whether it’s sauce in a tub, pre-sliced toppings or a spice mix decanted into a container, allergen information can be transferred across.
4. Poor communication
Many allergen incidents are caused by miscommunication. A customer request might not be passed on clearly to the kitchen. A substitute ingredient may be used without updating allergen records or informing the customer. Or someone might simply make assumptions.
How Labl.it helps:
Consistent labelling helps bridge the gap between shifts and teams. When every product is clearly labelled with allergen information, this can help front and back of house staff to work from the same information and communicate clearly.
5. Unlabelled allergenic ingredients stored together
Storing allergen-containing and allergen-free products close together, increases the risk of cross-contamination (or cross-contact), especially in the event of a spillage. Without clear labelling, it can be difficult for teams to know which products contain certain allergens and which don’t. This makes effective storage more difficult.
How Labl.it helps:
Labl.it labels help clearly identify products containing certain allergens which can help with safe storage practices. This makes it easier for teams to separate allergenic ingredients, spot potential hazards, and avoid accidental contamination.
