The horrendous story of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who died of anaphylaxis in 2016 and whose case is all over our newspapers at the moment, is a stern reminder that while the Food Information Regulation 2014 has tightened the rules on allergen labelling within the EU, it has also created a environment where accurate information communication relies on individual front of house staff members.
Currently the legislation allows food manufactured on the premises not to be labelled with information that we all have been used to find on packaged food (ingredients, nutritional and allergen information). However, this information must be available at the point of sale to any customer asking for it. This means that front of house staff is now responsible to ensure that the correct information is given to customers. This usually has to happen in under pressure as customers in take-away commuters mode cannot wait. The option of saying "I don't know, let me check" is often received with disapproval and judgement by customers. It is key that front of house staff are given all the information and an easy way to retrieve this information so that they can be the efficient and amazing staff members that your company is priding itself on. It also highlights the critical need for training to take place in a way that front of house staff are comfortable with.
Providing clear, accurate, easy to use information is my approach to food information. It starts with listening to front of house staff - how long do they have to answer a question? how do they want the information sorted by? alphabetically, by code, by categories of products, all of the above? More importantly, do they understand this information and why it is so necessary?
I can review individual labels or create a range of labels to help with providing clear information to your staff. Please see my Label compliance page.