New regulations that come into effect from October 1 2021 will impact on retailers who prepare food on the premises for sale which is pre-packed for customers.
This includes sandwiches that are made at the store and packaged for display in a refrigerator but not deli type sandwiches we are made under the direction of the customer.
From October 1 2021 pre-packaged foods will be required to display allergen information on the pack.
What’s included?
- Sandwiches packaged by the food business and sold or offered from the same premises.
- Fast food which is wrapped or packaged before a customer selects or orders it.
- Bakery products which are packaged before a customer selects them.
- Supermarket products which are produced and packaged in store, such as pizzas, rotisserie chicken, pre-weighed and packed cheese and meats and baked products.
- Free samples of cakes if they are packaged at the premises.
- Food packaged and sold by the same business at a market stall.
- Burgers and sausages packaged by a butcher on premises for sale.
To be included the food must be prepared on site and placed into sealed packaging in which it is sold to the customer.
The labelling must detail all of the 14 main allergens (see list on the page) that the product contains and the name of the product. Failure to display this information on the packaging can lead of an unlimited fine.
What Should a label look like?
The food standards agency gives the following example:
An example of how to list allergens on your productIngredients: Water, Carrots, Onions, Red Lentils (4.5%) Potatoes, Cauliflower, Leeks,Peas, Cornflour, Wheat flour, Salt, Cream, Yeast Extract, Concentrated Tomato Paste, Garlic, Whey (Milk), Sugar, Celery Seed, Sunflower Oil, Herbs and Spice, White Pepper, Parsley
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The 14 main allergens
- celery
- cereals containing gluten – including wheat (such as spelt and Khorasan), rye, barley and oats
- crustaceans – such as prawns, crabs and lobsters
- eggs
- fish
- lupin
- milk
- molluscs – such as mussels and oysters
- mustard
- tree nuts – including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts
- peanuts
- sesame seeds
- soybeans
- sulphur dioxide and sulphites (if they are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million)
Links to further advice
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-labelling-for-prepacked-for-direct-sale-food
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-labelling-for-food-manufacturers
FSA Food Allergen Labelling And Information Requirements
Action Plan
- Identify any products that you sell that are made on the premises and are affected by these regulations
- Identify the ingredients in each and the allergens contained.
- Draft labels and decide how they will be produced.
- Train staff on labelling requirements in order to operate the system and advise customers.
- Ensure all stock on shelf on October 1 is labelled.
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