drinkstuff.com now selling Allergy Food Labels to cater for new Allergens Law

On Saturday 13th December a new EU rule is to be enforced, requiring publicans to display allergen information on all food and drink. Customers who ask must be informed regarding any menu item which may contain traces of fourteen different allergens.

At drinkstuff we currently sell allergy and gluten free food picks, but will now also offer allergy food labels to cater for this new law.

The fourteen allergenic ingredients covered by the new legislation are: eggs, fish, lupin, milk, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soya, nuts, gluten, celery, sulphur dioxide, crustaceans and molluscs.

New Allergen Alert label displaying all 14 allergens

Example of one of our new allergen labels

Example of one of our new allergen labels

Failure to provide the correct information on food and drink items could cause licensees to face unlimited fines; although due to the late publication of guidance from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) those who aren’t completely allergen savvy by 13th December are expected to be subject to light-touch enforcement.

Solicitor at licensing firm Poppleston Allen, Natasha Beck, said: “One of our team has had discussions about these changes with two local authorities and both have indicated that they will take a very different approach.

“One is saying that it will enforce this rigorously as soon as it comes into effect and the other is saying that it will work with the traders to ensure the regulations and give them assistance before taking enforcement action.”

Make sure you contact Trading Standards to be informed of what is required of you, and purchase your new allergy labels today to be compliant with the new regulations.