Allergy UK Launches New Accreditation Scheme for Caterers

05 Apr 2016 --- Allergy UK is launching the Allergy Aware Scheme, a new accreditation for catering outlets, after conducting research that found food allergy and intolerance suffers do not feel confident eating out.

Their March 2016 survey found that 87% of the food allergic community do not feel confident eating out at a restaurant they haven’t eaten at before, and 96% do not feel confident ordering a takeaway they haven’t used before.

There is also a lack of trust in the allergy knowledge of catering staff, with 75% stating this as a reason for choosing to not eat out.

Allergy UK’s CEO Carla Jones said: “The Allergy Aware Scheme provides recognition to catering outlets that not only take allergies seriously, but go above and beyond legislation to deliver an exceptional service for those with those affected.”

“We want to ensure that the 88% of food allergic and intolerant individuals we surveyed that have a lack of confidence in eating out at an unknown establishment, will be assured by the robust procedures of the scheme.

“Eating out should be an enjoyable experience for all, this scheme is about making the allergic community feel included and not isolated. With 92% of this community saying that they would feel more confident eating at an Allergy UK accredited restaurant, we hope that we can achieve this.”

To gain accreditation catering outlets will undertake an internal audit to show ‘front of house to kitchen’ allergen knowledge and practice. An Environmental Health Officer or food safety expert will then visit and complete an independent review to see if the catering outlet has achieved the standards required.

Each outlet will be required to sign an Allergy Aware Scheme Charter. The scheme is assured by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

Catering outlets will receive a window sticker to show that they have been successful in gaining the accreditation. The scheme will also help signpost those with allergies and intolerances to accredited catering outlets with a premium listing on Can I Eat There? an online restaurant and menu directory for the allergic and coeliac community. Users can search by location, cuisine or allergy rating, then filter the menu by allergen to see what they can eat.

The scheme could benefit an estimated 6.4 million individuals in the UK with a food allergy or intolerance. Food allergy is fast becoming a modern epidemic with the rate of hospital admissions for the condition rising by 72% in the last 10 years in England alone.