The Allergens Challenge

Of UK hospitality workers, 68% feel that they require more information about allergens and almost a quarter don’t feel confident advising customers with allergies. Whilst amongst consumers, 89% believe staff need to be made more aware of allergies, with two-thirds of them believing the issue was a matter of life or death.

These are alarming stats, as food allergies and allergens have been one of the most pressing concerns that hospitality operators have faced, with the fallout from bad practice leading to fatal consequences in some high-profile cases. In the UK, it is estimated that there are two million people living with a diagnosed food allergy, which equates to roughly 1-2% of the national population.

We have worked together with industry leaders to tackle the allergens challenge. We initiated the campaign behind this report to bring the sector together and to establish a series of best practices to guide operators in tackling the allergens challenge. We conducted research into the subject, looking at how hospitality workers, consumers and business leaders felt about allergens. The findings, which form the basis of this report, were alarming and it was clear that a big change is necessary. Download the report to explore more about food allergies and how you as an operator can tackle this challenge.