The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has very recently issued new best practice guidance on how to provide allergen information to your consumers. The new guidance says that written allergen information should always be available and should be supported by dialogue between your team and customers about their specific allergen requirements. In extensive engagement and consultation with the FSA, UKHospitality highlighted the need for a flexible approach that accounts for the wide variety of operating models across the hospitality sector. These calls have been reflected in the FSA’s guidance. Formally known as ‘Allergen Information for Non-Prepacked Foods Best Practice,’ the guidance is intended to support businesses to comply with regulations in the most effective ways, and meet consumer expectations by adopting good practices and enabling consumers to make informed choices about the food they eat more easily. Critically, food businesses must inform consumers if they have used any of the 14 mandated allergens as an ingredient in their food. Businesses must ensure that all mandatory food allergen information is accurate, available to, and easily accessible by the consumer. This applies to all food supplied by food businesses, including when food is offered complimentary or otherwise without charge. 14 mandated allergens 1. Celery 2. Cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats) 3. Crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobsters) 4. Eggs 5. Fish 6. Lupin 7. Milk 8. Molluscs (such as mussels and oysters) 9. Mustard 10. Peanuts 11. Sesame 12. Soybeans 13. Sulphur dioxide sulphites (if the sulphur dioxide and sulphites are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million) 14. Tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts) This list also applies to additives, processing aids and any other substances which are present in the final product.