What To Do If You Experience an Allergen Incident
Reporting an Allergen Incident
If you experience an allergen incident or near miss, it is important that it is reported correctly. Reporting helps prevent the same issue happening to someone else and supports continuous improvement across the food industry.
This page explains how to report:
- Directly to the Venue (Food Business Operator – FBO)
- To the Local Authority
- Complete the Allergen Reporting DB on this website [Link]
Report to the Venue
Report to the Local Authority
If you are well enough:
- Speak to the Duty Manager
- Ask for the incident to be recorded in their accident book or food safety diary
- Take the manager’s name
- Ask for written confirmation or a copy of the report
- If possible, keep a sample of the food
If you are dealing with a medical emergency, your health comes first. Report the issue when you are able.
When you get home:
- Contact Head Office via the website contact form or feedback page
- Ask what action has been taken
- Request written feedback on improvements made
If the business is part of a larger brand (for example McDonald’s, Costa Coffee or Hilton Hotels & Resorts), you may wish to contact both the venue and the main company.
You do not have to accept vouchers as compensation. Reassurance and corrective action are more important.
You should also report serious allergen incidents to the Local Authority where the venue is located. You can find the correct Local Authority using the postcode search on the Food Standards Agency website. Click here to access the database
The Local Authority can:
- Investigate the incident
- Review allergen procedures
- Take enforcement action if needed
If the incident is sufficiently serious to warrant notification to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Local Authority is obliged to escalate the incident report to the Incidents & Resilience Unit who will take further steps to investigate and monitor.
This would be a ’serious localised food hazard, one in which the affected food is not distributed beyond the boundaries of the Competent Authority, but involves or may involve: undeclared allergens, a serious anaphylaxis reaction requiring medical intervention as a result of allergens in food, hospitalisation, or death as a result of allergens in food…’
Primary Authorities
These are used by larger business’s when there are two or more outlets. Not every organisation has a primary authority, you can search the Government website to find out if the FBO has a Primary Authority and copy them into the contact if appropriate or if you do not hear from a local authority.
Important Reporting Guidance & Responsibility Notice
Disclaimer:
We always advise reporting an issue directly to the Food Business Operator (FBO), and/or to the Local Authority where the FBO is located.
To find the relevant Local Authority for the venue concerned, search the postcode using the database on the Food Standards Agency website. See above for link
For urgent concerns relating to reporting, please contact:
admin@Fatc.co.uk