Legal action in Scotland

News has recently broken that a 24 year old woman in Scotland is directly suing a restaurant following an anaphylactic shock having eaten peanut laced hummus, a dish which is traditionally peanut free and which the menu did not state it contained.

In light of this case as well as the recent focus on peanut allergies, such as nut bans on aeroplanes, Scottish MPs are calling for a change to the legislation to ensure restaurants alert customers to allergenic ingredients.  To read more about this case please click here.

What will happen in either regard will be interesting to follow but this case brings an interesting discussion point to the issue of providing allergen information.

As the law stands, there is no legal requirement to anticipate a customers allergy(ies), only that allergen information should be made available either written or verbally.

Whatever the outcome, what is clear though is that communication is critically important, at all stages of the food journey.

  • Are the restaurant staff asking whether a customer has any allergies or intolerances?
  • Is there clear information available for the customer to make an informed choice?
  • Is the customer alerting staff to the fact that they have an allergy or specific food requirements?

We will post updates on the story when we have them.

 

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