Food Standard Agency
Below you will find useful links from the Food Standards Website to help you locate the resources needed to ensure your business is allergy aware compliant.
The Food Standard Agency (FSA) was established in 2000. It is an independent government department working to protect public health and consumers’ wider interests in food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They are responsible for the systems that regulate food businesses.
There is also Food Standards Scotland (FSS) which was established in 2015 and is a Scottish Administration that works alongside the Scottish government, to create a food and drink environment in Scotland that benefits, protects and is trusted by consumers.
If you know of any other sites we have missed please email us at Marketing@fatc.co.uk.
Regulations
Food Information Regulations 1169/2011
Here is a link to the Food Information Regulations(FIR) found on the GOV.UK website.
Here is a link to the labelling guidance following the FIR being published.
Here is a link to the Food Information to Consumers (FIC) found on the GOV.UK website.
Here is a link to the Food allergen labelling and information requirements technical guidance found on the GOV.UK website.
FSA Allergen Update - Best Practice - March 2025
FSA Guidance: Allergen Information for Non-Prepacked Food
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued updated best practice guidance to help food businesses provide accurate allergen information for non-prepacked foods (e.g., meals in cafés, restaurants, delis, takeaways and also includes public sector Food Business Operations.
In March 2025, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) published updated best practice guidance for businesses providing non-prepacked food, including restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, takeaways, bakeries, delis and other catering operations. The guidance represents an important development in how businesses are encouraged to communicate allergen information. While the underlying legal requirements have not changed, the FSA’s best practice approach is for written allergen information to be easily available and supported by a conversation with the customer.
Businesses should ensure information covering all 14 regulated allergens is clear, accurate, comprehensive, accessible and kept up to date. Written information may be provided through menus, allergen matrices, booklets, labels or appropriate digital systems, but staff should understand where the information comes from and be sufficiently trained to discuss a customer’s requirements. The guidance also highlights the importance of asking customers about allergen requirements, managing ingredient and recipe changes, considering cross-contact risks, maintaining supplier information and ensuring allergen procedures are embedded within the business.
Food Allergy Aware encourages food businesses to review their current allergen management procedures against this guidance. Providing written information alone is not enough to demonstrate best practice: effective allergen management relies on the combination of accurate information, trained and confident staff, robust procedures and good communication with the customer.
Key Points:
✅ Mandatory Allergen Info: Clearly communicate the presence of any of the 14 regulated allergens in writing, supported by a conversation.
✅ Distance Selling: Provide allergen information before the order is placed and upon delivery.
✅ Staff Training: Ensure staff are trained to handle allergen queries and cross-contact risks.
✅ Regular Updates: Keep allergen information accurate and up to date.
Download the pdf version by clicking here
Full guidance and resources: FSA Allergen Guidance for Non-Prepacked Foods
The FSA Allergen Update offers Free tools to support businesses with implementation, such as allergy icons, an allergen matrix and a new allergy poster which food businesses can download and use on their own assets (e.g. menus and websites)?
This updated guidance applies to businesses operating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.?
Food Safety Management
Food business operators must ensure that food handlers must receive the appropriate supervision and training in food hygiene and safety. The FSA have guidance on managing food safety and also details your responsibilities as a food business
Here is the link about FSA’s Online food safety training.
Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) is the FSA guidance on food safety management procedures and food hygiene regulations for small businesses and caterers.
The specific Allergen SFBB insert is no longer a separate document can be accessed by downloading the SFBB for caterers.
You can find out guidance about Hygiene and Allergy Advice for takeaways and food delivery businesses here.
FSA business website hub
Food Allergy Aware recommends the Food Standards Agency’s ‘Here to Help’ business hub – a free, easy-to-use resource designed to support food businesses in maintaining high standards of hygiene and allergen management.
With customer trust and legal compliance at stake, this hub offers essential tools including:
Up-to-date allergen and hygiene guidance
Free online training
Food alert subscriptions
It’s especially valuable for small and micro-businesses looking to stay informed and compliant.
PPDS Regulations
In 2019 new regulations were agreed upon regarding allergen labelling for pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) foods. These regulations come into force on 1st October 2021. Link
Here is the PPDS Guidance from the FSA with all the details food businesses need to know regarding these new regulations.
Here is the FSA’s guidance on Allergen Information for Loose Foods published in 2017 (Updated 2023).
Here is the FSA PPDS guidance for Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) allergen labelling changes for restaurants, cafés and pubs – click here
FSA webinar on PPDS August 2021 – Click here
For sector specific guidance click on the following links:
Food Allergen Resources
Templates & Signs
FSA Training & Guidance
The FSA has published useful Allergen Guidance for Food Businesses and has a useful checklist for those businesses in regards to being up to date and compliant.
There is also guidance on Allergy Training from the FSA
With the new regulations regarding PPDS coming into force on 1st October 2021 the FSA can provide Labelling Training.
For food manufacturers the FSA have provided guidance on Allergen Labelling for Food Manufacturers.
THE FSA also has an online training ‘An Introduction to Root Cause Analysis Course‘ There are two versions one for Enforcement Officers and one for Food Businesses – If you are serious about understanding and eliminating near misses in your business this course is for you. (Currently not available due to technical issues 08/2026)
Allergens & Local Authority Q & A
This Question and Answer (Q&A) document provides local authorities (LA) with guidance on the enforcement of allergen controls in food business establishments. The focus of the document is on the catering and retail sectors, rather than manufacturing. It is not intended to be an exhaustive document, but to address some of the key questions that have been raised with the FSA.
Here are some useful links for various templates and signage for use regarding Allergens.
ALLERGEN ICONS & ALLERGY, CD AND FOOD INTOLERANCE SIGN
These allergen icon images and allergen matrices are
available to download in English format for businesses in England and NI, and in a Welsh format for businesses in Wales.
Food Allergen Resource
Chartered Trading Standards Institute
The Greater Gwent Food Group has released a new multilingual allergen resource for food businesses to access in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This resource is intended to help protect the estimated 2 million people living with a food allergy in the UK.
The allergen awareness presentation video in English, Welsh, Bengali, Cantonese, Kurdish, Mandarin, Punjabi, Turkish and Urdu.
The resources are freely available for use by all local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
FSA Allergen Checklist
You and your staff have an important role in protecting people with food allergies. How you respond matters. Speak up for allergies.
There are specific allergen labelling and information requirements food businesses must meet if they operate in the UK. This checklist provides tips on how your business can meet those requirements.
Following this checklist and using the FSA signage will help your business to provide safe meals for customers with food allergy or intolerance. It is recommended that this checklist is shared with staff and managers.
Campaigns
Benedicts Law
Benedict’s Law – Allergy Safety is a Whole-School Responsibility
From September 2026, new statutory allergy safety requirements strengthen the protection of pupils with allergies in schools in England. Often referred to as Benedict’s Law, the changes recognise that allergy safety is a whole-school responsibility – extending beyond the kitchen and catering team to senior leaders, governors, teachers, support staff, lunchtime supervisors and anyone responsible for pupils during the school day, trips and activities.
An extension is being given until January 2027 however schools need to show they are working towards this date.
Key requirements include:
- A school allergy safety policy, published, communicated and reviewed at least annually.
- Allergy awareness training for all staff. Free training is available via Allergy UK /Anaphylaxis UK and Natashas Foundation
- Identifying pupils who require an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP) and ensuring appropriate arrangements are in place.
- Appropriate arrangements for adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) and emergency response.
- Recording serious allergy incidents and near misses, learning from them and improving procedures.
- Clear responsibilities and communication between the school, pupils, parents/carers and catering provision.
Effective allergy management therefore needs to be embedded across the entire school. Catering teams continue to have responsibilities under food information legislation for providing accurate allergen information, but protecting an allergic pupil requires a joined-up approach throughout their school experience. Schools should review their policies, training, IHPs, emergency arrangements and day-to-day procedures against the new statutory guidance.
Government guidance:
Includes: downloadable Allergy Safety Policy template and Individual Healthcare Plan template,
Allergy Safety in Schools – statutory guidance and downloadable templates