Near-Miss Reporting for Allergen Safety
Why Near Miss Reporting Matters
In 2022, Caroline Benjamin collaborated with Jacqui McPeake JACS Allergen Management to form Hospitality Allergen Support UK (HASUK), with a shared mission to campaign for the introduction of near miss reporting across the hospitality sector. While near miss toolboxes are well established in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and aviation, they are often overlooked in hospitality, despite their potential to be a powerful learning tool that could help prevent further deaths from allergen reactions.
The importance of near miss reporting was highlighted during the inquest into the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse. It was revealed that Pret a Manger had been contacted multiple times by individuals who identified risks within their labelling, whether face-to-face on site, via customer services, or online. At the time, Pret lacked the tools to capture and act on these warnings. Today, however, they review every issue and report received, and work collaboratively with other high-street brands — guided by the principle that food safety is not a competition, but a shared responsibility built on prevention.
“A near miss today may be tomorrow’s tragedy — let’s act now.”
We are proud to have partnered with JACS Allergen Management to raise awareness of Near Miss Reporting across the hospitality sector. Our shared goal is to build a no-blame, learning culture where allergen near misses are captured, analysed, and used to prevent serious incidents in the future.
What is a Near Miss?
An undesired event which, under slightly different circumstances, could have caused harm — but didn’t. Research shows that for every ~90 near misses, one accident may occur.
Who are Food Hypersensitive (FHS) Customers?
People with food allergies, intolerances, or coeliac disease — including conditions beyond the top 14 allergens.
Why focus on Near Misses?
Because many small lapses go unreported. Capturing them helps us detect patterns, strengthen systems, and protect FHS customers from serious harmhave
The Campaign Background
Origins & Partners
The campaign is a joint initiative between Food Allergy Aware and JACS Allergen Management (Jacqui McPeake). Working together with Greenwich University student Sofija Putak, two surveys were designed and analysed to capture real-world data on near misses from both hospitality businesses and FHS customers.
The collaboration aimed to deliver best practice, training, reporting tools, and a cultural shift in how allergen near misses are addressed in the hospitality sector.
Campaign Aims
- Embed Near Miss Reporting as Business-as-Usual
Every hospitality outlet should treat near misses as an essential part of their food safety system. - Influence Regulatory & Industry Practice
- Encourage the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) to include a near-miss reporting template in Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB).
- Equip Local Authorities and EHOs with consistent guidance.
- Urge audit and software providers to integrate near miss modules.
- Promote a No-Blame, Learning Culture
Encourage organisations to see near misses as learning opportunities, not as failures. - Provide Tools & Training
Offer webinars, podcasts, root-cause analysis training, and practical reporting templates.
How You Can Get Involved
- Businesses / Hospitality Operators
Start embedding near miss reporting procedures, train your teams, and share best practices. - Software / Auditing Providers
Add near miss reporting modules to your systems and audits. - Individuals / FHS Customers
Share your experiences, feedback, or stories of near misses to help shape safer practices.
The Food Allergy Reaction Report Platform
allows both food hypersensitive individuals and food business operators to anonymously share near miss events or actual allergy incidents, without assigning blame or naming venues so that others can learn from these experiences. The reports feed into a centralised, anonymised database designed to spot trends, recurring risks, and gaps in allergen management, enabling preventative action across the industry. While the platform itself does not investigate every individual case, it can alert relevant venues or Local Authorities when patterns or serious hazards emerge, always keeping the reporter’s anonymity intact. By encouraging an open, no‑blame culture of sharing, the aim is to reduce repeat incidents and help businesses strengthen their allergen management safety processes.
Surveys & The Report
Two surveys provided the foundation for this campaign:
- Hospitality Sector Survey – exploring how businesses currently handle (or fail to handle) near misses.
- FHS Customer Survey – capturing experiences of people with allergies or intolerances in real dining settings.
The findings are compiled in the Near Miss Report, which highlights:
- The urgent need to embed near miss reporting in hospitality.
- Opportunities to update SFBB & industry guidance.
- Ways for software and auditing providers to build near miss reporting into everyday practice.
How You Can Get Involved
- Businesses / Hospitality Operators
Start embedding near miss reporting procedures, train your teams, and share best practices. - Software / Auditing Providers
Add near miss reporting modules to your systems and audits. - Individuals / FHS Customers
Share your experiences, feedback, or stories of near misses to help shape safer practices.
Resources
- Near-miss reporting template
- Root cause analysis materials FSA https://rcatraining.food.gov.uk/#home
- Webinar / podcast archive
- HABC Aug 2025
- HABC 2021 – PPDS & Emerging allergen controls
We are proud to support the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF), a charity established in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse to help create a world where no one suffers or dies from food allergies. NARF has endorsed our Allergy Aware Induction Training, recognising it as a valuable tool for educating hospitality teams on the importance of allergen management from day one. You can find out more and access the training here: Allergy Aware Induction Training
Interested in supporting the Near Miss Campaign
If you would like to find out more email Caroline – Consultancy@fatc.co.uk