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People like to know what they’re eating, particularly if they suffer from allergies or are following a diet provided by a GP or nutritionist.
Without labelling, consumers may eat too many health impacting items and too few natural and healthy ingredients. If your products and menus don’t show ingredients and allergen risks you are not fulfilling nutritional labelling compliance legislation.
Nutritional information improves the consumer’s knowledge and understanding of the combined foods quality and health implications so that they can make an informed decision.
It helps when food outlets source stock responsibly and cater with health and wellbeing as a focus. Writing a label showing 3 grams of fat will always be more pleasing than a label showing 10 grams.
Nutritional information is essential
Public Health England published data in September 2016 which showed that in the 19-64 age group, only 25% of men and 28% of women achieved their “5 a day” for fruit and vegetables.
Meanwhile, saturated fatty acids were being consumed significantly above the recommended allowance, except by the over 65’s.
The British Retail Consortium and the Food and Drink Federation have issued guidance on the labelling requirements for packaged food safety.
Manufacturers can choose to use different phrases:
- May contain…
- Made on equipment that also processes…
- Made in a factory that also handles…
These phrases describe how the risk arises so they meet packaged food safety requirements, but they offer no concept of the severity of the risk and so they have been given equal standing in usage and interpretation terms.
Learn about nutritional labelling compliance
Leading industry training companies including the London firm, Food Alert, are staffed by experts and educate in line with current legislation. They offer food safety, food labelling, HSE and food management system training either online or in a classroom situation.
The cost of training to ensure that your team is operating with nutritional labelling compliance will always cost less than the ramifications of inadequate or misleading labelling.
Food Alert’s Food Allergens Awareness course looks at food labelling and meeting legislation. It complies with the Food Labelling Regulation – EC1169/2011.
The half day course provides practical information about how to label menus and products in relation to allergens and how to minimise cross contamination hazards.
Benefits:
- Understand food labels and how to avoid cross contamination in common food sales, serving and preparation situations.
- Learn more about the requirements of the Food Information Regulations 2014.
- Appreciate how to comply with legal obligations.
- Learn how allergens may lose their potency and the impact this has on labelling requirements.
Content:
- Introduction of allergens.
- Identify allergies and their causes.
- What is food allergy?
- Symptoms of allergic reactions.
- Foods that can cause allergic reactions.
- Food labelling and the Food Information Regulations 2014.
- Implementation of practical solutions to ensure compliance.
- Identify cross contamination warnings.
- Withdrawing affected food from sale.
- Notifying customers of regulated allergens.
- Actions – allergic reaction.
Empower your team and your consumers by taking training and listing nutritional information for packaged food safety and informed menu choices.
