To get a PDF, choose "Save as PDF" as the printer.

1. Lesson 1. Allergens, the body and where they hide

   Food allergy is not a preference. For some customers, a trace of the wrong ingredient can close their airway within minutes. Cooking, freezing and reheating do not destroy allergens. The only protection is accurate information and careful handling, every time.

   What you will learn

   • Name the 14 allergens that must be declared, and the foods each one covers.
   • Spot allergens hidden in sauces, stocks, dressings and ready-made ingredients.
   • Explain the difference between an allergy, an intolerance and coeliac disease.
   • Recognise the signs of a severe allergic reaction.

   Key points

   • There are 14 allergens that must be declared by law.
   • Allergens hide in ready-made ingredients: check every component.
   • Cooking does not destroy allergens.
   • Treat every allergy, intolerance or coeliac request with the same care.
   • Never swap an ingredient without checking its allergens and telling the customer.

   Based on: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (retained in UK law); Food Information Regulations 2014 and the matching regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

2. Lesson 2. What the law requires in the UK

   Allergen rules are the same in principle across the UK, with each nation having its own regulations. Local authority officers (environmental health and trading standards) check that businesses follow them, and they can take action if they do not.

   What you will learn

   • Know the three types of food and the allergen rules for each.
   • Understand Natasha's Law for food prepacked for direct sale.
   • Know the rules for online and phone orders.
   • Use "may contain", "free-from" and "gluten-free" correctly.

   Key points

   • Non-prepacked food: allergen information can be written or verbal, but the FSA now expects written information plus a conversation.
   • PPDS food (Natasha's Law): name of the food and full ingredients with allergens emphasised.
   • Online and phone orders: information before the order and on delivery.
   • "May contain" is voluntary and only after a risk assessment. "Gluten-free" means 20 mg/kg or less.
   • Keep an allergen record for every dish and update it the same day anything changes.

   Based on: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (retained in UK law); Food Information Regulations 2014 and the matching regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; Natasha's Law; Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland guidance.

3. Lesson 3. Managing allergens in the kitchen

   Most allergen incidents are not caused by a lack of knowledge. They are caused by small changes nobody passed on: a new supplier, a different sauce, a quick substitution on a busy night.

   What you will learn

   • Control allergens from delivery to plate.
   • Prevent cross-contact during storage, preparation and cooking.
   • Clean so allergens are actually removed.
   • Handle recipe and supplier changes safely.

   Key points

   • Check substitute products from suppliers before you use them.
   • Store allergens sealed, labelled and away from other foods.
   • Clean with hot soapy water: disinfectant and hand gel do not remove allergens.
   • Watch shared fryers, grills, toppings and serving spoons.
   • Update the allergen record before any change reaches a customer.

   Based on: Food Information Regulations 2014 and the matching regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland guidance.

4. Lesson 4. Front of house and emergencies

   The person taking the order is often the only link between the customer and the kitchen. A clear, honest answer protects the customer. A guess can kill.

   What you will learn

   • Handle allergen requests with the Ask, Check, Tell, Confirm method.
   • Take allergen requests safely over the phone and online.
   • Know when to refuse an order.
   • Respond to anaphylaxis step by step.

   Key points

   • Use Ask, Check, Tell, Confirm for every allergen request.
   • Never guess, never rely on memory, and never pick off an allergen.
   • Write allergies on tickets, bags and boxes for phone and online orders.
   • If you cannot be sure a dish is safe, say so and do not serve it.
   • Anaphylaxis: call 999, use the auto-injector, keep them lying down, second dose after 5 minutes if no improvement.

   Based on: Food Information Regulations 2014 and the matching regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland guidance.

HygieneReady certificates confirm completion of training. They are not a regulated qualification. Definitions of the key terms are in the glossary.