It's easy to ask about food allergens
Whether you’re eating out or ordering in, don’t hesitate to ask a food business about food allergens and any risk of cross-contamination.
Always ask about food allergens – it’s important for your safety. A food business won’t know if you have a food allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease unless you tell them.
Food businesses want to keep you safe and understand the dangers of cross-contamination. Watch the videos below to see how easy it is to ask about allergens when you are ordering or serving food.
In the video below, Helen shares tips on staying safe when ordering food. She has a peanut allergy so always has to ask questions.
Ordering food in
When you order food online or by phone, always tell the business what your allergen needs are. That’s your responsibility. They won’t know unless you tell them.
By law the food business must provide allergen information
- When choosing the food (e.g., on any advertising or over the phone)
- And when it's delivered
The information must be given in writing during at least one of these stages.
"Free from" and "may contain" labels
- "Free from" food is optional for food businesses. Many businesses, particularly catering businesses, prefer to buy pre-made “free from” products to ensure safety.
- "May contain" labels means there is a risk of accidental allergen contamination. The allergen is not an ingredient but could be present.
Since you can’t know how accurate "may contain" labels are, it’s safest to avoid these foods. Always ask the food business if any ingredients have "may contain" warnings.
