Faced with the resurgence of food allergies, the public authorities have introduced strict regulations governing food safety in the retail sector. The fast-food sector is therefore faced with a number of obligations that must be met to guarantee customer safety. What are these obligations? And what are the best practices in terms of prevention? We take a look.
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What are food allergens?
An allergen is a food substance that triggers an allergy, a set of abnormal immune reactions occurring after ingestion of a particular food. Normally harmless to the human body, the allergen is responsible for immediate symptoms after ingestion, or even inhalation: skin rash, angioedema, allergic rhinitis, etc.
Ranked fourth among the world's chronic diseases by the World Health Organization (WHO), food allergies are on the increase, and represent a real public health challenge. In Europe, they affect 6% of children and over 3% of adults (source: Assurance Maladie).Â
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What foods can trigger a food allergy?Â
The regulation on consumer information, known as the "INCO" regulation, lists 14 allergens, food groups or substances that are the main cause of food allergies and intolerances:Â
- Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut), and products made from these cereals.
- Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, macadamias, Brazil nuts, Queensland nuts, pistachios) and nut products.
- Shellfish and shellfish products.
- Celery and celery products.
- Eggs and egg products.
- Mustard and mustard-based products.
- Fish and fish products.
- Soy and soy-based products.
- Milk and milk-based products (including lactose).
- Sulfur dioxide and sulfites in concentrations exceeding 10mg/kg or 10mg/l.
- Sesame seeds and sesame seed products.
- Lupin and lupin products.
- Peanuts and peanut products.
- Shellfish and shellfish products.
Please note: the list of identified allergens is revised regularly. The foods listed above are therefore given for information only, and do not replace the official texts.
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Legal obligations for restaurateurs concerning food allergens
The increase in food allergies and their impact on health has prompted public authorities to introduce regulations governing allergens. The INCO regulation stipulates that products containing allergens must be "brought to the attention of the consumer in written, legible and visible form"(Article R412-14).Â
In concrete terms, this means that fast-food professionals must inform consumers of the presence of allergenic substances in the products they consume.
The choice of medium is free: card, menu, printed board, website, order terminal, etc. The allergen must be written in bold, italics or underlined, so as to leave no doubt in the consumer's mind.
👉 To find out more: Regulatory standards you need to know about in the foodservice industry
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Towards tighter controls in 2024
Since January 1, 2024, the food safety mission has been entrusted to the Direction Générale de l'Alimentation (DGAl), under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty. Whereas the mission was previously shared between the DGAl and the DGCCRF, the government has decided to create a single police force responsible for food safety.
By 2024, this new scheme aims to increase the number of inspections in direct-to-consumer distribution (i.e., the sale of food products in the retail, catering and food service sectors) by 80%, for a total of 100,000 checks per year. Inspections will therefore be carried out regularly in restaurants, shops and food production or processing companies.
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Allergen prevention: 3 effective solutions for fast-food restaurants
With the growing number of customers suffering from food allergies on the one hand, and increasing controls on the other, it's urgent for fast food outlets to get up to speed with effective solutions.
1. Staff training
All team members, whether in the kitchen or the dining room, need to be aware of the risks associated with common allergens. Training organizations are available to raise staff awareness of common allergens, recognize the symptoms of an allergic reaction, and understand preventive measures.
👉 Further information: Restaurant training: what are the requirements?
2. Means of communication to inform customers about allergens
To inform your customers about the presence of allergens in your dishes, you have a variety of means of communication at your disposal:
- Allergen notice board in the dining room.
- The list of allergens on your restaurant's website.
- The list of allergens on your digital menu (QR code).
- Menus with explicit allergen symbols (bold, underlined, etc.).
- Touch-sensitive order terminals with allergens indicated for each product.
- A sign informing customers that the allergen table is available on request.
The clearer and more accessible the information, the easier it is for customers to know what they can safely eat!
👉 Further information: Mandatory restaurant signage
3. Menus adapted to food allergies
As well as providing allergen information, it's important to offer menu options that are suitable for allergy sufferers. This can include specially designed dishes without common allergens, or the option for customers to customize their order to avoid ingredients to which they are allergic.
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