New food regulations unnecessary, says Nutters’ head chef

New food regulations unnecessary, says Nutters’ head chef

Carl Tate, the head chef of Nutters Restaurant, has hit out at new laws which will require food outlets to inform customers of all allergy inducing ingredients.

Outlets will be legally required to inform customers of allergens from today (Saturday 13 December), after it was revealed 70% of people with food allergies avoid buying takeaways for fear of a reaction.

Mr Tate said: “It’s a massive change to be honest. It’s a lot more work with regards to paper work. A lot more training,” he said.

Mr Tate agreed that allergy advice is a serious issue in the food industry, but explained that the extent of the new laws could leave some customers disappointed.

“When we serve the public and they come to us with allergies we bend over backwards to try and accommodate for those people. We do get a lot of those customers. With these new laws it’s going to restrict what we’re allowed to do.”

He added: “We don’t want to be turning customers away.”

The law means it will be compulsory for every dish on a menu to have a written recipe – making it problematic for outlets willing to cook bespoke dishes based on a customer’s food requirements.

Mr Tate also said that some staff at Nutters have taken part in an allergen awareness course, but that smaller food businesses might struggle to adjust to the changes.

“I don’t think it’s as necessary as the law is written, but I do think it’s necessary for businesses to be more aware,” he said.

An average of 10 people die and 5,000 are hospitalised per year due to an adverse response to allergenic ingredients. The majority of these are caused by food consumed outside of the home.

The new regulations mean staff at restaurants and takeaways must display signs, or give verbal warning, if their foods contain any of the 14 most prevalent allergens.

Chun-Han Chan, Food Allergy Expert at the FSA, said: “Allergies can be fatal for some people and this is why it is vital that food businesses give their customers information they can trust.”

The top 14 allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, cereals containing gluten, eggs, crustaceans, molluscs, fish, soya, sesame, sulphur dioxide/sulphites, celery, mustard, and lupin.