Some professional kitchens are still struggling to manage their allergen information – and there is now the risk of a £5000 fine for not complying with the new laws.
FoodTrade – a social enterprise developed to help small food businesses trade together efficiently – has come up with a solution: an online service which not only makes it quick and easy to be compliant, but also pushes allergen information to consumer websites thereby helping increase exposure and footfall.
Small or large, chain or independent, restaurants, cafes, caterers can all use the service – free.
Already award-winning
FoodTrade listened to feedback from over 100 chefs in creating the tablet-friendly allergen information tool www.foodtrade.menu – and their passion for detail has paid off: it’s already award-winning, and the only allergen tool recommended by the Institute of Food Safety Integrity and Protection (TiFSIP)!
Benefits of being computerised
The tool will feel familiar to food businesses that use the FSA’s paper allergen chart, but has all the benefits of being computerised – the ability to save, update, print, search, organise, and share menus to social media and restaurant discovery sites.
Chefs can also note allergens beyond the 14 required allergens, such as mushrooms or tomatoes, and can highlight organic and locally sourced ingredients.
Open data
The menu information contributed by chefs and managers on www.foodtrade.menu will be available as ‘open data’ so, for example, restaurant listing sites like OpenTable can show an up-to-date menu complete with all dietary information: from allergens to provenance and sustainability!
The fact that it’s open-data means it can be used by businesses, organisations, and policy makers.
The FoodTrade team is currently developing features for Environmental Health Officers so that inspections can be quicker and easier – and hopefully less frequent.
For more information click here
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