Duration 1-2 hours

It’s essential that food handlers in retail and catering settings have an awareness of what food hypersensitivities and allergens are, how they can affect the safety of customers, and how food handlers should communicate the correct information to those who need to know.

This online Food Allergen Awareness course will teach you how to comply with the UK’s allergen laws and help you understand which foods commonly cause reactions in food-hypersensitive customers. This course will explain how allergenic ingredients should be labelled on food products under the Food Information for Consumers (FIC) Regulation (as retained in UK law) and how to ensure customers receive accurate information about the food they consume.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance states that food businesses must make sure their staff receive training on allergens.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

By the end of this Food Allergen training course learners can:

• Explain the term ‘food hypersensitivity’ (FHS).
• Recognise the common symptoms of allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, coeliac disease and food intolerances.
• Identify the 14 food allergens which must be declared if they are used as an ingredient.
• Explain their legal responsibilities in regard to allergen labelling and declaration.
• Apply communication techniques to engage positively with the food hypersensitive customer.
• Describe how to convey accurate allergen information in food items to the customer.
• Implement procedures and practices to control allergenic cross-contamination.
• Determine how to respond in an emergency where a customer has symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.