​The FSA Board agreed at their meeting on Wednesday 13 December that they would like to see written allergen information be mandated in the non-prepacked sector and will be writing to Ministers to discuss the Board’s view.In the meantime, the FSA will work to develop strong guidance for food businesses on how to provide written allergen information to help drive up compliance and make it easier for people with a food allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease to protect themselves when eating out.

In addition to providing written information, the Board also acknowledged that there should be an expectation for a verbal conversation to take place between customers and food business staff, to ensure an added layer of protection for consumers.

Commenting on the Board’s position, Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the FSA said:
“At the FSA we are committed to making lives better for the 2 million people who have a food allergy, food intolerance or coeliac disease. In today’s discussions, it was clear that the Board feel that we should set an expectation that food businesses like coffee shops and restaurants provide allergen information in writing as well as having a conversation.

“The Board also considers that to maximise the likelihood of this happening, written information should be a legal requirement, rather than just guidance. I will write to Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and contact my counterpart at Food Standards Scotland to discuss the Board’s position as the Board would like to see them take this forward on a four-country basis.

“Meanwhile I want us to do all we can in the FSA to provide guidance and support to business so that we can quickly start to make improvements that will be helpful for people with food hypersensitivities when they are eating out.
“I would also like to thank the Carey family for all their work in highlighting the importance of this issue since their son Owen died tragically after unwittingly eating food he was allergic to in 2017.”
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The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill moved further towards being implemented this week. The Bill is nearing the end of its journey through the House of Lords, and can be expected to come into effect around April 2024.

What is this act and what will it mean for your business?
Simply put, The Bill acts to protect employees and ensure that 100% of monies donated or offered by customers as tips, must go to staff. This could have a positive effect on hospitality staff shortages and make hospitality a more attractive sector to seek employment, as staff will be able to benefit from keeping 100% of the tips they receive from customers.

In turn, this could act to incentivise employees to ensure they are always providing a high level of customer service in attempt to gain more tips, and therefore will reflect well on the business in question and make it a more attractive place for customers to come and spend their money.

The Morning Advertiser report that this legislation will affect all hospitality businesses, and failure to comply with the measures outlined in the proposed legislation could end up resulting in expensive Employment Tribunal claims. The Bill covers all forms of digital transactions, as well as cash donations.
The implementation of The Bill is not retrospective, so will only apply to tips given on or after the date when the law comes into practice.​

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