Food Allergy

Under retained legislation, these 14 allergens must be declared when used as ingredients in a food. For pre-packed foods, they must be clearly labelled in the ingredients list on the pack.

Pupils also need to be informed of allergens present in foods made fresh on the school premises. Catering staff should be aware of the ingredients in foods and display age appropriate allergen labels above each meal option.

Following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, and calls from consumers to have more information about what is in wrapped food, all food businesses, including schools are now required to label all pre-packaged foods with its name and a list of ingredients, including allergen information where they are prepared, wrapped and sold from the same premises. Natasha’s Law came into force in October 2021, for more information and updates on Natasha’s Law, visit the Food Standards Scotland and DEFRA.

Advice for Catering Staff
All catering staff should be aware of registered pupils with allergies and trained in reducing allergen cross-contamination. Posters around the canteen to remind staff of the appropriate measures can be helpful. See more information in the Catering Staff - What is my Role?

Food allergies are nothing to cringe about

The Campaign by Food Standards Scotland, and Allergy UK, aims to empower pupils to ask about allergens present in meals. Schools can support this campaign by demonstrating care, interest and expertise when catering for pupils with allergies.

Allowing pupils to decide on their meal early before they get to the counter can reduce anxiety in busy canteens. This can be done by clearly displaying the meal options in menus on tables or screens throughout the canteen (Food Standards Scotland).  The Foods Standards Agency report on eating out preferences of those with food allergies and intolerances can be accessed here.

Food hypersensitivity is a general term that covers a range of conditions, including food allergy and food intolerance. An important difference is that food allergy involves the immune system and has the potential to cause a severe allergic reaction, which can be life-threatening. This is different to a food intolerance, which is due to the body not being able to break down a sugar molecule. While food intolerances can cause significant symptoms, they are not life-threatening. A common mistake is to use the terms interchangeably.

Both will normally require a food or group of foods to be eliminated from the diet. For example, in cases of lactose intolerance and milk allergy, both patients will avoid dairy foods.

Food allergic patients are advised to eliminate foods from their diet by a healthcare professional as part of a management plan for their allergy. Allergen avoidance is the most important preventative measure against adverse reactions and should always be taken seriously.

For more information on the differences between food allergy and intolerance, see the NHS or British Dietetic Association (BDA).

Cows’ milk allergy
Cows’ milk allergy is an immune response to milk protein. An allergic reaction to milk protein can range from mild-moderate (e.g. skin rash/ swelling of the lips) to severe symptoms – anaphylaxis (breathing difficulty and/or low blood pressure) which can be potentially fatal.

Lactose intolerance
Patients suffering from lactose intolerance are unable to digest the lactose (a sugar found in dairy foods) due to lack of the lactase enzyme in the gut.
It is not a life threatening condition, but symptoms can affect quality of life. These can include; diarrhoea, bloating or nausea.