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Encourage Pupils to Ask About Allergens

Update your RDS mobile app to v4.7.2 to download toolkits even when website is down.

We are pleased to advise that deep linking capability, enabling users to directly download individual mobile toolkits, has now been released on the RDS mobile app. You will see that each toolkit has a small QR code icon in the header area beside the search icon – see screenshot below. Clicking on this icon will open up a window with a full-size QR code and the alternative of a short URL for sharing with users. Instructions are provided.

You may need to actively update to the latest release - RDS app version 4.7.1 - to see this improvement.

Updating to this latest version of the RDS app is also strongly recommended to get the full benefits of the new resilience arrangements – specifically, that if the RDS website should fail, you will still be able to download new mobile app toolkits. To check your current RDS version, click on the three dots bottom right of the RDS app screen. This takes you to a “More” page where you will see the version number. To install latest updates:

On iPhones – go to the Apple store, click on your profile icon top right, scroll down to see the apps waiting to be updated and update the RDS app.

On Android phones – these can vary, but try going to the Google Play store, click on your profile icon top right, click on “Manage apps and device”, select and update the RDS app.

Please get in touch with ann.wales3@nhs.scot with any questions.

Encourage Pupils to Ask About Allergens

School allergy care

The canteen environment should allow pupils to feel confident to ask about allergens in meals. This would help relieve pupils’ anxiety and it can in turn reduce the risk of making unsuitable decisions about the food they purchase.

Catering staff should be patient with pupils asking about allergens. Allergies can be life-threatening and avoiding the allergen is part of the allergy management plan, issued by a healthcare professional.

See more in the allergy and child’s quality of life page.

Food allergies are not food preferences.

Nearly 1 in 10 young people keep their allergies hidden and 44% don’t feel confident to ask about allergen information when eating away from home.

Food Standards Scotland, 2020

Allergen Charts

All catering staff must know or be able to quickly identify which allergens are present in all meals served.

Having an allergen chart that is updated for each meal and displayed near the till will enable this.

An example can be found in the Food Standards Scotland loose foods booklet.

This is an example of an Allergen Chart from the Food Standards Agency, you can download a PDF version of this chart here.

Allergen chart from the UK Food Standards Agency