Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department is taking to require Food Business Operators to provide written information on allergens for non-pre-packed food at the point of ordering, in line with the Food Standards Agency guidance of 5 March 2025.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) published best practice guidance on 5 March 2025 to help food businesses provide written allergen information at the point of ordering. This includes information on menus, printed materials or digital platforms, supported where appropriate by a verbal conversation. The guidance is intended to support clearer, more consistent communication of allergen information to consumers.

At present, this guidance is non‑statutory, and no mandatory requirement for written allergen information has been introduced. The FSA is however, monitoring how the guidance is being adopted by food businesses and providing the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with regular updates.

A robust evaluation has begun this year which will assess uptake and effectiveness. This evidence will help determine whether further measures, including legislation to require written allergen information at the point of ordering, are needed once the guidance has had time to embed.