Gwynedd Businesses Receive Training On Allergy Information

ome of the county’s food businesses who attended the recent seminars about allergens ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Next week marks national allergy awareness week and Gwynedd Council recently held training events for a number of the county’s food businesses to learn about their legal duty to provide allergy information to customers. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Owners, managers and employees from Gwynedd food businesses had the chance to attend two seminars held by Gwynedd Council’s Food Safety Unit held in in Dolgellau and Caernarfon. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The week-long campaign arranged by the Food Standards Agency in partnership with Allergy UK, aims to raise awareness about the rights of the public to have easy access about possible allergens in the food prepared in food outlets. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Gwynedd Council Public Protection Manager, Lewis Alun Evans said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“These events were an opportunity to reaffirm the changes that were introduced in December 2014 regarding the need to provide customers with information about specific allergens, and those who attended the seminars were provided with training relating to their legal duty to provide allergy information to customers. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Businesses and establishments such as cafes, restaurants, takeaways, schools and hospitals selling meals or foods wrapped in-house have to be able to provide customers with details of any of 14 specific allergens which may be in the food they serve. We hope that events like these and the national awareness week will help to remind businesses of their responsibilities but also remind customers of their rights.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​