Industry organisations
Here is a helpful list of industry organisations which are within and/or relevant to the hospitality and food service industry. These are only for reference and information. We are neither endorsed by, or endorse, the organisations unless otherwise stated.
The Allergy Team
Training for schools, businesses, families and healthcare.
The Allergy Team was founded to help families living with food allergies to thrive. From the moment parents and carers suspect their child has an allergy and seek help, we are there to offer support and a welcoming community. One mum described discovering The Allergy Team as “life-changing”.
Our aim is to work with allergy specialists and healthcare professionals by providing follow-on support for families once they have left a GP appointment or allergy clinic.
Our resources have all been signed off by clinicians and will answer some of the practical questions that parents and carers have about living with food allergies, leaving you more time for appointments and to address clinical need.
Allergy UK – Report a food allergy
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is testing a reporting tool which will allow you to anonymously report a reaction or a ‘near miss’ that you, or someone you care for, has had due to a food allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease.
A near miss is an instance where food or drink containing an ingredient that you are sensitive to was almost consumed – but you realised the ingredient was present before consuming it (please see below examples of ‘near-miss’ scenarios).
We would encourage you to contribute to this tool which will help to improve the FSA’s understanding of how consumers experience food allergic, intolerance and coeliac reactions. The data collected will help inform future development work in this area.
We would advise that you prioritise medical care first, and then report reactions or near misses as soon as possible after the incident takes place. However, we understand there may be a delay due to recovery from the reaction.
www.allergyuk.org/news/report-a-food-allergy-intolerance-or-coeliac-reaction/
And it has
“And it Has” is the Allergy and Ingredient App that helps independent and chain businesses reach customers with restrictive diets. Celebrate your menu and share your allergen, ingredient and nutritional information with potential customers looking for safe places to eat.
Did you know 14 allergen groups are recognised, but some people are still allergic to things outside these groups?
Some people are only allergic to certain things within a group.
Identifying allergen groups is not enough. Provide full ingredient lists with “And it Has” to avoid problems.
Join “And it Has” to make eating-out for food conscious customers, easier, safer and a far more enjoyable experience!
Control Catering
Control Catering is the total allergen solution for Caterers. Helping caterers create recipes, incorporate them into bespoke menus, automatically manage and identify allergens, count calories, train staff, control kitchen costs and profit.
Automatically import food data from catering suppliers and track suppliers’ invoices and pricing changes.
Provide essential & legal information to staff and customers. Identifies allergens automatically from recipe to menu.
Adjust recipes for customer lifestyle preferences. Identify and avoiding risk of cross-contamination
Equal Eats
Simplify dietary restrictions at restaurants with Equal Eats. You can dine. You can travel. You can enjoy food, everywhere!
By providing solutions and tools, we help people living with dietary restrictions communicate with the food-service industry effectively, accurately, and conveniently.
We specialise in providing accurate, effective, and trusted translation cards for food allergy, coeliac disease, intolerance, and special diets.
We’ve got you covered. Paper or plastic options.
Erudus
Erudus started out as one foodservice company’s efficient alternative to endless telephone calls between suppliers, and nutritional information scribbled on sheets of paper. It wasn’t until 2014, when the EU passed critical legislation on food labelling, that we were formed as an official company to ease the pressures on the wider food industry.
Food has now become a marker of identity, and as such, pressures on the food industry are high. The shop shelf or restaurant menu is a minefield for those with potentially deadly allergies, specific dietary requirements or concerns around their environmental footprint.
Our vision is of an industry united around the sharing of accurate food data. Data that is stored and shared on Erudus.
Our mission is helping those in the food industry adapt to ever-evolving challenges and requirements by providing them with clear, accurate and easy-to-access data and cutting-edge tools to support them in running their business.
Food Standards Agency
Downloadable allergen icons and posters.
Food businesses must tell consumers if they use any of the 14 regulated allergens in the food they provide.
If you sell non-prepacked or loose foods, such as a meal in a restaurant or loose brownies you can choose how to provide this information, however best practice is to have allergen information available for the consumer in writing. This works best when it is supported by a conversation with the consumer.
www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/download-your-allergen-icons-and-posters
Free From food awards
The Free From food awards are the UK’s ONLY awards dedicated to food and drink that is free from one or more of the top 14 major allergens.
First launched in 2008, the awards are now highly anticipated events in the Free From calendar, celebrating the very best in Free From food and drink. And whilst everyone loves a medal, the FFFAs are so much more than this. They are recognised for supporting, promoting and actively encouraging both existing and new product development.
We celebrate the very best in Free From and our eye-catching logo assures that a product has been rigorously taste tested and has clear, compliant labelling. Food and drinks that win our awards are benchmarks in the category, and small producers and supermarkets compete on a level playing field for one of our coveted awards.
Ingredifind
Dining should be simple: a moment of connection, joy, and discovery. But over time, the experience became fragmented, burdened by outdated processes and guesswork. Restaurants, despite their best efforts, were left with tools that didn’t match their ambition, and diners faced unnecessary friction. We saw an opportunity to reimagine this experience, and set a new standard. We named it Ingredifind, because every great dining moment begins with understanding the ingredients.
From day one, we’ve obsessed over the details, collaborating with restaurateurs, nutritionists, and diners to design a platform is intuitive, elegant, and transformative. Ingredifind empowers restaurants to present their menus with clarity and style, helping guests feel confident in their choices. It isn’t just a tool. It’s a way to elevate the dining experience.
Today, Ingredifind is helping restaurants across the UK create dining moments as thoughtful as the dishes they serve. Dining is more than just food. It’s about people, stories, and moments shared at the table. Ingredifind is bringing that connection back.
Kitt Medical
As seen on Dragons Den, Adrenaline Pen kits for schools and businesses.
Our founder Zak lives with a severe nut allergy – he discovered it at the age of 5, after having traces of peanut butter on toast.
After seeing endless ‘avoidable’ deaths on the news caused by allergic reactions, Zak decided to try and tackle the problem he faced every day.
During his final year at university in 2020, he came up with a concept that could store, monitor, and provide training for emergency anaphylaxis medication in public places. Something just like a defibrillator, but for allergies.
Owen’s Law
We, Owen’s family, want to see a change in the law that compels restaurants to state the 14 major allergens prescribed by EU law in their dishes in writing at the point of ordering and without the customer having to ask. This simple change would eliminate the risk that exists at the point of order when a waiter does not fully understand, or is not trained enough to process, or simply ignores the customer’s concerns about allergens in each dish.
Now supported by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), it is hoped that the Government can be persuaded to change the law. To do this Owen’s family want to build on Natasha’s Law, which dealt with the ingredients and allergy listings on pre-packaged takeaway food. Natasha’s Law showed that the UK’s allergen laws were flawed and outdated, and needed reform, but it left an uneven situation where people taking away pre-packaged food have more protection than those eating in restaurants.
The FSA are in agreement that to make such changes are of little cost, but immeasurable benefit to those whose lives are blighted by allergies and anaphylaxis. They have updated their guidance on the area and have written to Mark Spencer, Minister of State for Food, Farming & Fisheries at DEFRA advising them to cement these changes in legislation.