The recent inquest into the death of a girl who developed a fatal allergic reaction after eating a Pret A Manger sandwich that was contaminated with sesame seeds has rightfully placed the issue of allergen labelling at the centre of public debate.
However, it has also underlined the need for cafes, restaurants and other food providers to have suitable public liability insurance in place to provide protection in the event of an allergy-related death.
Of course, the foremost consideration in all this is to have clear and correct labelling – the serious and tragic consequences that can arise as a result of any failures in this regard are too important a matter to ever be secondary – but business owners do have public liability insurance responsibilities in this regard that must not be overlooked.
The food and drink industry is one in which the benefits of public liability insurance are obvious, but it is also worth remembering that cover will not hold if a provider has negligently failed to adhere to labelling or food hygiene regulations. However, if everything is followed correctly and a consumer does suffer an allergic reaction, public liability insurance will ensure protection from any consequent claim for compensation and legal costs.
Food and drink providers are obliged both by law and the terms of their public liability insurance contracts to provide labelling information about all of the following allergens:
The Food Standards Agency requires businesses to have full details of all the ingredients used in their food and drink products. Furthermore, all pre-packed food must be labelled with mandatory ingredient information, including details of any of the 14 prescribed allergens – this should be easy to read so should be in bold, capitals, larger font or font of a conspicuous colour.
Additionally, where there is any risk of cross-contamination, no matter how small, this should also be identified on the label.
More information about food allergen information requirement can be found on the Food Standards Agency’s website, here.
Tredstone can help you find a quote for a public liability insurance policy as well as a variety of other policies that are essential to the food and hospitality sector.