How to Record an Allergen Management Video for Your Food Safety Management System

Step 1: Set the scene and context

The incidence of food allergies, food intolerances and coeliac disease has been increasing significantly over recent years, and it is predicted that within the next twenty years the prevalence of these conditions will affect even greater numbers of people. These people are our potential customers, and we have a duty of care to protect them from harm. For some customers, exposure to an allergen can cause life-threatening anaphylaxis—this is not about preference or inconvenience, it's about preventing serious injury or death.

In December 2014, the Food Information Regulations came into effect, making it a legal requirement that food businesses declare specific allergens when they are used as ingredients. The 14 foods/ingredients that cause 95% of all allergic problems across the European Union are now legally required to be declared. This applies to all meals served—not just prepacked foods, but everything prepared on site including bar snacks, drinks, complimentary items, and condiments.

Your team needs to understand that allergen management is non-negotiable. A mistake with allergens can kill a customer. Every person involved in food handling—from delivery acceptance through to service—must understand their role in preventing allergen cross-contamination and ensuring accurate information reaches customers.

Where to film this video:

This video should be filmed across multiple areas of your operation. Start in a delivery area to show checking procedures, move to storage to show separation requirements, then to the kitchen to demonstrate preparation controls, and finally to the service area to cover communication requirements. Plan your route to show the complete journey of allergen management through your business.

What to have ready:

• Your allergen matrix showing all dishes and their allergen content
• Examples of product labels showing allergen information
• Your supplier specification documents
• Dedicated containers used for decanted allergens
• Disposable aprons and single-use cloths for allergen-free preparation
• Your cleaning products (degreaser and sanitiser)
• Example order ticket showing how allergen requirements are communicated

Start your video by explaining:

"This video covers allergen management—our systems for protecting customers with food allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease from harm. I'm going to explain why this matters, walk through controls at every stage from delivery to service, show how to prepare allergen-free meals safely, and explain how to communicate with customers. Some people are so sensitive to certain allergens that even microscopic particles can trigger anaphylaxis. Getting this wrong can kill someone. Getting it right protects our customers and keeps us legally compliant."

Step 2: Plan what to record versus what to write down

Allergen management training covers controls at every stage of the food journey plus customer communication. Your team needs to understand both the science behind allergic reactions and the practical procedures to prevent them.

Best for video (on camera):

• Explaining why allergen management protects customers from serious harm
• The concept of cross-contamination and why it matters
• Walking through delivery checking procedures
• Showing correct allergen storage and separation
• Demonstrating allergen-free preparation including surface cleaning
• Explaining why shared fryer oil transfers allergens
• The critical importance of service staff communication
• What to do when customers declare allergies
• Why staff must never promise what they don't know

Best for supporting written text:

• The 14 major allergens and where they're commonly found
• Full allergen matrix for your menu
• Supplier specification requirements
• Storage positioning guidance
• Cleaning procedure for allergen preparation
• Order communication procedures
• Record keeping requirements

Example written reference to include:

The 14 Major Allergens:
1. Cereals containing gluten (wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, kamut)
2. Crustaceans (lobster, crab, prawn, shrimp, langoustine, crayfish)
3. Eggs (all types including duck, quail, goose)
4. Fish (all species, including derivatives like Worcester sauce)
5. Peanuts (also called groundnuts, includes arachis oil)
6. Tree nuts (hazelnut, brazil, almond, walnut, cashew, pecan, pistachio, macadamia)
7. Soya (including soya flour and oil)
8. Milk (all mammalian species—cow, goat, sheep, buffalo)
9. Celery (including celeriac, celery salt, celery seeds)
10. Mustard (including powder, seeds, leaves, flowers)
11. Sesame seeds (including sesame oil)
12. Sulphites/sulphur dioxide (>10mg/kg or 10ml/L)
13. Lupin (seeds and flour—cross-reactive with peanuts)
14. Molluscs (oyster, mussel, clam, squid, octopus, snail, including oyster sauce)

Allergen Control Checklist:

DELIVERY
□ Check delivered items match order (no brand substitutions without written consent)
□ Check packaging is intact (no spillages onto other products)
□ All items must have correct, intact labelling (reject if labels missing)
□ Move stock to storage carefully—prevent contamination during transfer

STORAGE
□ Store major allergens on lower shelves (prevents spillage onto other products)
□ If decanting allergens, retain ALL original information
□ Use dedicated containers for major allergens (never wash and reuse for other foods)
□ Consider storage positioning relative to other products

PREPARATION
□ Clean surfaces with degreaser FIRST, then sanitiser (removes food residues including proteins)
□ Dedicate worktop for allergen-free preparation (or robust clean temporary surface)
□ Run all equipment and utensils through dishwasher before use
□ Wear disposable apron (prevents clothing contamination)
□ Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water (alcohol gel won't remove food residues)
□ Use single-use disposable cloths
□ Dedicate waste bins and empty regularly
□ NEVER deviate from fixed recipes

SERVICE
□ All service staff must complete allergen awareness training
□ Communicate allergen requirements clearly to kitchen
□ NEVER tell customers anything you don't know for certain
□ Refer queries to manager/supervisor if unsure
□ Serve allergen-free meals separately from other meals
□ Include condiments and sundries in allergen declarations

Step 3: Core rules and requirements

Cover the essential knowledge about allergens, the law, and control measures at each stage.

Why allergen management matters:

Begin with the severity: "Food allergies can be fatal. Some people are so sensitive to peanuts or tree nuts that even dust and microscopic particles have been known to trigger anaphylaxis—a life-threatening allergic reaction where airways constrict and blood pressure drops. Some people are so sensitive to shellfish that even vapours emanating from them have been known to set off an anaphylactic reaction.

This isn't about customer preference—it's about protecting people from serious harm or death. The Food Information Regulations 2014 require us to declare the 14 major allergens in everything we serve. These 14 allergens cause 95% of all allergic problems. But remember—people can be allergic to almost any food, not just these 14. When a customer tells us they have an allergy, we must take it seriously regardless of what food is involved."

Understanding the 14 major allergens:

Explain the categories: "The 14 allergens we must declare are: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, soya, milk, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphites, lupin, and molluscs. Some of these are obvious when present—you know when you're adding prawns to a dish. Others are hidden in derivatives and manufactured products—Worcester sauce contains anchovies, many sauces contain gluten, sulphites are preservatives in wines and dried fruits.

For each dish on your menu, you must know exactly which of these 14 allergens it contains, including 'may contain' warnings for potential cross-contamination. This information is recorded in our allergen matrix."

Supplier and specification controls:

Cover purchasing controls: "Allergen management starts before food even arrives at our premises. Suppliers must have systems in place where we can get quick, accessible written information about ingredients, including 'may contain' warnings.

Suppliers must agree to inform us in writing—not verbally—when recipes or ingredients change. A supplier changing the formulation of a sauce without telling us could mean our allergen matrix becomes inaccurate overnight, potentially putting customers at risk.

If a supplier sends an alternative product to the one we ordered, they must inform us in writing with full ingredient information. Never accept a substituted product without checking its allergen content against what it's replacing."

Delivery controls:

Explain delivery checking: "For many staff, the first point of contact with allergens is at delivery. You must ensure the delivery matches what was ordered—check that brands ordered haven't been replaced with other brands without written consent.

Check that packaging is intact and no spillages have occurred onto other products. If allergen contamination has occurred during delivery—nuts spilled onto other products, for example—the whole delivery may need to be rejected. Cross-contamination with major allergens during delivery is a serious incident.

All delivery items must have correct and intact labelling. Items with missing labels must be rejected—we cannot verify allergen content without labels.

When moving delivered stock to storage, exercise diligence to prevent contamination. Don't stack nut products on top of other items where particles could fall onto products below."

Storage controls:

Cover storage requirements: "Consider where within storage areas the 14 main allergens should be stored in relation to other products. Major allergens like nuts should be stored on lower shelves to avoid risks from spillages contaminating products below.

If any of the 14 allergens are decanted into other containers, all original information must be retained. You need to know exactly what's in that container including full ingredient lists and 'may contain' information.

Containers that have held major allergens must not be washed and reused for other foods—the risk of cross-contamination is too high. Use dedicated containers for decanted allergens and dispose of them when no longer required.

If a spillage occurs with any major allergen, take extreme care. Wet cleaning is advised using disposable cloths which should be carefully discarded after a robust clean. Sweeping should be avoided—this can make small particles airborne and cross-contaminate further products."

Preparation controls:

Explain preparation procedures: "Before preparation of an allergen-free meal, consider where this will take place. Ideally, allocate a dedicated worktop for this process. If a surface cannot be dedicated permanently, then a robust clean of a temporary surface must take place.

Critically, when cleaning a surface for allergen purposes, the surface should undergo preliminary cleaning with a food-grade degreaser or hard surface cleaner first, before sanitiser. The most important issue is that food residues—including proteins, oils, fats, starches, sugars—are removed diligently. The risk comes from food residue. The disinfection stage must also take place to ensure pathogens are removed, but removing the allergenic food residue comes first.

All equipment and utensils intended for allergen-free preparation must undergo cleaning and disinfection through a well-maintained industrial dishwasher before use.

Persons preparing allergen-free food must consider their clothing—disposable aprons should be worn to avoid contamination from food residues on clothing. Staff should also consider what they may have eaten at breaks. If you ate a peanut product at lunch and then prepare a peanut-free meal, you could transfer residue.

Hands must be washed thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling allergen-free foods. Alcohol gel will not work—food residues must be physically removed from skin by soap and water.

Use single-use disposable cloths during allergen-free preparation—not cloths that may have contacted allergens elsewhere.

Consider where waste products from allergen-free preparation will go. Dedicate waste bins and ensure they're emptied regularly to prevent cross-contamination from accumulated waste.

Food preparation staff must never deviate from fixed recipes. Adding extra ingredients not in the allergen matrix means the matrix becomes inaccurate and customer information becomes wrong."

Shared fryer oil:

Explain this critical point: "Chefs must consider items cooked in the same oil as another product. For example, chips cooked in the same oil where battered fish has been fried—those chips now contain gluten. A gluten-free customer asking for chips that have been cooked in shared oil would be receiving gluten-containing chips.

This must be reflected in the menu, the recipe information, and the allergen matrix. If your chips are cooked in oil shared with battered products, those chips contain gluten and must be declared as such. To offer truly gluten-free chips, you would need a dedicated fryer."

Service controls:

Cover service requirements: "All service staff including bar staff must undergo allergen awareness training. Managers and supervisors should undergo allergen management training to ensure control measures are being maintained.

Service staff taking food orders must ensure any allergen information is communicated clearly to food preparation staff. Many mistakes have occurred at this communication stage. If a customer declares an allergy, that information must reach the kitchen accurately and completely.

Staff must never tell or promise a customer anything they don't understand properly. If you're unsure whether a dish contains an allergen, don't guess—get assistance from a manager or supervisor with the relevant knowledge.

Communication between service staff and kitchen staff is absolutely critical. It must be robust and clear at all times. It is an offence under food hygiene laws to give inaccurate or incomplete information to a customer and can lead to prosecution.

Allergen-free meals should be served separately from other meals to prevent contamination during service.

Don't forget sundry items. A gluten-free customer being served a complimentary biscuit with their coffee after their allergen-free main meal has just been given gluten. All condiments, sauces, and sundries provided to customers must have their allergen content declared."

Agency staff and outside caterers:

Cover third-party requirements: "Outside caterers must prove they have suitable and sufficient allergen control measures. They must provide risk assessments detailing all measures taken to prevent, control and mitigate allergen risks, prove their staff have undergone allergen training, and provide an allergen matrix for their offering.

Temporary and agency staff must prove they have adequate allergen knowledge and training before handling food. Don't assume agency staff know your allergen procedures—verify their training and brief them on your specific systems."

Step 4: Demonstrate or walk through

Walk through the complete allergen management process from customer order to meal service.

Taking an allergen order:

Demonstrate the service interaction: "When a customer tells you they have a food allergy, take it seriously. Ask exactly what they're allergic to—don't assume. 'I'm allergic to nuts' could mean peanuts, tree nuts, or both. Clarify specifically.

Check the allergen matrix for the dishes they're interested in. Show them where they can find allergen information. If they want a dish that contains their allergen, explain what alternatives are available.

If you're unsure about anything—whether a dish contains an allergen, whether it can be modified safely—don't guess. Tell the customer you'll check with the kitchen or a manager. Never promise something you can't guarantee."

Communicating to the kitchen:

Show the communication process: "When you have an allergen order, communicate it clearly to the kitchen. Use your order system to flag allergen requirements prominently. Say it verbally as well—'Table 12, allergy order, no peanuts.'

Make sure the kitchen has acknowledged the allergen requirement. Don't just assume they've seen it—confirm. A breakdown in communication here can be fatal for the customer."

Preparing an allergen-free meal:

Walk through preparation: "I'm going to prepare a peanut-free meal. Before I start, I'm going to clean this worktop properly.

First, I use degreaser to remove all food residues. I spray the surface, scrub it thoroughly, and wipe it clean with a disposable cloth. This removes the proteins that could cause an allergic reaction. Then I spray with sanitiser and wipe clean. This two-stage process removes allergenic food residues and disinfects.

I put on a disposable apron—I had a snack earlier and I don't know what food residues might be on my uniform.

I wash my hands thoroughly with soap and water. I scrub between my fingers, under my nails, all surfaces. This removes any food residue from my skin.

I'm using equipment and utensils that have been through the dishwasher. I've checked they're clean—no visible residues.

I follow the recipe exactly as written. I don't add any ingredients that aren't listed. If I need to substitute anything, I check the allergen content of the substitute first.

I'm using a dedicated bin for waste from this preparation. When I'm finished, I'll wash my hands again before handling anything else."

Dealing with customer queries:

Explain how to handle questions: "A customer asks: 'Does your chocolate dessert contain nuts?' You don't know for certain. What do you do?

You say: 'Let me check that for you.' You go to the allergen matrix and look up the chocolate dessert. You see it contains milk and soya, but no nuts—however, it has a 'may contain' warning for nuts.

You return to the customer and explain: 'Our chocolate dessert doesn't have nuts as an ingredient, but it does have a may contain warning for nuts, which means it's produced in an environment where nut cross-contamination is possible. Would you like me to check if we have any alternatives that don't have that warning?'

You've given accurate information and offered to help further. You haven't guessed, you haven't promised something you couldn't guarantee."

Handling substituted products:

Explain this scenario: "A supplier has sent a different brand of sauce than the one we ordered. Before we can use this sauce, we need to check its allergen content against what it's replacing.

Check the label on the new product. Compare every allergen against our allergen matrix for dishes using this sauce. If the allergen content is different—for example, the new sauce contains mustard when the original didn't—we have two choices: reject the product and get the correct one, or update our allergen matrix to reflect the change and communicate this to all staff.

Never use a substituted product without verifying its allergen content first."

Spillage response:

Walk through this procedure: "Almonds have spilled on the dry goods shelf and particles have fallen onto products below. This is a serious cross-contamination incident.

First, remove the contaminated products from the shelf. These need to be assessed—can the contamination be removed or do they need to be discarded?

Clean the area using wet cleaning methods. Use disposable cloths and discard them carefully afterwards. Do not sweep—this makes particles airborne and spreads contamination.

Check surrounding products. Nut dust is very fine and can spread beyond the obvious spillage area. When in doubt, discard.

Record the incident and the corrective actions taken."

Step 5: Common mistakes to avoid

Cover the allergen management errors that put customers at risk.

Mistake 1: Cross-contamination through shared fryer oil

"Cooking chips in the same oil as battered fish means those chips contain gluten. Cooking onion rings in the same oil as breaded prawns means those onion rings may contain crustacean residue. Shared cooking oil transfers allergens between products. Either use dedicated fryers for allergen-free cooking, or accurately declare that products cooked in shared oil may contain those allergens."

Mistake 2: Telling customers what they want to hear

"A customer asks if a dish is safe for their allergy. You think it probably is, so you say yes. But you haven't checked. If you're wrong, that customer could have an anaphylactic reaction. Never tell a customer something is safe unless you know for certain. 'Let me check' is always the right answer when you're not sure."

Mistake 3: Incomplete communication to the kitchen

"The customer said 'no nuts.' You write 'no peanuts' on the order because you assumed that's what they meant. But they're allergic to tree nuts—almonds, hazelnuts—not peanuts. The kitchen uses almond flour in the dish. The customer has an allergic reaction. Always clarify exactly what the allergy is and communicate it precisely."

Mistake 4: Deviating from fixed recipes

"You add a sprinkle of sesame seeds to garnish a dish because it looks nice. The allergen matrix says this dish is sesame-free. A customer with a sesame allergy orders it based on that information. Your garnish has now made the allergen matrix inaccurate and put that customer at risk. Never add ingredients that aren't in the recipe."

Mistake 5: Inadequate surface cleaning for allergen preparation

"You wipe the surface with sanitiser before preparing an allergen-free meal. But sanitiser doesn't remove food residues—it kills bacteria. The peanut proteins from the previous preparation are still on the surface. Always use degreaser first to remove food residues, then sanitiser. The two-stage process is essential for allergen preparation."

Mistake 6: Using alcohol gel instead of hand washing

"Your hands have been handling products containing allergens. You use alcohol gel before preparing an allergen-free meal. But alcohol gel doesn't remove food residues from skin—it just sanitises. The allergenic proteins are still on your hands. Always wash with soap and water for allergen preparation. Only soap and water physically removes the residue."

Mistake 7: Forgetting about condiments and sundries

"A customer with a gluten allergy has successfully ordered and received a gluten-free main course. You bring them a complimentary biscuit with their coffee. You've just given a coeliac a gluten-containing product. Condiments, sauces, sundries—everything that goes to the table needs allergen consideration."

Mistake 8: Accepting substituted products without checking

"The supplier sent a different brand of mayonnaise. You put it in the fridge without checking. That brand contains egg and mustard when your usual brand only contains egg. Your allergen matrix is now wrong for every dish using mayonnaise. Always check substituted products against your allergen matrix before accepting them."

Mistake 9: Reusing containers that held major allergens

"You wash a container that held almonds and use it for flour. No matter how well you wash it, there's a risk of nut residue remaining. Containers that have held major allergens should never be reused for other products. The cross-contamination risk is too high. Use dedicated containers and dispose of them when finished."

Mistake 10: Not considering personal contamination

"You ate a peanut butter sandwich at your break. Later, you prepare a peanut-free meal. Residue from your break could be on your hands, your uniform, around your mouth. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after eating anything before returning to food preparation. Wear a fresh disposable apron for allergen-free preparation."

Step 6: Key takeaways

Finish your video by reinforcing the critical points about allergen management.

"Let me recap the allergen management rules:

Why it matters: Food allergies can be fatal. Some people are so sensitive that microscopic particles or even vapours can trigger anaphylaxis. We have a legal duty to declare allergens and a moral duty to protect customers from harm.

The 14 major allergens: Cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, soya, milk, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin, and molluscs. These must be declared in everything we serve.

Supplier controls: Suppliers must provide written ingredient information, inform us in writing of recipe changes, and alert us to substituted products. Never accept substitutions without verifying allergen content.

Delivery controls: Check deliveries match orders, packaging is intact with no spillages, and all labelling is present. Reject items without labels or where cross-contamination has occurred.

Storage controls: Store major allergens on lower shelves. Retain all original information when decanting. Use dedicated containers—never wash and reuse for other products. Clean spillages with wet methods, not sweeping.

Preparation controls: Use dedicated or robustly cleaned surfaces. Clean with degreaser first, then sanitiser. Wash hands with soap and water—alcohol gel won't remove food residues. Wear disposable aprons. Use single-use cloths. Never deviate from recipes.

Shared oil: Products cooked in shared oil pick up allergens from other products cooked in that oil. Declare this accurately or use dedicated fryers.

Service controls: All staff must undergo allergen training. Communicate allergen requirements clearly to kitchen. Never tell customers anything you're not certain about—check first. Serve allergen-free meals separately. Remember condiments and sundries.

Customer queries: When asked about allergens, check the allergen matrix. Explain 'may contain' warnings. If unsure, always check rather than guess.

Record keeping: Maintain allergen matrix accurately. Record any amendments and communicate to all staff. Record any incidents and corrective actions.

The golden rule: When in doubt, don't guess. Check the allergen matrix. Ask a manager. Tell the customer you need to verify. A few extra seconds to check could save a customer's life.

Allergen management requires vigilance at every stage from supplier to service. Everyone involved must understand their role, follow procedures diligently, and never cut corners. Getting this right protects our customers from serious harm."