Understanding allergen claims in foodservice: Free-from, Gluten-free, and Vegan

Understanding allergen claims in foodservice helps you to understand what different labels and claims actually mean so that you can provide your customers with accurate information. Words like “free-from”, “gluten-free” and “vegan” can be confusing. And for customers with allergies, confusion can be risky.

A food hypersensitive customer might see “gluten-free” and assume the dish is safe for them, or see “vegan” and assume the product is free from animal-based allergens such as milk or egg. But those labels or claims don’t always mean what people think they mean.

In this post, we’ll break down what each of these terms really means in practice, what the law says, so that you clearly understand allergen claims in foodservice.

What does “free-from” mean?

Let’s talk about “free-from” claims and what they really mean. In the UK, making a “free-from” claim is voluntary, but if a food business choose to make one, it must be absolute, unless a regulatory threshold has been set. That means, the allergen must be completed absent from the product. For example; a food that is labelled as “milk-free” must not contain any milk, even in trace amounts.

It’s essential that any “free-from” claim is back up by a thorough risk assessment and there must be strict controls in place to ensure that there is no chance of cross-contamination (also referred to as cross-contact), with the allergen.

More detailed guidance on “free-from” claims is available from the Food and Drink Federation.

Gluten claims

People with coeliac disease or a gluten intolerance need to avoid gluten to protect their health. That’s why clear labelling is so important. Under the law, there are only two allowed claims or statements when it comes to gluten. They are:

• “Gluten-free” and
• “Very low gluten”

Let’s look at each one now.

What does “gluten-free” mean?

To be labelled gluten-free in the UK, a food must contain 20 parts per million (ppm) or less of gluten. That means very small trace amounts are allowed, but only if you can prove it through testing. For example; if a bakery is manufacturing gluten-free bread, they will need to demonstrate that the final product contains 20ppm or less of gluten.

What does “very low gluten” mean?

This claim can only be used for manufactured foods where the cereal ingredients have been specially processed to remove the gluten. E.g. use of codex wheat, where gluten has been removed.

The finished product must contain 100ppm or less of gluten.

Other gluten claims

Any other claims such as “low gluten” or “gluten-friendly” are not permitted.

Why gluten-free doesn’t always mean allergen-free

Here’s something that often surprises people: even if a product is labelled as “gluten-free” or “very low gluten”, the original cereal, such as wheat, may still be present and must be declared as an allergen. For example; a gluten-free product may contain codex wheat that has been treated to reduce gluten to under 20ppm. While this will likely make it safe for someone with a wheat intolerance or coeliac disease, it still contains wheat and must be declared or anyone with a wheat allergy.

This is where it becomes crucial to understand the difference. So let’s break this down even more.

A gluten-free product may be safe for someone with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, but not for someone with an allergy to a cereal containing gluten, such as a wheat or barley allergy. That’s because food allergies can be triggered by even the tiniest trace of the allergen.

For example; barley malt vinegar in a pickle may contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, potentially making it safe for someone with coeliac disease or an intolerance to barley, but it could still cause a reaction in someone with a barley allergy.

What does “vegan” mean?

Here’s something that might surprise you about vegan products: just because a food is labelled vegan, that doesn’t mean it’s free from animal-based allergens.

The term “vegan” relates to animal products, not allergens. A food labelled as vegan should not contain any ingredients from animal sources, including milk, eggs, fish or shellfish. But, may vegan products are handled in factories that handle non-vegan foods too. That means that often there can be a risk of cross-contact. Traces of milk, egg, fish, crustaceans or molluscs can still be present in a vegan product. So while a product might be fine for someone following a vegan lifestyle, it might be dangerous for someone with a food allergy.

That’s why you’ll often find “may contain” statements on vegan products.

The Vegan Society actually states, “The Vegan Society does not claim that products registered with the Vegan Trademark are suitable for people with allergies to animal products; this depends on the standards achieved by individual manufacturers.”

So the key takeaway is this: ‘Vegan’ does not mean allergen-free. Always check the label, even if the product is plant-based.

Final reminder on allergen claims in foodservice

Claims like “free-from”, “gluten-free” and “vegan” can help guide customers, but only if you and your team understand what they really mean.

Make sure your staff are trained, your allergen information is accurate, you check product labels and that you feel confident explaining the difference to customers.

Helping a food hypersensitive customer understand the menu properly can make the difference between a safe, positive experience or a serious reaction.

Need help training your team? Check out the Level 2 Food Allergen Awareness and Level 3 Food Allergen Management courses.

Want to learn more? Check out The Ultimate Allergen Management Guide for Foodservice and Hospitality Businesses.