Many people who visit fast-food restaurants must review supplementary details to determine if the desired fare has potentially dangerous allergens. Just as quick-service restaurant workers must follow best practices to protect customers from foodborne illnesses, their employers have to understand and abide by allergen labeling requirements. What are some actionable ways to provide the necessary clarity?
Understand Location-Based Variations
A tricky reality is countries differ in the number of official allergens regulators note. While the United Kingdom has a 14 allergens list, there are only nine in the United States. That variation emphasizes the importance of fast-food restaurants following country- or region-specific requirements, particularly if they operate in multiple nations or plan to soon.
Additionally, the U.K. has free-from labels, which designate a consumable as not having certain ingredients. People with relevant allergies or intolerances view these as guarantees they can safely eat the products. So, any fast-food business that cannot wholly prevent cross-contamination must not use these labels on their menus.
The European Union requires listing allergens in one of two ways, depending on the food’s presentation. If it comes in a package with an ingredient list, the information must highlight the allergens by showing them in a different font size, type or background color. Those visible differences help the allergens stand out, even if someone glances over the content.
However, many items do not have accompanying ingredient lists, such as on restaurant menu boards. In those cases, the required format is to use the word “contains” followed by the allergen name. The declaration format differs in the United States, where restaurants must mention the food source of a major allergen and the fish species or tree nut type, if applicable.
Since both the number of allergens a fast-food restaurant must legally declare and the methods for providing that information vary by location, it is crucial that the responsible parties stay abreast of the applicable requirements and always verify rather than assuming they are doing everything correctly.
Stay Abreast of Periodic Changes
A nation’s regulators may add to the official allergens list, so the fast-food industry must remain aware of new or pending updates to keep their menu labels clear. Although the UK has a 14 allergens list now, that might not be the case forever because of changes in the number of people with food allergies. Approximately 50 percent of adults now have them when they did not as children.
One recent example concerns how the United States began recognizing sesame as a major food allergen on January 1, 2023. However, the decision had unintended consequences due to how some food brands responded to the requirement to disclose it as an ingredient. Since sesame seeds are tiny, cross-contamination is difficult to protect against, particularly if a fast-food restaurant has some menu items with sesame seeds but lists others as free from them.
In such cases, some food manufacturers began adding sesame products to foods that did not contain them before U.S. regulators made the allergen addition. Executives decided doing so is faster and less expensive than having their facilities certified as sesame-free. Wendy’s and Chick-fil-A are examples of well-known fast-food chains that took that approach. However, critics assert that the restaurants have done this to avoid complying with the spirit and intention of the allergen labeling requirements.
Moreover, the purposeful addition of an official allergen introduces more limitations regarding what affected consumers can eat, possibly making some of their favorite menu items unsafe. That outcome could encourage some of them to switch to restaurants that better serve their dietary needs.
Train Staff Accordingly
Fast-food workers are essential for ensuring restaurants uphold allergen labeling. Some customers will not look at the menu labels immediately. Instead, they walk or drive up to order and ask the employee, “Is this menu item okay to eat if I’m sensitive to this ingredient?”
Many people are becoming more interested in what their foods contain, even if their primary concerns span beyond official allergens. For example, researchers determined a red dye used in consumable items could worsen inflammatory bowel conditions. Additionally, a common recommendation for anyone unsure whether they can eat a specific item is to ask the restaurant staff.
However, the answer may not be as straightforward as it first seems because of the cooking processes associated with some items. Consider an example where something gets marinated in buttermilk but does not contain it.
That case illustrates why fast-food workers should ideally have readily available information for reference when answering customers’ questions. An even better option is to give it to those parties to read themselves. Then, there is no risk of a team member misreading or misunderstanding the content.
Many fast-food restaurants partner with delivery companies such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, expanding their potential reach. In those cases, people can write special requests for their orders before submitting them. That is why those fulfilling them must receive training to look at and double-check the information every time.
A person who orders an item in person can say something like, “Just wanted to make sure you held the cheese on my burger as I’d asked,” before accepting it and leaving the restaurant. However, that is more difficult for someone who places an online order.
Be Proactive About Allergen Labeling Requirements
Consumers without food sensitivities may never notice the menu details alerting them to allergens, but those with them will seek that information first. In addition to following the above tips, it is important to accommodate people with additional needs. For example, McDonald’s has picture and braille menus. Such supplementary content must also have allergen labels. This is an example of how compliance means more than becoming familiar with a 14 allergen list or mentioning those ingredients appropriately.
The more proactive restaurant executives can be about allergen labeling, the less likely those brands will get undesirable media attention after customers have allergic reactions. Paying attention to this crucial matter also has a larger effect because it shows consumers they can trust the places they choose to eat.
Emily Newton is the Editor-in-Chief of Revolutionized Magazine. She has over five years experience writing for the food and beverage industry.
