§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what obligations(a) companies, (b) organisations and (c) individuals providing catering facilities have to warn customers who may be allergic to 260W peanuts of their presence in food that they provide; and if he will make a statement; [3234]
(2) what obligations manufacturers of food products containing peanuts have, in addition to listing the products' ingredients, with regard to warning sufferers from peanut-related allergic reactions of the presence of peanuts; and if he will make a statement. [3233]
§ Mrs. BrowningAll food offered for sale must meet the food safety requirements of the Food Safety Act 1990. There is no specific rule requiring caterers to indicate the presence of peanuts in their foodstuffs. However, many establishments are now aware that some consumers suffer reactions to peanuts and indicate their presence, or absence, in the food that they sell. This is either by a motif or by using the word peanut in the name of the food. Manufacturers of prepacked food have taken similar steps on product labels. There is a legal obligation that such information should not mislead the purchaser.