MANCHESTER, UK. June 25th, 2026 – New audit insights are highlighting an emerging ‘allergy awareness blind spot’ in UK hospitality, where gaps between allergen processes and day-to-day service delivery are increasing the risk for consumers, according to Safe to Trade.
The findings form part of the latest Safe to Trade Data insights, which found that despite allergen management not ranking among the most frequent operational failures, it remains one of the most critical. Since January 2023, Safe to Trade audits have recorded 765 allergen-related non-conformances, equating to an average of 19 per month.
The data suggests that risk most often arises where allergen processes are not applied consistently in practice, particularly under service pressure. Failures are rarely driven by deliberate non-compliance, and instead reflect gaps in training, inconsistent procedures and the challenges of maintaining accuracy in fast-paced environments.
Audit findings highlight recurring issues with allergen information, including information missing, incomplete or not regularly reviewed, an increase in poor signposting to customers in the last six months, lack of specificity (such as the type of nut or gluten-containing ingredient) and cases where information provided to customers is inaccurate.
In the most serious cases, allergens have been present in food but not declared at all, creating an immediate and potentially life-threatening risk. Cross-contamination risks also remain, driven by shared equipment, inadequate cleaning and poor separation of allergen and non-allergen foods.
With an estimated 2.4 million adults in the UK living with a clinically confirmed food allergy, confidence in allergen information is a growing factor in where people choose to eat.
The findings also point to wider operational challenges, including reliance on manual processes and inconsistent training, particularly during busy service periods where pressure increases the risk of error.
While allergen management is clearly defined in legislation, it is not directly reflected in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, creating a potential gap in how risk is prioritised across the sector. Safe to Trade was developed in part to address this, with allergen management forming a core part of its audit framework.
The insight reinforces the need for allergen management to be embedded into everyday operations through clear processes, regular training and ongoing verification.
Alec Kyriakides, Independent Food Safety Consultant and Chair of the Safe to Trade Technical Standards Committee, said: “The data shows that allergen management is not the most frequent area of non-conformance, but it is consistently one of the most critical in terms of potential consumer impact. The recurring issues centre around the availability, accuracy and specificity of allergen information, alongside the control of cross-contamination.
In many cases, allergen categories are identified, but the specific allergen is not, which creates a significant gap in the information being provided to consumers. These findings underline the importance of precision, consistency and regular review.”
For more information, visit the Safe to Trade website at safetotrade.com.
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