Food Standards Agency backs call to make allergy information compulsory on menus
Owen Carey, 18, died after he told staff at a London restaurant he was allergic to dairy but was given a buttermilk-coated grilled chicken burger.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has backed calls for “Owen’s Law”, which would force restaurants to publish allergy information on their menus.
Owen Carey, 18, died from an allergic reaction after being given a buttermilk-coated grilled chicken burger despite telling staff he was allergic to dairy.
Since his death in 2017 his family has called for a new law that would mandate food outlets to put all allergy information on the face of the main menu to ensure customers have “full visibility” on what they order.
On Wednesday the FSA agreed it would like to see written allergy information made compulsory in restaurants and coffee shops, and board members said the body will write to Government ministers to discuss their ideas.
It added that conversations between staff and customers about allergies should be expected.
Professor Susan Jebb, chairwoman of the FSA, thanked the Carey family who have campaigned for Owen’s Law.
She said: “At the FSA we are committed to making lives better for the two million people who have a food allergy, food intolerance or coeliac disease.
“In today’s discussions, it was clear that the board feel that we should set an expectation that food businesses like coffee shops and restaurants provide allergen information in writing as well as having a conversation.
“The board also considers that to maximise the likelihood of this happening, written information should be a legal requirement, rather than just guidance.
“I will write to ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and contact my counterpart at Food Standards Scotland to discuss the board’s position as the board would like to see them take this forward on a four-country basis.
“Meanwhile I want us to do all we can in the FSA to provide guidance and support to business so that we can quickly start to make improvements that will be helpful for people with food hypersensitivities when they are eating out.
“I would also like to thank the Carey family for all their work in highlighting the importance of this issue since their son Owen died tragically after unwittingly eating food he was allergic to in 2017.”
The teenager, from Crowborough, East Sussex, had a fatal allergic reaction after eating the burger during his birthday celebrations with his family and girlfriend at a Byron Burger restaurant in London.
FSA board members said it will now develop guidance on how food outlets can provide written allergy information.