If you’ve ever had a fear of going to a restaurant, eating a forkful of food then having your throat swell shut, your skin break out in hives and making a trip to the emergency room due to food allergies? Well, if you live in Europe this may become a thing of the past. Many restaurants in the United Kingdom have started listing possible allergens like mustard, gluten and the ever maligned nuts on their menus to inform those with food allergies to steer clear.

Key Takeaways:

• The European Union’s Information for Consumer’s Regulation specifies that 14 allergens must be disclosed to diners, verbally, or by menu.
• Restaurateurs balked at the regulation initially, hailing it as a ‘bureaucratic nightmare’ and a damper on chef creativity.
• It’s estimated upwards of 2 million UK citizens have food allergies, while approximately 600,000 have Coeliac Disease.

“A 2015 study by the Food Allergy Training Consultancy found that over a third of people with allergies thought menu information was ‘confusing’ and just 10% felt confident eating out”

Read more: http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Trends-Reports/Diners-with-allergies-now-more-confident-eating-out