Regulation and data
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 is the European rule on food information provided to consumers, applicable since 13 December 2014. It sets what must be said about a food and how; of what a mass caterer serves unpackaged, the only compulsory information is the allergens.
Also known asfood information to consumers regulation · FIC Regulation · Regulation 1169/2011 · Reglamento 1169/2011
How it reaches a dining hall
It applies to all foods intended for the final consumer, "including foods delivered by mass caterers" (art. 1.3), and among mass caterers it names canteens and schools (art. 2.2.d). It reaches a residence dining hall from two sides:
- What comes into the kitchen, packaged: the label carries the Annex II allergens in the list of ingredients, highlighted in a different typeface (art. 21.1). It is the first source for the dining hall's records.
- What leaves the kitchen, unpackaged: art. 44.1.a makes the allergen information compulsory, and art. 44.2 leaves each Member State to decide the means. In Spain they are set by Royal Decree 126/2015: in writing next to the dish, or orally if the information is recorded in writing or electronically on the premises.
It also says who answers for it: the operator ensures that the food information rules are met in the businesses under its control, and may not change the information in a way that misleads (art. 8). With an outsourced kitchen, it is worth the contract stating who keeps the information on each dish up to date.
Worth knowing
What people take for granted: that "may contain" covers the dining hall. That statement of possible unintentional presence is voluntary (art. 36.3.a) and does not replace the compulsory one; the practical difference is explained under traces. How all of this applies to a colegio mayor (a Spanish hall of residence with a formative programme) is in the guide to allergens in the dining hall.
Sources
Related terms
- AllergensAllergens are the substances that cause allergies or intolerances and that EU law requires to be declared: fourteen of them, from gluten to molluscs. A residence dining hall must be able to say which ones each dish contains, even when the food is served unpackaged.
- Allergen tracesAllergen traces are small amounts of an allergen that can end up in food without being part of the recipe, through a shared kitchen, utensils or fryer. Under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 a "may contain traces" statement is voluntary and does not replace the mandatory allergen information.