OWEN’S LAW
This is a campaign to save the lives of allergy sufferers dining out in restaurants so they have the same protection that people taking away pre-packaged food have thanks to Natasha’s Law.
Building on Natasha’s Law
It is hoped that the Government can be persuaded to change the law. To do this Owen’s family want to build on Natasha’s Law, which dealt with the ingredients and allergy listings on pre-packaged takeaway food.
Natasha’s Law showed that the UK’s allergen laws were flawed and outdated, and needed reform, but it left an uneven situation where people taking away pre-packaged food have more protection than those eating in restaurants.
Owen’s family want to persuade the industry, the Foods Standards Agency and the Government that to make such changes is of little cost, but immeasurable benefit to those whose lives are blighted by allergies and anaphylaxis.
Owen’s family want to see a change in the law that compels restaurants to state the allergens in their dishes, specifically on the face of the main menu.
This simple change would eliminate the risk that exists at the point of order when a server does not fully understand, or is not trained enough to process, or simply ignores the customer’s concerns about allergens in each dish.
Protecting & saving lives of allergy sufferers in restaurants
Ever since 2017 Owen Carey’s family has been at the heart of a campaign to protect and save the lives of allergy sufferers dining out in restaurants by raising awareness of food allergies and pushing for stricter regulations in the foodservice industry.
In Owen’s memory his family are calling for a change in the law surrounding how allergy information is displayed and given in restaurants in the UK. They hope that a simple change in labelling and staff training will prevent any future needless deaths of people with food allergies.
Why are we supporting Owen’s Law?
Because we love hospitality as much as you do and always want to do good. Our software and services already help allergy sufferers to stay healthy. Yet we are continually improving our software for you, to help you to comply with any new laws, food standards or regulations as they come in. This is in addition to helping you to improve your performance, cut food waste and to become more sustainable.
Why the campaign started
Owen Carey had severe food allergies and tragically died, collapsing from a massive anaphylactic reaction after consuming a marinated chicken burger at a restaurant, despite informing the staff of his allergies.
His family’s campaign for improved food allergen awareness and labelling in the foodservice industry has been coined as “Owen’s Law” to prevent similar incidents.
Read the latest news. Following a successful petition, Owen’s Law was debated in Parliament in May 2023. Read Hansard.
What impact will this have on your restaurants?
Proposed changes in the restaurant industry aim to improve allergy safety and awareness. These changes include displaying standardised symbols representing major allergens on menus, along with a detailed allergy matrix and ingredient lists.
Restaurant staff, especially in high-turnover environments, should undergo comprehensive allergy and first aid training. Large chains could provide a computerised food database or smartphone app for quicker allergy information access.
An industry standard “Allergen ID” with QR codes could help servers identify allergies. Regulations should mandate proactive allergy discussions between staff and customers. Duty Managers must oversee this process. Research into allergies and anaphylaxis deaths is also advocated for. Read more about the proposed changes.
“We wholeheartedly support Owen’sLaw and are already preparing our software to help our hospitality clients to clearly identify and to communicate allergens on their menus and ingredients.”
Show your support
Anaphylaxis UK provide advice and support to Owen’s family and everyone else in the UK with severe allergies and anaphylaxis. Make a donation to Owen’s fund on the Anaphylaxis UK website.
Money raised will help towards education and understanding of life-threatening allergies and associated disorders. As well as to protect the health of people who suffer severe allergic reactions by providing help and information to them, their families and friends and to promote research into the cause and care of severe allergic conditions and to publish the results.
Source for information on this page is Owens’ Law UK.
How can IndiCater help with menu compliance?
Track allergens and changes from supplier to recipe
Providing an accurate flow of up-to-date information from your suppliers is essential for allergen compliance. IndiCater makes it easy.
Customise and print compliant food labels and menus
Indicater’s labelling solution is fully customisable, allowing you to re-order, re-size, show and hide a multitude of options to make your labels stand out.
Create allergen reports with the click of a button
Easily create an up-to-date allergen report of your recipes and menus with a single button click.
Want to know more?
Contact us to speak to a representative or to book a demonstration.