Allergens and intolerances

If you or any of your guests have any of the following allergies, intolerances or dietary requirements:

• cereals containing gluten
  
• milk
  
• eggs
  
• fish
  
• crustaceans
  
• molluscs
  
• mustard
  
• soya
  
• sulphites
  
• lupin
  
• nuts
  
• peanuts
  
• celery
  
• sesame
  

You must tell us when ordering the catering for your event. If you are an internal University customer, you can do this by emailing catering@bath.ac.uk.

If you are an external customer, we will send you a form to complete.

If there is an allergy to something not listed, make sure you specify this when emailing or completing the form.

A full list of the known allergens in every dish available in our Food Direct catering is available online.

Dietary requirements

We can provide a large variety of food for events that can be enjoyed by the following dietary groups:

• Vegetarian
  
• Vegan
  
• Halal
  

NGCI foods

We use the term No Gluten Containing Ingredients (NGCI) to advertise food which has been made without the presence of gluten as an ingredient.

How we handle food allergies and intolerances

We follow strict allergen control procedures across all our service areas when catering for people with known allergies. We are committed to providing clear and accurate information to enable all our customers to make an informed choice.

We can only act on the information provided, so giving us clear accurate information is essential for us to provide safe food.

Food allergens and intolerances are treated the same and managed by our robust systems:

• We can cater outside of the 14 major UK food allergens if required
• All food outlets have individual allergy risk assessments, which enables us to provide Precautionary Allergy Labelling (PAL) in addition to the presence of known allergies
  
• The risk assessments also enable us to identify when there is an unpreventable risk of cross contamination. We inform customers of cross-contamination risks using specific signage for each area
• Our chefs follow strict production controls and use allergy specifications for every dish we serve. If our staff are not present at an event, QR codes are displayed to point customers to the allergy information online
• We offer enhanced food safety and allergy training for our teams. Staff who have completed enhanced training can be identified by wearing our blue allergy badge.
• We have significant experience of supporting many customers with complex food allergies on a daily basis
• We can offer you bespoke menu choices based on allergy needs

When your order is delivered

Keep the food away from any heat sources and consume it within two hours.

Identifying allergens and special diet requests

We label any allergens that are not listed online or are a substitution. The allergen information on the label supersedes the allergy information online. We also indicate which dietary requirement the food is suitable for (vegetarian, vegan, halal).

Food that has been requested for someone with an allergy intolerance/ will be put out separately from the main order, so it is easy to identify.

We ask you to be mindful of what you order if any of your guests have a serious allergy, please avoid ordering any food which contains that allergen to ensure no cross contamination occurs after we deliver the order. Please do get in touch if unsure: catering@bath.ac.uk

We only provide pre-packaged food when we have been notified of an allergy or intolerance. This food will be easily identifiable as it will be separately located and labelled. As most events are unmanned it is essential that this food or signage is not moved once in place.

Pre-packaged food

There will be products we deliver that are in the original packaging from the manufacturer, those will have all allergens and ingredients listed on their packaging.

Cross contamination from one type of food to another can occur as customers choose and eat from the food platters provided. Once uncovered, the chance of cross contamination increases and customers should make an informed decision on what to eat based on their own judgement and the labels displayed.

Event attendees should not add any other food to the event. Strict procedures are in place in relation to production, storage and service of food and adding other food items can cause an uncontrolled risk of cross contamination.

Eating in our campus food outlets if you have an allergy or intolerance

If you are visiting the University for an event and have a food allergy or intolerance, you must inform the outlet supervisor or manager before being served any food. 

This gives us full oversight of the meal service process and prevents accidental exposure.

While we maintain strict internal allergen control measures, we cannot control:

• Food brought into outlets by members of the public
• Their personal handwashing or hygiene practices

Although outlets undergo routine daily cleaning, high touch points (e.g., door handles, self-service areas) may still pose a residual cross contamination risk. 

Cross contamination

All hospitality outlets are fully risk assessed. For some equipment such as coffee machines and panini grills, it is not practicably possible to eliminate the risk of allergen cross contamination. These areas are clearly signposted at the point of ordering or service, so customers can make an informed decision.