Over half of Dutch restaurants don't report allergens correctly

Over half of Dutch restaurants (52 percent) do not adequately inform customers about the allergens in their food. Allergen information is often missing from menus, or staff don’t know about it, AD reports based on research by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.

Restaurants and other places that serve food, like supermarkets and ice cream parlors, are obliged to communicate clearly to their customers what allergens the food contains. This may be done in writing and orally. The information must always be given directly to the consumer before they make the purchase and must also be available electronically.

The NVWA found various issues at the studied restaurants. At over 30 percent, the company did not provide any allergen information. In apporximately 16 percent, the staff provided information verbally, but it was not available anywhere in writing. Another 12 percent lacked clear information, requiring customers to ask the staff about the allergens.

“About half a million Dutch people have a food allergy. They can become seriously ill and, in the worst case, even die from eating gluten, nuts, or shellfish, for example. Even if it is only a very small quantity,” the NVWA said. The rules around reporting allergens are there to ensure that everyone can eat out safely.

Erna Botjes, chairman of the Food Allergy patient organziation, is not surprised about the new figures. “Many restaurants should be ashamed. You should also have somewhere to eat if you are on a special diet. You can organize your business accordingly, but you have to train it. The legislation and regulations must also be better known.”

“People with allergies have to be realistic: they cannot go everywhere,” Botjes said to AD. Things often go well at large chains like McDonald’s, she said. “It’s even on the placemats there. But you can’t go to a cafe with constantly changing chefs,” she said. “You can’t expect everyone to be aware of everything.”