Whilst around one in five people has some level of food sensitivity in the UK, for two per cent of adults, their food allergy is potentially life threatening. Checking ingredients is mandatory for people on restrictive diets, already cautious of processed foods. Although sufferers aren’t deterred from eating out, a survey conducted by Buyagift.com showed that 55 per cent check online menus before going out.
Considering that 30 per cent of those surveyed suffer with coeliac disease (diagnosable by blood tests), 36 per cent with lactose intolerance (trickier to diagnose), 14 per cent with egg allergies and a further 12 per cent allergic to peanuts: knowing what goes into your food is vital.
Subsequently, in 2014 a legislation was introduced requiring restaurants to provide allergy information in the form of an FIR food intolerance report, which reports on the 14 EU listed allergens.
The guide created by Buyagift.com shows, at-a-glance, allergen-related information covering 24 brand restaurants, four independent gems worthy of honourable mention and over 2,800 individual restaurants across the UK: helping you make informed decisions about where and what to eat.
View the interactive restaurant guide.