Food allergies and intolerances

We’ve pulled together some useful information to help you find the right foods for your diet, but it’s important to seek advice from your GP if you think you have an allergy or intolerance

Glass of milk and milk being poured from a jug into a glass

What is a food allergy?

A food allergy is a reaction to food that involves the immune system. Allergic reactions usually happen quite quickly, but reactions can occasionally be delayed. The most common allergies in the UK are to cows’ milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts and tree nuts.

What is a food intolerance?
Food intolerances are adverse reactions to food that, unlike allergies, don’t involve the immune system. The most common food intolerance in the UK is lactose intolerance. Food intolerances are rarely life-threatening but can have a big impact on your day-to-day life. Want to know more? Check out Allergy UK.

What about coeliac disease?

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the body reacts to gluten from your diet. When gluten is eaten, the body mistakenly attacks the digestive system, making it difficult to absorb nutrients. Coeliac disease affects about 1 in 100 people in the UK, and can only be confirmed by medical diagnosis. It is usually a lifelong condition, but can be managed by following a gluten-free diet.

If you think you may be intolerant to gluten, you should consult your GP before making any changes to your diet.

How can we help?

Whether you’re following a gluten-free diet or simply cutting down on dairy, we’ve got plenty of choice in our Foodhall so you don’t have to miss out on your favourites. Look for the logos on our packaging for information about allergies, and check out our Made Without Wheat page to see what’s new.

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Our allergy labelling

To make it easy for you, we provide clear allergy and ingredient labelling on all our food and drink. We label the following allergens on the packaging when present:

Milk
Gluten
Fish
Molluscs
Crustaceans
Eggs
Celery
Mustard
Soya
Sulphites
Lupin
Sesame
Peanuts
Nuts

If our products contain any of the above allergens, they will be marked in bold on the ingredients list, making them easy to spot at a glance.  

As well as this, we avoid using unnecessary allergens in our products. However, where there is a real risk for contamination with allergens, you’ll see the following statement printed on the packaging in blue:  “Not suitable for those with X allergy due to manufacturing methods.”

To ensure we only provide the most accurate and up-to-date information for our customers, we do not provide product lists for specific allergens.  The most up-to-date allergen information can be found on the product packaging.  Always check the ingredients list before you buy a product to help identify whether or not it’s suitable for your diet. 

Our Plant Kitchen range of products are prepared to a vegan recipe only. As a number of these products are produced in sites handling milk and egg, they may include this precautionary milk and egg allergen labelling statement on the packaging: “Prepared to a vegan recipe. Not suitable for those with an egg or milk allergy because these allergens are present in the environment.” 

A product prepared to a vegan recipe is not the same as a Made Without product, meaning they may not be suitable for people with milk or egg allergies. 

More about Plant Kitchen

More about Made Without

Cafés, deli counters and bars

Since October 2021, all pre-packed food and drink in our hospitality outlets and in-store bakery now displays a full ingredient list on the packaging, with allergenic ingredients highlighted in bold. This comes with the introduction of Natasha’s law, a new food labelling legislation created after teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse suffered a fatal allergic reaction to an ingredient not declared on the packaging.

The new labelling requirements means our customers can dine with us in confidence and be confident that our pre-packed products are labelled clearly with allergen information. Be sure to ask our staff if you need any further details, and they’ll be happy to help.

Labelling for peanut and nut allergies

Did you know that around 1 in 50 children in the UK have a peanut allergy? Being allergic to peanuts does not automatically mean you’ll be allergic to other types of nuts, but it’s not uncommon to have more than one nut allergy. Allergic reactions can range from mild (e.g. rash on skin, swelling of lips) to more severe (e.g. difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis).

Although we know customers can be allergic to individual types of nuts, different nuts can share the same facilities for storage, transportation and sorting. Therefore, where there is a real risk for contamination with nuts or peanuts, we will use an additional precautionary statement on our products. Products that are not suitable for nut or peanut allergy sufferers will carry our blue nut logo and the statement: “Not suitable for nut or peanut allergy sufferers.”

Gluten-free

Our gluten-free food all carries our gluten-free logo. Find it on our specially developed Made Without Wheat range, as well as lots of other products across the Foodhall.

Labelling for nut allergies

Foods that are not suitable for people with nut or peanut allergies will carry our blue nut logo and the statement: ‘Not suitable for nut allergy’.

Allergy update

Occasionally we may have to change our recipes to improve quality and flavour. This can be done in a number of ways including changing ingredients or, on rare occasions, we may change the location of where the food is made. We make customers aware by using the ‘allergy update’ logo on the front of the pack.