Caterers managing declared allergies
Match each product’s current ingredient and allergen information to the requirements attendees have declared. If you open the packs for a buffet, make sure staff can still identify what is being served.
Who needs to make this choice?
Organisers arranging a gluten-free option
A gluten-free label answers a narrower question than whether a snack meets someone’s milk-, sesame- or soya-avoidance requirements. Check those requirements separately before placing a shared snack on the table.
Planners serving different dietary preferences
A plain rice cake may suit some vegan and gluten-free requests, depending on its current label. Assess coated snacks separately and identify each option clearly, rather than presenting the whole selection as broadly free from allergens.
What should you check before ordering?
Start with the allergens or dietary requirements attendees have named, then check the exact products and decide how their information will remain available during service.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Specific allergens | Check the gluten-free claim, ingredient allergens and each precautionary statement separately. Tesco Groceries lists milk, sesame and soya in the may-contain statement for its Free From Wholegrain Rice Cakes; Kallo lists the same allergens for its Organic Lightly Salted cakes. | Is gluten the only allergen I need to account for, or does an attendee also need to avoid milk, sesame, soya or something else? |
| Product format | Compare plain and coated varieties by their own labels. Marks & Spencer lists wholegrain brown rice and salt for its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes, while its Milk Chocolate Mini Rice Cakes list dried whole milk and soya lecithin. | I need to know whether a sweet snack can sit alongside the allergen-managed option without being mistaken for it. |
| Service information | Read the delivered pack before service and retain its ingredient and allergen details if cakes are decanted. Food Standards Agency guidance on non-prepacked food addresses providing mandatory information about 14 regulated allergens. | Once the packets are opened, can attendees and staff still identify the allergens in each bowl or tray? |
Which catering mistakes should you avoid?
-
Reading “gluten free” as “free from every allergen”
A gluten-free rice cake can still contain another allergen or carry a precautionary warning. Tesco Groceries and Kallo both list milk, sesame and soya in warnings for the plain products described here.
Record requirements by specific allergen, then compare them with the ingredient list and may-contain statement on each current pack.
-
Discarding the packet after filling buffet bowls
Without the packet or an accurate record, staff may struggle to identify the allergens in the exact cakes being served. Food Standards Agency guidance for non-prepacked food addresses how businesses provide mandatory information about 14 regulated allergens.
Keep the relevant pack or an accurate record accessible throughout service, and make clear which information belongs to each bowl.
-
Treating coated cakes like plain ones
Marks & Spencer’s Milk Chocolate Mini Rice Cakes list milk and soya lecithin. Kallo’s Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes list milk and soya and carry a may-contain warning for nuts and sesame.
Check coated products independently and identify them separately from any option selected for a specific allergen requirement.
Which product ranges illustrate the differences?
These examples show why the name of a range cannot replace a check of the individual product and delivered pack.
Tesco Free From
Tesco Groceries labels its Free From Wholegrain Rice Cakes wheat and gluten free.
- The listed ingredient is wholegrain brown rice.
- The product page says the cakes may contain sesame seeds, soya and milk. Tesco advises reading the pack label rather than relying solely on its website.
Kallo
Kallo describes its Organic Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes as gluten free and vegan-friendly.
- The plain product is described as made with organic wholegrain brown rice and sea salt.
- Kallo says it may contain milk, sesame and soya. Its milk-chocolate rice cakes have a different ingredient and allergen profile.
M&S Food
Marks & Spencer lists its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes as vegan and gluten free.
- The listed ingredients for that plain product are wholegrain brown rice and salt.
- M&S Milk Chocolate Mini Rice Cakes list milk and soya lecithin. Marks & Spencer advises checking the pack because product information can change.
Joybuy rice-cake options
This plain Kallo option is relevant when a conference needs a gluten-free rice cake and the attendee’s requirements permit the allergens named in its current precautionary statement.
No image available
Kallo Organic Lightly Salted Rice Cakes 130g
Consider this plain option for a gluten-free conference snack where its allergen statement fits the attendees’ requirements. Kallo describes the cakes as gluten free and vegan-friendly, made with organic wholegrain brown rice and sea salt. Kallo also states that they may contain milk, sesame and soya; check the delivered pack before serving.
Conference catering questions
Are all gluten-free rice cakes suitable for attendees with food allergies?
No. A gluten-free claim does not address every other allergen. Tesco Groceries says its Free From Wholegrain Rice Cakes may contain sesame seeds, soya and milk; Kallo gives a may-contain warning for milk, sesame and soya on its Organic Lightly Salted cakes. Check the current pack against each attendee’s declared requirements.
Can chocolate rice cakes serve as a general free-from snack?
Do not treat them as a general free-from option. Marks & Spencer’s Milk Chocolate Mini Rice Cakes list dried whole milk and soya lecithin; Kallo’s Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes list milk and soya and may contain nuts and sesame. Offer a coated product only where its current label fits the requirements of the people it is intended for, and identify it separately.
What happens to allergen information when rice cakes are served loose?
Keep accurate allergen information associated with the cakes being served and available to attendees and staff. Food Standards Agency guidance on non-prepacked food addresses the provision of mandatory information about 14 regulated allergens; retaining the pack or an accurate product-specific record helps staff answer questions about a buffet bowl.
Is an online product listing enough to plan the final buffet labels?
Use the listing to plan, then check the delivered pack before finalising the information used at service. Tesco Groceries and Marks & Spencer advise reading product labels rather than relying solely on their websites because ingredients and allergen information may change.