APSE Allergens and Allergen Management roundtable survey

On 4 March 2025, the APSE Education catering Network held on online roundtable discussion alongside a representative from the Food Standards Agency, discussing approaches to allergen management in school catering. During the roundtable, attendees were asked to answer a questionnaire to gain a snapshot of the challenges and solutions for local authorities dealing with allergen management.

Key insights included:

• 12.5% of respondent’s authorities offer vouchers or payments to families with a child with allergens when the catering service is unable to offer a free school meal.
• 62.5% provided support and advice to schools regarding allergen management for hat take place outside lunchtime, such as breakfast and afterschool clubs.
• 87.5% stated they did not have a specific policy in place for children with an avoidant / restrictive food intake disorder diet and sensory disorders – however, in the comments associated with this question it is clear catering services meet with parents and the school to establish measures to support these children.

Vickie Hacking, APSE Principal Advisor, said:

“From the discussions at the roundtable and at the APSE Education Catering Network, local authority caterers are reporting that the number of children presenting with food allergies has increased and the type of allergies has become more complex.

“The tragic events surrounding the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperpouse, have served to highlight the consequences when catering for allergies is not managed effectively. Therefore, it is essential that local authority caterers have clear processes in place, that staff are well trained on these processes and there are regular reviews to ensure compliance.

“It is clear from discussions and the survey that despite the challenges, in terms of budgetary constraints, physical barriers such as the size of kitchens and other complexities associated with catering for children with special diets, the vast majority of local authority caterers are doing everything possible to ensure that the child can receive a school meal.

“The APSE Education Catering Network is a forum for local authority caters to share best practice and hear from colleagues how they are overcoming the challenges on the range of issues that the education catering sector is facing.”

You can read the full briefing here