Coffee Shops To Be Focus Of Trading Standards Allergy Testing
Coffee shops across the county are the focus of a trading standards campaign aimed at ensuring customers with allergies are not being put at risk or misled by being sold contaminated products.
A Derbyshire County Council trading standards team are to visit a number of independent and chain coffee shops over the next few weeks and pose as members of the public to buy hot drinks, requesting they are made with plant-based milk and are dairy milk-free.
The sample purchases will then be sent for testing to analyse if the drinks contain any traces of dairy milk.
Similar tests carried out in other areas across the country have resulted in high failure rates which has raised concern and prompted Derbyshire’s trading standards to launch its latest crackdown.
In other areas, the high failure rates are thought to have been caused by cross contamination from steamer wands, or other equipment used to make drinks.
Drinks that are supposed to be dairy milk-free but which are contaminated with dairy milk can cause a person with a dairy allergy to go into anaphylactic shock, which in the worst case could lead to death.
Retailers selling drinks containing dairy milk proteins to a person with a dairy allergy could be breaching the Food Safety Act 1990, for supplying food or drink which is unsafe or not of the `nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser’.
Penalties for these offences could be warnings or prosecution leading to a fine or in the most serious cases prison.
Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor Carol Hart said: “This work is extremely important and is part of trading standards’ ongoing commitment to Derbyshire residents to ensure that the food and drink they buy is described correctly and is safe for them to consume.
“Businesses across the county selling hot drinks could be visited at any time over the next few weeks by our trading standards team with test purchases being taken away for analysis.
“It’s vitally important that retailers selling food and drink follow all the strict guidelines to keep people safe, and extremely concerning to think of the consequences to customers with allergies if they don’t.
“In most cases we will first advise those businesses where a failed sample is recorded and look to work with them and support them to get it right, but we will re-visit to ensure strict standards are being upheld. If not, then unfortunately we may take stronger action.”
The results of the sampling programme will be released in the next few months.
Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines and advice to businesses in relation to allergens are available by going to Allergen guidance for food businesses | Food Standards Agency
Article by Derbyshire County Council
More News From Amber Valley Info
| Golf Club Captains Aim High For Safe and Sound The captains of Breadsall Priory Golf Club have chosen Derbyshire’s Safe and Sound as their charity of the year with a programme of read more | |
| Stay vigilant for ticket fraud ahead of top events and concerts this summer Action Fraud urge those planning to buy tickets or attend this summer’s events and concerts to stay vig read more | |
| Easter Eggstra Event at Crich Tramway Village An Easter Eggstra event will focus on family fun at Crich Tramway Village, near Matlock, from Friday 18th to Monday 21st April. read more | |
| Derbyshire Parents Find Out About Their Child's Infant, Primary Or Junior School Places For Sept Derbyshire County Council made offers of infant, primary and junior school places to read more | |
| Appeal as car fails to stop after collision on A38 Police are appealing for dashcam and witnesses after a car failed to stop following a collision on the A38 that left a motorcyclis read more | |
The Amber Valley Info Noticeboard
| When you need to call 999 but can't talk When you need to call 999 but can't talk - the ‘silent solution’ can help. Press 55 on your mobile when prompted, to confirm you are in read more | |
| The opening night of the Lights of Abraham Winter Lights Trail The brand new winter lights trail, the 'Lights of Abraham' opened on Friday 22nd November at the Heights of Abraham in read more | |
| Can You Help DREAM Paranormal With Their Research My name is Simon Dean, Lead Investigator of DREAM paranormal and I am looking for your help. read more | |
| Cold Callers claiming to be working on behalf of Derbyshire County Council Policehave seen and increase in reports of 'cold callers' where people are claiming to be working on behal read more | |
| Subscriptions For Amber Valley Borough Councils 2024 Garden Waste Service Are Now Open The garden waste collection service is available to all residents in Amber Valley except for r read more | |
