#AllerJanuary: Encouraging food businesses to reflect, and refresh their approach to allergen management
posted 19th January 2026
January is not a month the hospitality industry looks forward to. Business is ramping back up again, teams are picking up prioroites for the new year, margins are thin, and survival often feels like the only priority.
But according to allergen expert Julian Edwards, January may be the most important month of the year for food businesses. Not for sales, but for safety.
That belief is what sparked #AllerJanuary, a national awareness campaign now entering its sixth year. Its purpose is deceptively simple: encourage food businesses to pause, reflect, and refresh their approach to allergen management once the Christmas rush is over.
Not because the law has changed.
Not because inspectors are coming.
But because complacency is one of the biggest risks in food service today.
Scroll to the end for free educational resources on how to improve safety and inclusion for customers with food hypersensitivities as part of the AllerJanuary campaign.
“We know about Natasha’s Law”… or do we?
One of the most striking insights from our conversation with Julian was how often allergen compliance is misunderstood, especially by well-intentioned operators and suppliers.
Many businesses refer to all allergen regulations as “Natasha’s Law”. On the surface, that sounds reassuring. In reality, it often signals the opposite.
“That tells me they haven’t been trained properly,” Julian explains. “Natasha’s Law is just one part of allergen legislation. If it’s become shorthand for everything, then the foundations aren’t there.”
This matters because allergen safety isn’t about memorising a single rule. It’s about systems, training, communication, and constant vigilance, particularly as menus, ingredients, and consumer expectations evolve.
The hidden allergens no one expects
Allergen risks don’t always come from obvious places. Julian shared examples that are quietly alarming in their normality.
One of the fastest-growing blind spots in recent foodservice, amongst the increased plant-based trend, is pea protein.
Widely celebrated as a sustainable, plant-based “super protein”, pea protein is now appearing in products where neither chefs nor consumers would ever expect it, including meat products. Julian is currently dealing with a case where a child was hospitalised after consuming a dish containing pea protein that the kitchen didn’t even realise was there.
Peas sit close to peanuts in the allergen family. Cross-reactivity is real. And yet, most menus say nothing.
“If it’s there, it should be on the menu labelling, even if it sounds ridiculous,” Julian says. “Vegan beef burger with pea protein. Because that information matters.”
When survival mode pushes safety down the list
Julian is realistic about the pressures facing the industry. Rising food costs, labour shortages, rent, and rates. Many businesses are simply trying to keep the doors open.
But allergen safety cannot sit at the bottom of the priority list.
“Food safety, health and safety, and allergen management all belong in the same tier,” he says. “Any one of them can end your business overnight.”
Manufacturers, buyers, and platforms all share responsibility
While caterers sit at the sharp end, Julian is clear that allergen safety is a shared ecosystem.
Manufacturers play a critical role through accurate, up-to-date data sheets, clearer “may contain” statements, and honest communication when ingredients or processes change. Over-defensive labelling may protect factories, but it can create dangerous confusion downstream.
Buyers influence standards by choosing who they work with, what they ask for, and what they accept as “good enough”.
And platforms like TickEat, which connect buyers and suppliers, have an opportunity, and arguably a responsibility, to raise the bar.
Creating space for conversations about Free From, Special Meals, accreditation, provenance, and transparency isn’t just about inclusion. It’s about risk reduction, reputation, and resilience.
Why this matters for travel and special meals
In travel catering, especially for airlines and cruise, customers don’t have the option to “just go somewhere else”.
Special meals, Free From, and allergen-aware menus are no longer niche. They are operational necessities. One weak link in the chain, such as one unclear specification sheet or one misunderstood ingredient, can have consequences far beyond a single service.
This is exactly why TickEat’s Meet the Buyer: SPMLs Travel Edition matters.
It’s not just about matching buyers with the right special meal suppliers. It’s about aligning values, expectations, and standards so allergen safety is designed into the supply chain, not patched on afterwards.
A pause that could prevent a crisis
#AllerJanuary isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness.
It’s a reminder that menus evolve, ingredients change, trends shift, and what felt “under control” last year might not be safe today.
A short pause in January to review menus, retrain teams, and question assumptions can prevent a life-changing incident later in the year.
Or as Julian puts it: “If allergen safety isn’t in your top three priorities, it will catch you out.” And when it does, no amount of January cost-cutting will make up for it.
Here are some free resources F&B caterers and manufacturers can access for more education on how to improve safety and inclusion for customers with food hypersensitivities.
2026 Allergen Accreditation Resource Pack
Allergen Accreditation Management Checklist 1
Allergen Accreditation Management Checklist 2
