Evaluation of 'Provision of Allergen Information for Non Pre-Packed Foods' Guidance

<p>This research was commissioned to assess the awareness and uptake of the full guidance, and gauge its impact on businesses. As mentioned above, the full guidance was accompanied by a leaflet and a poster, and research also examined the impact of these supporting materials amongst the target audience.</p>

<p>Specifically, the research objectives were to:</p>

<ul>
<li>Assess the level of awareness of the full guidance and supporting materials.</li>
<li>Explore the uptake of the guidance and supporting materials and the extent to which it has led to businesses changing their practices.</li>
<li>Assess the usefulness of the full guidance and supporting materials.</li>
<li>Assess whether these materials would be sufficient guidance for businesses if a statutory requirement to provide allergen information was introduced.</li>
</ul>

<p>The project consisted of both qualitative and quantitative research. For the qualitative stage, a total of 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with various caterers and retailers, some training bodies and Environmental Health and Trading Standards Officers (EHO’s and TSO’s). For the quantitative stage, a total of 374 semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with caterers and EHO’s and TSO’s.</p>