Restaurants and fast-food outlets in Swansea are being urged to take allergies linked to certain food ingredients more seriously.
The call to businesses in the city follows action taken by Swansea Council’s Trading Standards Team, which has seen three food business owners fined by Swansea Magistrates in March this year.
Trading Standards carried out a series of test purchase exercises in early 2024. Posing as customers, they placed food orders with a number of restaurants and takeaways, declaring they were allergic to specific food ingredients, including milk, gluten and egg, and asked the businesses to reassure them that their order did not contain those ingredients.
Some of the businesses contacted as part of the test purchase exercise made declarations that the requested food did not contain specific ingredients and were safe for consumption.
Owners at Killay Spice in Killay, Clydach Kebab House and Townhill Spice, have all been fined after pleading guilty to the offence of Placing on the Market unsafe food.
Killay Spice owner, Mr Tafozul Ahmed of Gower Road, was fined £3,000 and was required to pay a surcharge of £1,200 and costs of £2084.
Mr Evren Bozkurt of Clydach Fast Food Ltd (Clydach Kebab House) was fined £200, with an additional surcharge and costs of £2,144.
Mr Abdul Kabir of Townhill Spice Ltd was fined £500 with a surcharge and costs of £2,146.
In the UK, approximately two million people, including children, have a food allergy and the most severe reactions to the consumption of food the person is allergic too, could prove fatal.
The latest research by the Imperial College of London shows that in the UK, approximately 10 deaths occur each year as a result of allergens.
David Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Corporate Service and performance, said: “Some food businesses in the city are still not doing what is expected of them in relation to allergens and keeping consumers safe.
“Food allergies can be very serious for a small percentage of people and if they inform a food business they are allergic to specific ingredients, they need to have confidence that the business they are dealing with will keep them safe.
“Trading Standards are continuing to work with food businesses, providing advice and training in relation to allergies. This latest action is part of an ongoing sampling exercise.
“Hopefully, the latest action taken against local food businesses that are putting people at risk, will send out a strong message to other restaurants and takeaways, that they need to be more responsible or they will risk similar enforcement action.”
