Eating Out Should Not Be a Risk

For the 2 million people in the UK living with a diagnosed food allergy, eating out carries real risk.
Despite clear regulatory guidance from the Food Standards Agency, people are still being seriously harmed — and some lose their lives — because allergen communication fails at the point of service.

Responsibility is shared: by businesses, by staff, and by the systems that govern them. But when the consequences are fatal, that shared responsibility must be matched by a shared solution.

Better systems, clearer communication, and stronger legislation can give people with food allergies a far safer experience when eating out — and a greater chance of survival.

This three-part podcast series explores a critical question: why is telling the server still not enough — and what must food businesses, campaigners, and legislators do differently to make eating out safer for everyone?

Food allergy is a growing public health concern, shaping everyday decisions about where and how it feels safe to eat. The focus has shifted from the existence of systems to their effectiveness in practice — they must work consistently, reliably, and safely to keep people protected.

What Is Owen's Law?

Owen's Law is a campaign led by the family of Owen Carey, who died in 2017 following an allergic reaction in a restaurant. The campaign calls for legislation requiring all food businesses to provide written allergen information on menus — challenging a system that currently relies too heavily on memory and verbal communication, and making it unlawful for verbal assurance alone to be considered sufficient.

The law requires food businesses to provide allergen information — but it currently permits this to be delivered verbally, with written information optional. Owen's Law argues that this is the gap that costs lives: in busy, high-pressure environments, verbal communication alone is not a reliable safeguard.

Owen's Law argues that safety should not depend on chance, memory, or assumption — but on clear, accessible information enshrined in law.

Understanding the Risk: Rare, But Not Acceptable

Research from Imperial College London highlights an important and often misunderstood reality. Deaths from food-induced anaphylaxis in the UK are rare — estimated at fewer than 10 per year — and have decreased over time.

However, this does not mean the system is safe. Over the same period, hospital admissions for food-related anaphylaxis have increased significantly, and more individuals are experiencing severe, life-threatening reactions. This presents a critical paradox: while fewer people are dying, more people are being harmed.

For those living with food allergy, the risk is not theoretical. It is immediate, unpredictable, and often dependent on environments they cannot control — including restaurants and food outlets.

Crucially, many serious incidents are linked not to lack of awareness, but to failures in communication, process, and accountability.

Rarity should never be mistaken for acceptability — particularly when harm is preventable.

Episode 1: Owen’s Story:

We begin with the human cost. Owen's sister Emma shares the story of how her brother lost his life at the London Eye — a devastating reminder that food allergy reactions are not abstract risks. 
They happen to real families, in ordinary moments. 

Her testimony sets the emotional and moral foundation for everything that follows: this is not a bureaucratic issue. It is a matter of life and death and a change to the law is necessary to ensure all businesses take food allergies seriously.

Transcript

Reflect and share:

Owen's sister has spoken publicly so that others might be kept safe. After listening, we'd like to hear from you:

What struck you most about Owen’s story? What changes would be needed to prevent similar tragedies in your own setting? 

Share your thoughts in the comments. 

Episode 2: Creating Inclusive and Safer Dining Spaces

If Episode 1 asks why this matters, Episode 2 explores what good looks like. This episode examines how food businesses can create safer environments through transparency about ingredients and preparation, clear and consistent communication, and robust kitchen systems and processes.

Food allergy affects not only physical health, but also quality of life — influencing confidence, social participation, and trust. Inclusive dining is not simply about offering alternatives. It is about enabling people to make informed, safe choices, and building the kind of trust that brings allergy customers back through the door.

Education and process together are what make the difference — and businesses that get this right are not just safer, they are more welcoming.

Transcript

Reflect and share:

Transparency is at the heart of inclusive dining. Consider your own context:

How is allergen information communicated in your setting? Does your business communicate openly with allergy customers about what happens in your kitchen? Tell us in the comments — what works well, and where are the gaps?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Episode 3: Culture, Enforcement and the Case for Law

Training alone is not enough. Chef Dominic Teague explains how embedding food allergy awareness into business culture — through team briefings, consistent standards, and placing the customer at the centre — transforms safety from a tick-box exercise into a shared value.

Academic and former enforcement officer Iain Ferris poses a harder question: should every food business be capable of safely serving customers with allergies? The Owen's Law campaign argues that they should and that FSA guidance does not go far enough.

Until allergen safety is consistently enforced in law, too many systems rely on goodwill rather than guarantee. Without Owen’s Law businesses will continue to treat it as optional. The central message is clear — Owen’s Law will set the culture.

Transcript

Reflect and share:

Dominic Teague shows what culture-led safety looks like. Iain Ferris asks whether some businesses should be exempt from serving food allergy customers — but Emma from the Owen's Law campaign is firm: if a business cannot manage allergens safely, should it be trading at all?

Where do you stand? Should allergen safety be a legal requirement for every food business?

Share your thoughts and join the comments at the end of the page.

Wider Perspectives and Further Learning

This podcast series is part of a wider body of work exploring food allergy as both a clinical condition and a societal challenge. To explore this topic further, you may find the following resources useful:

•   Dating with a severe food allergy - BBC
•   BBC Ideas and Open University collaborations on health and lived experience
•  Food allergies: a public health crisis demanding immediate action (Pivotal Public Policy Forum)

A Call for Change

This series is not just about awareness — it is about action. The evidence is clear. The lived experiences are powerful. The consequences of inaction are profound.

Owen's Law represents a call for consistent, accessible allergen information, accountability across the food sector, and a system designed to protect — rather than rely upon — the individual.

Because telling the server should never be the difference between safety and tragedy.

Find out more

Find out more about the Owen's Law campaign and how to show your support.