Supporting schools to strengthen allergy safety ahead of Benedict’s Law

10 June 2026

A view from Nicky Martin, Director of Nutrition and Wellbeing at Foodbuy Group

From September 2026, Benedict’s Law, a new statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools, will come into effect across England. These changes will require schools to have clear, consistent and well-documented approaches to managing allergens and anaphylaxis risk.

For school catering teams, this means an increased focus on allergy policies, staff training, emergency preparedness and individual pupil care plans, all underpinned by accurate allergen information and robust day-to-day processes.

The key shift is not awareness of allergens, which is already strong, but consistency. Schools are working with changing menus, complex supply chains, and evolving product specifications, which makes maintaining accurate allergen information across the system increasingly challenging

What the new guidance means for schools

From September 2026, schools will be expected to have clear allergy management processes in place, including:

• School-wide allergy policies
• Regular allergy and intolerance training for all staff
• Named responsibility for allergy management within the school
• Access to emergency adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs)
• Individual healthcare plans for pupils with allergies
• Stronger day-to-day safeguards to protect pupils with food allergies and intolerances

These requirements place greater emphasis on joined up working between leadership teams, catering providers and suppliers to ensure processes are consistently followed in practice.

Where the challenge sits

In practice, the biggest challenge for schools is not understanding allergens, it is maintaining consistency across busy, changing foodservice operations.

Small changes in ingredients or supplier specifications can quickly create gaps in allergen information if systems are not aligned. This is especially challenging when managing multiple suppliers and frequently updated menus.

Training helps raise awareness, but it only works effectively when it is supported by accurate and up-to-date information.

Why training alone is not enough

Allergen training helps ensure a strong baseline understanding across catering teams, which is a positive step forward.

However, training can only be fully effective when it is supported by accurate, up-to-date, and consistent information.

Schools need:

• reliable and up to date allergen information from suppliers
• fully integrated menus and specification systems
• clear and effective communication when products change

Without this, even well-trained teams are working “blind” with unnecessary complexity.

How we support schools

We work with schools to help make allergen management simpler, more consistent and more reliable across every stage of the foodservice operation.

Our approach is underpinned by specialist nutrition expertise from my team of Registered Nutritionists, who help translate regulatory guidance into practical application across education settings.

Working closely with school teams and suppliers, we support menu development and review to help ensure decisions reflect both nutritional requirements and allergen safety. Alongside this, we provide training and guidance for catering teams, helping build confidence in applying allergen procedures consistently in day-to-day operations.

Building safer, more confident school food systems

Allergen management is no longer just a kitchen responsibility. It now spans procurement, suppliers, menu planning, and operational delivery.

With statutory expectations on allergy safety in schools becoming embedded across the sector, schools need joined-up systems that ensure clarity, consistency, and confidence across every meal served.

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