Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur within minutes of exposure to a trigger allergen. In corporate catering contexts, anaphylaxis represents the most serious safety risk associated with food provision — and the one that employers are most likely to underestimate. This guide covers the risk, the employer's legal position, and the practical measures that prevent it.
Understanding Anaphylaxis Risk in the Workplace
Approximately 1–2% of the UK population has a food allergy, and a proportion of these are at risk of anaphylaxis from their trigger allergen. The most common anaphylaxis triggers in food are peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, milk, and eggs. In a London office of one hundred people, statistical probability means at least one or two employees may carry adrenaline auto-injectors (EpiPens) for severe allergy management.
Anaphylaxis can be triggered by very small amounts of allergen — traces from cross-contamination in a kitchen, or a small amount of allergen in a product not expected to contain it. This is why kitchen infrastructure matters more than careful menu management for severe allergy risk.
The Employer's Duty of Care
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers have a legal duty to assess and manage foreseeable risks to employee health and safety. Providing food to employees without adequate allergen management — particularly where employees have disclosed severe allergies — creates foreseeable risk that must be assessed and controlled.
The practical implications: employers should collect allergen information from employees; choose caterers with documented allergen management standards; ensure that any employee with a severe allergy can identify safe food from catering provided; and have a clear emergency response plan in place for allergic reactions at work.
What Happens in an Anaphylaxis Emergency
If an employee or guest has an anaphylactic reaction at a corporate catering event: call 999 immediately — anaphylaxis is a medical emergency; if the person carries an adrenaline auto-injector (EpiPen), assist them to use it or administer it if they are unable; lay the person down unless they are having difficulty breathing; stay with them until emergency services arrive. Do not give antihistamines as a substitute for adrenaline — they will not stop anaphylaxis.
Prevention: Choosing the Right Caterer
The most effective prevention is choosing a caterer whose kitchen standards eliminate the most serious allergen cross-contamination risks at source. For peanut and tree nut allergies — the most common cause of fatal anaphylaxis from food — a 100% nut-free kitchen is the only standard that provides genuine protection. Vanda's Kitchen's nut-free facility ensures that no nut trace contamination is possible in any food we produce.
For the full picture on allergen management in corporate catering, read our allergy-friendly catering guide. For procurement documentation, contact us. For catering enquiries, WhatsApp us.
Safe Food at Vanda's Kitchen EC4
Vanda's Kitchen near St Paul's Cathedral provides one of the safest food environments in the City of London for people managing food allergies and intolerances. Our kitchen is 100% nut-free — no peanuts or tree nuts ever enter our facility. We are certified halal by the Halal Friendly List. We hold a 5-star food hygiene rating. Every item we produce carries full ingredient and allergen labelling covering all 14 mandatory UK allergens, in compliance with Natasha's Law. Our Selfridges Food Hall presence confirms the quality standard we maintain alongside our safety credentials.
For corporate catering where allergen management is a genuine requirement — not a convenience — Vanda's Kitchen provides the kitchen standards and documentation that responsible procurement demands. Read our allergy-friendly catering guide and our nut-free catering guide for more. WhatsApp us, send an enquiry, or view our team lunch options.
Safe Food From Vanda Kitchen EC4
Vanda Kitchen near St Paul Cathedral EC4 is 100 percent nut-free, certified halal (Halal Friendly List), 5-star hygiene rated, with full Natasha Law allergen labelling on every item. Selfridges Food Hall quality. One caterer, all allergen requirements covered, full documentation available on request. For London offices where allergen management is a genuine requirement, we provide the kitchen standards and credentials that responsible procurement demands. WhatsApp us, send an enquiry, or view our team lunch options. Read our allergy-friendly catering guide and our nut-free catering guide for more detail on our approach.
Why Vanda Kitchen Is the Right Choice
For City of London professionals and offices managing food allergies, Vanda Kitchen provides the most comprehensive single-source allergen-safe solution available. Our 100 percent nut-free kitchen, independently certified halal status, 5-star food hygiene rating, and Selfridges Food Hall quality represent a credentials profile that is genuinely rare in London corporate catering. Fresh Filipino-inspired food prepared daily. Individual Freedom Tray portions with full allergen labelling. Flexible standing orders with direct WhatsApp management. Same-day response to all enquiries. WhatsApp us to discuss your requirements or send an enquiry.