The acronym INCO (from information to consumers) commonly refers to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. In force since 13 December 2014, it harmonizes across the European Union the mandatory information that must accompany food: name of the food, list of ingredients, net quantity, durability date, storage conditions, nutrition declaration and, crucially, the presence of allergens.
The regulation requires the declaration of 14 mandatory allergens: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk (including lactose), tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin and molluscs. On prepacked products, these substances must be emphasized in the list of ingredients, for example through different typography (bold, capitals or underlining).
For catering and non-prepacked foods — dishes served at the table, takeaway, caterers — allergen information remains mandatory, but it may be provided by any appropriate means: directly on the menu, on a written medium kept available to customers, or orally provided that a visible notice indicates where to find this information. The aim is to protect the health of people with allergies or intolerances and to allow them to make an informed choice.
Failing to meet these obligations exposes the establishment to administrative penalties. Managing INCO well therefore means documenting the exact composition of each dish. The eyeot restaurant solution lets you record allergens on each menu item, in line with the INCO framework.