Most restaurants and shops are not providing enough information about allergens in food they sell or serve, the Dutch food standards authority NVWA has found.

Some 65% of restaurants fell short of their legal duty to inform clients about the presence of allergens while retailers like butchers’ shops, bakeries and ice cream parlours did not follow the rules in 51% of cases.

The NVWA handed out 3,339 written warnings in the last year, followed by 591 fines of €525 to shops and cafes for repeatedly failing to comply

Allergens in food, such as gluten, cow’s milk and peanuts, can cause serious allergic reactions, which sometimes result in death. Between 2 to 3% of the adult population in the Netherlands has an allergy to some food or other.