New controls have been pledged to help protect the hundreds of people living in the island with a food allergy.
Currently there is no legislation or guidance in Guernsey to require food businesses to disclose allergens on menus or food labels or to provide information in any format.
It leaves the island trailing years behind safety measures in other jurisdictions as the prevalence of food allergies continues to rise.
Health & Social Care’s promise to act comes as a new local study found that inadequate allergen information, lack of staff training, and limited public awareness create barriers to safe and enjoyable eating experiences.
A Health & Social Care spokesperson said: “We support the introduction of further local allergen controls and will be requesting that legislative drafting time is allocated to make the necessary amendments.
“Officers will provide further details to the industry once a clearer timeline has been established and we are pleased to note that many businesses are already being proactive in providing allergen information.
“We believe that introducing allergen controls locally will provide reassurance, choice, and protection to residents and visitors with food allergies or intolerances.
“Additionally, this appropriate and proportionate legislation would create a level playing field for food manufacturers in the Bailiwick when exporting to Europe and the UK.”
HSC is also moving to make it possible for schools to hold spare stocks of adrenaline auto-injectors for emergency use in cases of anaphylaxis, although there are no firm plans in place to introduce that yet.
Jersey pledged to update its food law in 2022, yet progress there has stalled and it has still not happened.