Hygiene & Food Standards

Our Policy on Allergy

We cannot vouch that any of our weighout products are suitable for customers who suffer from any food allergy, such as nuts and milk, and cannot accept liability for adverse effects.Whilst our products are of the highest quality and we adhere to stringent hygiene practices, this is due to potential cross contamination during manufacture or handling while in the shop.

However, please try our boxed and pre-packed products, but check for ingredients and allergy information before purchase.

We hope you find something suitable.

Hygiene

5 Stars

We are proud to have always held the top award of 5 Stars for food hygiene and management from the Food Standards Agency and the London Borough of Barnet.

For example, we are scrupulous about dates and mark our slower moving jars when they are refilled. We were praised on this during our last routine inspection in September – for which we kept our Five Stars without a single advisory

American Confectionery

American confectioneryThe American sweets at Hopscotch are genuine imports. As such, most were destined for the US domestic market and the food labelling reflects this.

The requirements of the US Federal Food & Drug Administration (FDA) differ to our EEC food regulations. We endeavour to ensure that the sweets sold at Hopscotch contain permitted EEC levels of food additives and colours. However, the US labelling does not comply with EEC and UK Foods Standards Agency regulations.

In particular, many of the sweets here contain colours that may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children. These are:

  • E102 Tartrazine (Yellow 5)
  • E104 Quinoline yellow (Yellow 10)
  • E110 Sunset yellow (Yellow 6)
  • E129 Allura red (Red 40)

The two other (Southampton Six) colours

  • E122 Carmoisine
  • E124 Ponceau 4R

should not be present as, although permitted in the UK, are banned from food consumption in the USA.These colours are also present in many other British sweets here at Hopscotch. Please check the ingredients on each jar or packet, or ask if this is something that worries you – we will be only too glad to help guide you in making your choices.