FAQ

1. What prompted the development of Allergen Hawkeye?

On the 13 December 2014, new rules on the provision of food information to the consumer (FIC) became applicable (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011). Allergen Hawkeye was developed in response to this (FIC) Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 which requires that food allergen information in relation to 14 mandatory food allergens be permanently readily available and easily accessible to customers at points of sale or service (POS) for loosely displayed / served food items. Regulation within the Republic of Ireland and some other European countries requires that this information be kept up to date and available on open display "in writing" for customers to initially freely browse before they might interact with you or any member of your staff in order to seek further clarification regarding food allergen information accuracy. This "accessibility" aspect of the regulation is commonly referred to as the "spirit" of the regulation.

 

2. Who conceived of this original "Allergen Hawkeye" system of written declaration?

Allergen Hawkeye was originally conceived and initiated by Brendan Buckley. As a food safety consultant Brendan incorporated his first company Food Management Systems Limited in 1994 and has since been successfully operating as managing director of FMS Ltd based out of Cork City in Ireland. FMS Ltd offers experienced professional food safety auditing, food worker training and HACCP related implementation, maintenance and improvement advice / servicing - mainly to the food catering (including health-care) and food retailing sectors. This long-term food sector specific experience means that Allergen Hawkeye has been designed by Brendan from within your food sector to provide you, the user, with tailored on the ground ease of use functionality and a higher value return in relation to your individual personal level of inputting and regular usage. In simple terms the more you put in, the more value you will get out, at no extra monetary cost.

 

3. Who are the team members that developed and built "Allergen Hawkeye"?

Our organisation is comprised of experienced and long established food safety consultants, researchers and IT software & hardware engineers. Learn more about our core team. We are fully self-funded and 100% committed to maintaining and improving Allergen Hawkeye on behalf of our users. We regularly welcome and implement continuous improvement feedback and suggestions from existing and new Allergen Hawkeye users.

 

4. What was Allergen Hawkeye originally primarily designed to do?

To make it quick & easy to declare / display food allergen information and quick & easy to re-edit and update food allergen information for loose food items "in writing" at customer POS in food catering & retailing premises. We now appreciate, however, following several years of research and development that Allergen Hawkeye also provides a much broader and continuously growing spectrum of useful functionalities. This includes useful application within the food processing sector.

 

5. How is the food allergen information compiled and displayed to your customers?

Allergen information is entered / uploaded quickly and easily by you, the user, via any internet connected device of your choice onto our secure server. Information inputting and uploading has been designed to be easy to do, self-intuitive and completely under your control in terms of the level of detail chosen to be entered. Information quickly verified and uploaded by you is immediately available in real time for display to your customers at POS, again, on any monitor / screen device of your choice, as best suited to your minimal business needs or perhaps to your wider overall customer focus & marketing strategy. This can include, with their permission, your customer's own personal smart phone device.

 

6. Does "Allergen Hawkeye" offer more than just food allergen declaration?

Absolutely, Yes!
Quite simply - "Allergen Information AND MORE!"
Our design has given large consideration to "User return for money"

Both you, the user, and your customers can have access to any of the following information options. You control which of these listed options below will be on view to your customers. Simply and quickly switch one or more, on or off, at your discretion when required, at no extra cost.

1) Browse your food items for fully declared allergen content.
2) Browse your food items by absence of specific food allergens.

Advanced users at no extra cost can provide customers with:

3) Browse your food data base by identified "Special Offers".
4) Browse your food data base by identified "Local Suppliers".
5) Browse your food data base by identified "Customer Favourites".
6) Browse your food data base by identified "Dish of the Day".
7) Browse your food supplier products by fully declared allergen content.
8) Browse your food items by presence of specific food ingredients.

This latter function No 8 has application for customers with any particular individual food ingredient intolerance(s) and also has user defined application for rapidity of use during product recall scenarios.

 

7. Does Allergen Hawkeye offer support with regard to choice of hardware?

Yes!
Our core business is software development and application, however, we also offer expert cost effective service in relation to the choice and installation of hardware tablets, point of sale tablet secure kiosks and best choice of kiosk lockdown software. It is in the interest of Allergen Hawkeye Ltd to ensure that our users are fully supported when quickly learning how to use our website application but also just as well supported and serviced when making decisions in relation to hardware choices and their installation. A major part of our evolution since day one has been to research and provide optimum hardware installation as best suited to our specific Allergen Hawkeye web-app. We can be contacted for hardware and software support at any time and will respond to your enquiries as quickly as possible, usually within one business working day.

 

8. What is the typical cost per registered User for use of Allergen Hawkeye software?

All individually registered Users are charged at the same rate for use of Allergen Hawkeye software. Registered Users can opt for a monthly DD subscription of €40 plus VAT @ 23% = €49.20 or an up-front annual subscription payment of €400 plus VAT @ 23% = €492.00 (savings of nearly 17%). Learn more about our Pricing.

 

9. What is the typical cost per individual registered User for display Kiosk hardware?

The combined purchase cost of a suitable quality and reliable 10.1" touch screen tablet together with a secure and fit for purpose robust kiosk enclosure is typically less than €300. We provide all the backup service and contacts you will need to achieve professional installation as quickly and as easily as possible and at minimum to zero extra cost, including how to avoid common simple pitfalls during set up periods. Use our experience!

 

10. Is Allergen Hawkeye sector specific to food retailing and food catering?

No! Allergen Hawkeye is a simple to use web app with user & end customer application across all food sectors including food processing.

In addition to default and additional options described within FAQ No 6 all new users will enjoy behind the scene functions which provide for enhanced food product and ingredient traceability. These functions include fast flowing information gathering capability which e.g. can quickly reduce product recall response times.

Allergen Hawkeye can offer the following:

1) Declaration in writing of food allergen content per individual food item or ingredient to end customers.
2) Declaration in writing of food items available by absence of specifically selected food allergens.
3) Declaration in writing of individual food ingredients (food intolerances) content to end customers.
4) Recorded traceability of individually used food ingredients and their original brand name details.

Further "Added Value" features are freely available, which you can easily switch on or off. These search options include:

1) Current "Dish of the Day"
2) "Customer Favourite" food items
3) "Local" Food Supplier sourced food items
4) Current "Special Offers" from your entire data base of listed food items

In summary, Allergen Hawkeye can simplify your compliance with food regulatory obligations as well as displaying your free to use optional extra wide range of food related information, including sales promotions, to your customers.