Allergen information on your menu: the 14 allergens explained

A guest with a nut allergy reads your menu, finds a dish they like and asks the server whether it is safe. The server is not sure, goes to the kitchen and comes back a few minutes later with an answer. The guest has been waiting, the server has been away from other tables, and everyone is a little less relaxed than before.

Clear allergen information prevents that moment. In many countries it is also the law. This guide explains which allergens restaurants need to declare in the EU, the UK and the US, how the information can be given, and how to show it on a menu guests read on their phone.

This is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules differ between countries and change over time, so check the details with your local food authority.

The 14 allergens in the EU and the UK

In the European Union, the food information regulation requires allergen information for food that is not prepacked, which includes the dishes you serve in a restaurant or café (European Commission). The UK keeps the same list of 14 allergens, and its Food Standards Agency says businesses must provide allergen information for every non-prepacked item that contains any of them (GOV.UK allergen guidance).

The nine major food allergens in the US

In the United States, the FDA names nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame became the ninth on 1 January 2023, under the FASTER Act (FDA). Federal allergen labelling rules apply mainly to packaged food, and the FDA notes that most unpackaged restaurant food falls outside them. Requirements for restaurants are set by states and local health departments, so check what applies where you are.

Other countries, such as Canada and Australia, keep their own lists. If you welcome visitors from abroad, it is worth knowing that guests may ask about ingredients that are not on your local list.

How allergen information can be given

In the UK, allergen information for non-prepacked food can be given in writing or by your staff. If you rely on staff, you need a written notice in a clearly visible place that tells guests how to get the information. The Food Standards Agency adds that written information supported by a conversation works best for guests. EU countries can set their own rules for how the information is given, so check the national guidance where you are.

Whatever the rules say, guests with allergies find it easiest when the information is in front of them before they order: on the menu, on the table and on the menu they read on their phone.

Keep an allergen matrix behind your menu

An allergen matrix is a table with your dishes down the side and the allergens across the top, filled in from your recipes and your suppliers' product information. It is not a legal term, but it is the simplest way to keep the written records the guidance asks for, and the Food Standards Agency offers a template.

A good matrix:

• covers every dish, sauce, side and garnish, including the ones that change daily;
• is updated before a dish changes, not after, and whenever a supplier or product changes;
• is easy for every member of staff to find and read during service;
• is the single source for your menu, your website and your digital menu.

Showing allergens on a menu guests read on their phone

• Put the information next to each dish. Letters or symbols beside the dish name work well, with text as well as icons, so the meaning does not depend on recognising a symbol.
• Add a key at the top. Explain every letter or symbol before the first dish.
• Use one system everywhere. The printed menu, the menu on your website and the menu behind your QR code should all use the same labels.
• Invite questions. A short line such as "Please tell us about any allergies before you order" makes it easy for guests to speak up.
• Avoid hiding it in a PDF. An allergen key on page six of a document that needs zooming does not help anyone. Our guide to restaurant menu design for phones shows how to lay labels out clearly.

What not to say

• "Allergen-free" or "gluten-free" without strict controls. The UK guidance says businesses should not make gluten-free claims unless cross-contamination can be avoided, and should tell guests when they cannot provide an allergen-free dish.
• "Vegan" as if it meant "free from milk or egg". The guidance points out that vegan dishes may still carry traces of animal-based allergens.
• Guesses. If staff are not sure, the right answer is "Let me check with the kitchen", never "It should be fine".
• Automated guesses. A tool that decides on its own that a dish is "nut-free" because nuts are not mentioned in its description is dangerous. Allergen information has to come from your recipes, not from a guess.

How Tastiana handles allergens

Tastiana shows the dietary labels from your own menu next to each dish, exactly as you wrote them, together with your menu's own key to them, and never decides on its own that a dish is safe. Every menu in the guide asks guests to tell your staff about allergies before they order. When a guest asks the guide about allergies, it answers only from what your menu says and always asks them to confirm with your staff. Your allergen matrix stays where it belongs, with your team: keep it and your menu labels up to date, and the guide shows guests what you have written. Try the demo to see how labels appear on a phone.