Allergen information on restaurant menus: what the rules require

Getting allergen information wrong is the one menu mistake that can seriously hurt someone. The rules differ by country, but the goal is the same everywhere: a guest with an allergy must be able to find out, reliably, whether a dish is safe for them. This guide summarises the main rules and a practical process. It is a starting point, not legal advice: always check the current guidance from your local food safety authority.

UK and EU: 14 allergens

In the EU (under Regulation 1169/2011) and in the UK, which kept the same rules, food businesses must provide information about 14 allergens when they are used as ingredients:

• Cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley and oats)
• Crustaceans, molluscs and fish
• Eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts and soybeans
• Celery, mustard, sesame and lupin
• Sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10 mg per kg or per litre

For food served in a restaurant (not prepacked), the information must be available to guests. In the UK it can be given verbally, as long as there is a clear written notice telling guests where to get it, such as "Please ask staff about allergens". EU countries set their own detailed rules on how it is provided, and some require it in writing.

The UK's "Natasha's Law", in force since October 2021, applies to food that is prepacked for direct sale: for example sandwiches made and wrapped on site before a customer orders. Those need a full ingredients label with allergens emphasised. It does not cover dishes made to order.

United States: 9 major allergens

US law recognises nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and, since January 2023, sesame. The federal labelling rules apply to packaged food, not to dishes served in restaurants.

Some states go further. Massachusetts, for example, requires restaurants to print a notice on menus asking guests to tell staff about allergies, and to train staff in allergen awareness. Check your state and city rules, because requirements vary.

Australia and New Zealand

The Food Standards Code requires businesses selling unpackaged food to provide allergen information, either displayed with the food or given when a customer asks. The declared allergens include peanut, tree nuts, egg, milk, sesame, fish, crustacea, mollusc, soy, lupin, wheat, gluten and added sulphites. Packaged foods follow the stricter Plain English Allergen Labelling rules.

Canada

Health Canada lists priority allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans and shellfish, soy, wheat and triticale, mustard, and sulphites. Mandatory labelling applies to prepackaged food; restaurants are expected to give accurate information when asked.

India

FSSAI's labelling and display regulations put extra duties on larger food businesses, such as those with a central licence or outlets in ten or more locations, including showing calorie values on menus. The vegetarian (green) and non-vegetarian (brown) symbols are widely expected on menus as well as packaging. Check the latest FSSAI notifications, as these rules have been updated in stages.

How to show allergens on your menu

• Keep a clear, visible notice on every menu: "Please tell us about any allergies before you order."
• Use simple, consistent markers for the most common needs, such as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free, and explain what they mean.
• Do not overload the menu with symbols. A full allergen matrix (see below) is often clearer than fourteen icons per dish.
• Keep the menu current. A recipe change that adds nuts to a sauce must reach the menu the same day. On a printed menu that is easy to forget; on a digital menu it is a quick edit.

Build an allergen matrix

An allergen matrix is a table with your dishes down the side and the allergens across the top. It is the single most useful tool for staff answering questions, and it forces you to check every component, including sauces, dressings and garnishes.

Build it from your suppliers' specifications, not from memory, and update it every time a product or supplier changes. Note shared fryers and cross-contact too: fries cooked in the same oil as breaded chicken may contain gluten even though the potatoes do not.

A process staff can follow

1. When a guest mentions an allergy, the server confirms it and tells the kitchen in person as well as on the ticket.
2. The server checks the matrix, never guesses, and says so if they are not sure.
3. The kitchen uses clean equipment and surfaces and prepares the dish separately where possible.
4. The person who checked the dish, ideally the chef, takes it to the table or confirms it with the server.
5. If you cannot make a dish safely, say so honestly. "We can't guarantee that" is far better than a mistake.