Allergen information rules for restaurants, cafés and takeaways: the 14 allergens, UK and EU law, and how to get it right

The 14 allergens you must declare

The 14 allergens are listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, and the legal wording matters because several entries have a defined scope or exemptions. The same list applies in the EU and, as assimilated law, in Great Britain.

Two practical consequences: "gluten" alone is not the legal term (the cereal must be identifiable), and "nuts" means the eight tree nuts above, while peanuts are a separate allergen. The FSA's guidance says that where you show a group such as tree nuts or cereals containing gluten, staff must be able to name the specific nut or cereal.

What the law requires for non-prepacked food

For food sold without prepackaging (restaurant dishes, café counters, takeaway packed on request), allergen information is the one item of food information that is always mandatory. Article 44(1)(a) of Regulation 1169/2011 makes the particulars in Article 9(1)(c), the Annex II allergens used in the food, compulsory for non-prepacked food, food packed at the consumer's request and food prepacked for direct sale.

Article 44(2) then lets each country decide how that information is provided and in what form. This is why the UK allows a verbal route with a sign, Germany requires a written record behind any verbal answer, and Ireland generally requires written information. The EU rules have applied since 13 December 2014.

The duty covers allergens used as ingredients or processing aids in the dish as served, including free items. It is about what is in the food, not just what is on the menu description.

UK rules: the legal minimum, the 2025 best practice and Natasha's Law

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the legal minimum is that allergen information for non-prepacked food can be given by any means, provided a sign tells customers when it will be given verbally. The rules sit in assimilated Regulation 1169/2011 and the Food Information Regulations 2014 (with separate 2014 regulations for Wales and Northern Ireland).

In February 2025 the Food Standards Agency published best-practice guidance for non-prepacked food (last updated 5 March 2025). It is not law: the guidance says businesses are not required to follow it. But it sets a clear expectation that allergen information is available in writing and supported by a conversation. Its key recommendations:

• Put written allergen information where customers can see it without asking: on the menu, in an allergen booklet or on a wall matrix. If it is only available on request, display a sign saying so.
• Cover all 14 allergens, in words or with symbols that carry the allergen name or a key.
• Ask every customer about allergies, or show a prominent sign such as "Please talk to us if you have a food allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease."
• Train staff, decide who handles allergen orders, and never guess ingredients.
• Pass allergen orders to the kitchen in writing, label the plate and have the server confirm the dish meets the requirement.
• Digital formats (screens, QR menus) need a non-digital alternative.
• Online orders: show allergen information on the main menu or no more than one click away, before ordering, and again in writing on delivery (for example stickers on containers).

Natasha's Law (prepacked for direct sale, PPDS) has applied across the UK since 1 October 2021. It requires a label with the food's name and a full ingredients list with the 14 allergens emphasised. It only covers food packed on the premises before the customer orders, such as sandwiches in a grab-and-go fridge, chips boxed under a heat lamp or free prawn crackers in a bag.

How the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland differ

Inside the EU the 14 allergens are identical, but the way you may provide them differs. If you run venues in more than one country, design your process for the strictest rule.

Germany also requires the allergen to be named specifically (for example "contains rye" rather than "cereals containing gluten"), and since 9 June 2022 food additives in loose food must be declared the same way as allergens.

A practical compliance checklist

Compliance comes down to knowing exactly what is in every dish, keeping that knowledge current, and making it easy for guests and staff to find. Work through these steps:

1. Build a recipe matrix. One row per dish (and per component: sauce, dressing, garnish, bread), one column per allergen. Include drinks, desserts, sides and free items.
2. Collect supplier specifications. Keep the label or spec sheet of every bought-in product. Sauces, stock powders, spice blends and breads are where hidden mustard, celery, gluten and sesame usually come from.
3. Record substitutions. When a supplier swaps a product, check the new label before it goes into the kitchen and update the matrix the same day.
4. Update when recipes change. Treat a recipe change as incomplete until the allergen record, menu and online menu are updated.
5. Assess cross-contact. Shared fryers, grills, woks, chopping boards and toppings stations can transfer allergens. Tell guests honestly when you cannot exclude cross-contact.
6. Train every shift. Staff should know where the information is kept, how to take an allergen order, how to pass it to the kitchen, and that guessing is never acceptable.
7. Display the right notice. If you rely on verbal information, put a visible sign on the menu or at the counter.
8. Mark allergen orders. Write the allergy on the order ticket, label the plate and confirm at the table.
9. Check online channels. Your webshop and any delivery platform listings must show the same, current allergen information, before ordering and on delivery.

How digital and QR menus help

A digital or QR menu makes written allergen information available at the moment a guest chooses, which is exactly what the FSA best-practice guidance and Irish rules ask for. When allergens are stored per dish, every channel (table QR, takeaway webshop, kiosk) shows the same data, and one change updates them all. Many digital menus also let guests filter or flag dishes by allergen.

Two cautions. First, a digital menu is only as accurate as the recipe matrix behind it: it does not replace supplier checks or cross-contact assessment. Second, keep a human route. The FSA recommends a non-digital alternative for digital formats, and in Germany electronic information must be signposted at the venue. A printed allergen matrix behind the bar and a note on the QR menu ("Allergies? Ask our staff before ordering") covers both.

Restaurant by DTS lets you record allergens per dish and shows the menu in eight languages across QR table ordering, the takeaway webshop and kiosks. See our guide to QR code ordering for how a QR menu works in practice.

Common mistakes

• Relying on staff memory with nothing written down. Dutch inspectors found businesses whose staff could name allergens but had no record to verify it, which counted as non-compliant.
• Writing "nuts" or "gluten" without naming the specific nut or cereal.
• Forgetting sauces, dressings, stocks, garnishes and frying oil shared with battered products.
• Leaving the online menu out of date after a recipe or supplier change.
• Treating Natasha's Law as the main rule for restaurants: it only covers food packed before ordering.
• Using "may contain" on everything instead of assessing real cross-contact risk.
• A QR-only menu with no way for a guest without a phone, or with questions, to get the information.

Enforcement

Allergen information is checked during routine food inspections. In the UK, enforcement is by local authorities (usually trading standards, sometimes environmental health). In the Netherlands, the NVWA inspected more than 5,000 businesses in 2021: over 2,000 of almost 3,200 restaurants, hotels and cafeterias did not comply, and it issued nearly 3,400 written warnings and 591 fines of €525. In Germany, breaching the LMIDV labelling duty for loose food is an administrative offence that can carry a fine of up to €50,000 under § 60 LFGB.

Frequently asked questions