Allergens on your menu: the 14 you must declare and how to show them

Anyone who serves food must inform customers about the presence of allergens. In Europe the reference rule is EU Regulation 1169/2011, which lists 14 substances or products that can cause allergies or intolerances.

This guide is a practical summary and is no substitute for professional advice: for the details of your own case, check with your trade association or your local health authority.

The 14 allergens to declare

Allergen	Where it's often found
Cereals containing gluten	Bread, pasta, pizza, breadcrumb coatings, beer
Crustaceans	Prawns, langoustines, crabs
Eggs	Fresh pasta, desserts, mayonnaise
Fish	Anchovies, anchovy sauce, some stocks
Peanuts	Desserts, sauces, seed oils
Soya	Sauces, plant-based products, margarines
Milk	Cheese, butter, cream, mozzarella
Tree nuts	Pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds
Celery	Soffritto, stocks, sauces
Mustard	Sauces and dressings
Sesame seeds	Bread, grissini, breadcrumb coatings
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites	Wine, dried fruit, vinegar
Lupin	Flours and some baked goods
Molluscs	Mussels, clams, squid, octopus

How to show them on the menu

The clearest way is to show the allergens next to each dish, by name or with an icon accompanied by a key. Other solutions accepted in practice, such as a register available on request, make life harder for both the customer and the staff.

• Next to the dish: the customer sees straight away what it contains.
• With icons: always with a key, because not everyone recognises them.
• With a note on cross-contamination: for example "Tree nuts and sesame are also used in our kitchen".

The advantage of a digital menu

In a digital menu the allergens are updated together with the recipe, they are translated into the menu's languages and customers can filter the dishes, for example hiding everything that contains milk.

When you change an ingredient, you update the allergens at the same moment: it's the simplest way to avoid old information lying around.

A quick checklist

1. For every dish, check the ingredients of all the prepared components (sauces, doughs, bases).
2. Mark allergens for drinks and desserts too.
3. Train your staff: they need to know where to find the information and what to answer.
4. Review the menu every time a supplier or a recipe changes.

Cross-contamination: what to write

Even if a dish doesn't have an allergen among its ingredients, it can come into contact with it in the kitchen: the same fryer, the same worktop, the same flour in the air. It's good practice to say so clearly, with a general note at the bottom of the menu and, where needed, next to the dish.

Gluten, tree nuts and sesame are also used in our kitchen. If you have an allergy or intolerance, please speak to our staff before ordering.

Be careful with wording such as "gluten-free": it has precise rules. If you don't have a dedicated process, it's more accurate to talk about dishes "prepared with gluten-free ingredients", explaining the risk of cross-contamination.

What your staff should answer

The question "is there anything without milk?" always comes at the least convenient moment. Staff need to know three things: where to find the information, what to say and when to call the kitchen.

1. Check the dish's allergens on the menu or on the tablet.
2. Don't improvise: "I don't think so" is not an answer. If there's any doubt, ask the kitchen.
3. Tell the kitchen about the allergy together with the order, in writing, not out loud.

An example of a well-made menu

Dish	Allergens
Margherita pizza	Gluten, milk
Tajarin al ragù	Gluten, eggs, celery
Vitello tonnato	Eggs, fish
Tiramisù	Gluten, eggs, milk
Lemon sorbet	None of the 14