Allergens on your menu: what to show guests.

Which allergens to list

The list depends on your country.

In the US, the FDA names nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame is the newest. The FASTER Act, signed in April 2021, added it, and it has counted as a major allergen since January 1, 2023.

In the UK and the EU, the list has 14 allergens: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin, and molluscs.

Start with your local list. You can always add others that your guests ask about often.

What the rules ask of restaurants

United States. The federal labeling law for allergens covers packaged food. The FDA says it does not apply to food that's wrapped or boxed after a customer orders it, which covers most restaurant meals.

The FDA's Food Code goes further. Since the 2022 edition, section 3-602.12 asks food businesses to give guests written notice of major allergens used as ingredients in unpackaged food. That can be a note on the menu, a table tent, a placard, a brochure, or something on a screen. The Food Code is a model, though. The FDA says it is "neither federal law nor federal regulation". It applies where your state or county has adopted it, so ask your local health department which version applies to you.

California passed its own law, SB 68, in October 2025. From July 1, 2026, restaurant chains with 20 or more locations must tell guests in writing which of the nine major allergens are in each menu item. They can put it on the menu, or on a digital menu reached by QR code, but if they go digital they also need a non-digital option for guests who can't use one. Mobile food operations, temporary food stands and prepackaged foods are exempt. Most independent restaurants aren't covered, but it shows where the rules are heading.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For food that isn't prepacked, such as a restaurant meal, you must tell guests if any of the 14 allergens are ingredients. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says you can do that in writing, on a menu, a chalkboard or in an information pack. You can also do it out loud, as long as a clear written notice tells guests how to get the information. The FSA's best-practice guidance goes a step further. It says allergen information should be easy to get in writing, backed up by a conversation with staff. Scotland has its own regulator, Food Standards Scotland.

European Union. Under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, allergen information is required for food sold without packaging, including restaurant food. Each country decides how it has to be given, so check with your national food authority.

A simple way to show allergens

Most restaurants use one of two approaches, or both.

A "contains" line under each dish. It's the clearest choice for guests on short menus:

List what your own recipe contains, not what a typical version of the dish would.

An allergen chart. Dishes go down the side, allergens across the top, with a mark where they meet. It keeps the menu tidy and suits long menus. Keep a printed copy at the counter and link to it from your menu. In the UK, the FSA offers free templates and allergen icons to download.

Whichever you choose, a few habits make it clearer:

• Write allergens in words. "Contains: sesame" needs no key. If you use icons or codes, include a key. Our guide to menu symbols and abbreviations covers how.
• Say "contains", not "free from". A "contains" line describes ingredients you can check. A "free from" claim tells a guest something about your whole kitchen.
• Invite the conversation. Add a short note such as: "Please tell us about any allergies before you order." Then make sure staff know what to do next.

What a label can't tell a guest

A "contains" line covers ingredients. It can't cover cross-contact: the fryer the fries share with breaded fish, the board used for bread and then for salad, the gloves that touched peanuts. That part needs a conversation.

Give your team a short routine for allergy orders:

1. Ask the guest what they need to avoid and how serious it is.
2. Check the recipe or chart. Don't guess.
3. Tell the kitchen clearly, and mark the order.
4. If you can't be sure a dish is safe, say so.

If your kitchen uses an allergen in almost everything, it's fine to say that on the menu. Being honest is safer than a list that suggests you can avoid it.

Keep the information current

Allergen information is only as good as your last recipe change. Supplier swaps are the usual cause. After sesame became a major allergen in the US, NPR reported that some large bakeries began adding sesame flour to bread rather than proving their production lines were sesame-free. A restaurant buying that bread would have a new allergen on its menu without changing a single recipe.

Check allergens whenever a recipe or supplier changes, and keep one list that the kitchen and the front of house both use.

If you use Menupresso, you can add your own labels to each dish, such as "Contains milk" or "Contains sesame", alongside the built-in dietary labels. When a recipe changes, you edit the dish, save, and the online menu shows the new information. A label on your menu doesn't replace the conversation with the guest, and Menupresso doesn't check your recipes. That still needs your kitchen.