Restaurant allergens: organise clear information

Produce your allergen chart right away

To get a document you can actually use today, the free allergen-chart generator builds the matrix for your dishes and lays it out ready for printing, without an account and without sending your data anywhere.

This guide deals with everything that does not fit inside a chart: where the information actually comes from, how to verify it with suppliers, and how to keep it up to date as the menu changes.

What does the regulatory framework require?

EU Regulation No 1169/2011 governs information about substances or products that cause allergies or intolerances. Its Annex II lists 14 categories. The French consumer authority states that, for dishes and drinks served in a restaurant, this information must be available in writing.

This guide provides a method for organising that information; it is not legal advice tailored to any particular venue. The consolidated version of the regulation and the administration's own instructions remain the reference sources.

• Always work from the current consolidated version of the regulation.
• A general note simply inviting guests to ask a member of staff does not replace the written information required.
• Seek qualified advice for any legal question specific to your own venue.

How should reliable information be collected?

1. List every recipe actually served, including sauces, garnishes, mixed drinks and temporary products.
2. Keep the technical sheets and labels supplied by suppliers.
3. Identify the allergens in compound ingredients, not just their commercial name.
4. Have the record validated by the person who actually knows the recipe as it is really made.
5. Plan in advance how a change of supplier or recipe will be handled.

How can the information be displayed?

It can appear directly alongside each dish, or in a written register that staff can produce immediately on request. A digital menu can attach allergens to each product, provided the information is accurate and guests can genuinely access it.

SimplyRestau lets you attach allergens to the products shown on the menu. The restaurateur remains responsible for entering the data correctly and keeping it aligned with the recipes actually used.

• On the menu: read immediately alongside the dish; take care to avoid an ambiguous legend.
• An accessible written register: detailed and centralised; staff need to know exactly how to provide it.
• A digital menu: linked product by product and easy to update; plan an alternative in case digital access is not possible for some guests.

What update process should be used?

• An internal owner is named for this task.
• Every recipe or supplier change triggers a fresh check.
• The date of each check is kept in the internal record.
• Kitchen and front-of-house staff both know where the reference information sits.
• The digital menu and any paper supports are checked together, not separately.

Which mistakes weaken the information?

• Copying an old menu across without checking it against current supplier records.
• Confusing personal food preferences with regulated allergens.
• Forgetting sauces, marinades, decorations or compound ingredients.
• Publishing icons or pictograms without a clear legend to explain them.
• Changing a recipe mid-service without updating the information made available to guests.

Frequently asked questions