Allergen Labelling & Law
Allergen Information on Menus: Legal Requirements & Formats
Allergen Information on Menus: Legal Requirements & Formats
Your menu is often the first and only place a customer with allergies looks for safety information. For loose food served in restaurants, cafes, pubs, and canteens, the menu is the most practical place to provide allergen information. While the law allows verbal communication backed by documentation, printed allergen information on menus is now considered industry standard and is strongly preferred by Environmental Health Officers. The challenge is presenting 14 potential allergens across a full menu in a way that is both legally compliant and practically usable. A menu covered in tiny allergen codes is technically compliant but not useful. This article explains how to get the balance right.
Key takeaways
Allergen codes or symbols next to each dish with a key is the industry-standard menu format
Digital menus via QR codes are compliant but should be backed by a physical reference
Every food item needs allergen information, including specials, sides, sauces, and drinks
Review menu allergen codes against your current matrix every time you reprint or change recipes
Legal Requirements for Menus
For loose food, the Food Information Regulations 2014 require that allergen information is available at the point where the customer makes their ordering decision. A printed menu, digital menu board, or QR-linked menu all satisfy this requirement provided the allergen information is specific to each dish. You do not need to list full ingredients on a menu the way you do on a PPDS label. Instead, you need to indicate which of the 14 allergens are present in each dish. The most common compliant approach is allergen codes (numbers or letters) next to each dish name, with a key at the bottom of the menu or on a separate card. The FSA has published guidance supporting this numbered approach. An alternative is using standardised allergen icons, though there is no single mandatory icon set in UK law.
Numbering Systems, Symbols, and Layout Options
The numbered system assigns a number from 1 to 14 to each allergen (the order typically follows the list in EU 1169/2011 Annex II). Each dish on the menu is followed by the relevant numbers in brackets or superscript. For example: "Chicken Caesar Salad (1, 3, 4, 7, 10)" with a key showing 1=Celery, 3=Crustaceans, etc. This is compact and works well on printed menus. Icon-based systems use small graphical symbols for each allergen, often placed in a row next to the dish. Icons are more visual and can be easier for customers to scan, but they take up more space and require a clear legend. Some businesses use a hybrid: numbers on the main menu with a separate allergen information card that uses icons and provides more detail. Whichever system you choose, consistency is essential. Use the same system across your main menu, specials board, children's menu, and any other food listings.
Digital Menus and QR Code Allergen Information
QR code menus became widespread during the pandemic and many businesses have kept them. A QR code linking to a digital menu with allergen information is a compliant way to provide allergen data, provided the digital menu is accessible (loads quickly, works on all devices, does not require an app download). The advantage of digital menus is real-time updates. When a recipe changes, you update the digital version once and every customer immediately sees the correct information. No reprinting, no out-of-date paper menus. However, digital-only allergen information creates a risk if your website goes down or the customer cannot access it (poor signal, no smartphone, accessibility needs). Best practice is to maintain both a digital version and a physical backup (printed allergen matrix or staff-accessible reference sheet). Some allergen management platforms generate QR-linked allergen pages directly from your recipe database.
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The biggest problem with menu allergen information is inaccuracy. Menus are reprinted infrequently, but recipes and suppliers change regularly. A dish that was gluten-free last month may not be this month if you switched to a different sauce. Build a review process: every time you reprint menus, cross-check every allergen code against your current allergen matrix. Every time a recipe changes, update the matrix and check whether the menu needs updating. The second common problem is missing items. Specials, seasonal dishes, children's menu items, sides, sauces, and drinks are often omitted from allergen information. Every food item you serve needs allergen data, including condiments and garnishes. The third problem is illegibility. Tiny superscript numbers in a dim restaurant are not practically useful. Size your allergen codes to be readable in the lighting conditions your customers will experience.
What to do next
Add a numbered allergen key to your menu
Assign numbers 1-14 to each allergen, add codes next to every dish, and print the key at the bottom of the menu. Use a font size that is readable in your restaurant's lighting.
Create a QR-linked allergen page
Build a mobile-friendly web page listing every dish with its allergens. Generate a QR code linking to it and display on tables, at the counter, or on the menu itself.
Schedule monthly menu-matrix cross-checks
Set a recurring task to compare your printed menu allergen codes against your live allergen matrix. Update and reprint if any discrepancies are found.
Common mistakes to avoid
Mistake
Forgetting to include allergen information for specials and sides
Instead
Every food item you offer needs allergen data. Create a specials allergen sheet that is updated daily alongside the specials menu.
Mistake
Using allergen codes so small they cannot be read in the restaurant
Instead
Test readability in actual service conditions. If the numbers are not clear at arm's length under your dining room lighting, increase the size or use a clearer format.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need allergen information on a drinks menu?
Yes. Many drinks contain allergens: milk in cocktails, sulphites in wine, gluten in beer, nuts in liqueurs. Your drinks menu needs the same allergen coding as your food menu.
Is a QR code menu enough on its own?
It is legally compliant if the linked page is accessible, but best practice is to maintain a physical backup. Not all customers can use QR codes, and technology failures should not prevent allergen access.
Can I use "V" and "GF" symbols instead of the 14-allergen system?
Vegan and gluten-free markers are helpful additions but do not replace the requirement to declare all 14 allergens. A dish marked "GF" still needs codes for any other allergens it contains.
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