Compliance

Best Allergen Management Software (2026)

Digital allergen tracking, menu labelling, and compliance tools compared.

Updated: 2026

Since Natasha's Law came into force in October 2021, allergen management has become one of the highest-priority compliance areas for UK food businesses. The 14 allergens must be communicated to customers, staff must be trained, and records must be maintained. Digital allergen management tools help businesses build allergen matrices, label menus correctly, and maintain the documentation that EHO inspectors expect to see.

How We Evaluated

1

Allergen matrix

Ability to create and maintain a complete allergen matrix for all menu items against the UK 14 allergens.

2

Menu labelling

Support for generating allergen labels for PPDS (pre-packaged for direct sale) items under Natasha's Law.

3

Staff training

Built-in allergen awareness training and competency tracking.

4

Menu extraction

Ability to extract allergen information from existing menus or recipes.

5

Audit trail

Documentation trail showing allergen management practices for EHO inspections.

Our Picks

Paddl

Best for: AI-powered allergen matrix with full compliance

Paddl combines AI menu extraction with a complete allergen management system. Upload a menu and the AI identifies dishes and allergens automatically. The allergen matrix integrates with the broader compliance system including training records and EHO preparation.

Strengths
✓AI extracts allergens from uploaded menus automatically
✓Full 14-allergen matrix with CSV import/export
✓Integrated with training and compliance records
✓Mobile app for staff allergen reference
✓Free standalone allergen matrix tool on website
Weaknesses
✗AI extraction needs human verification for accuracy
✗No direct POS menu integration
Pricing:Included in all plans from £49/month. Free tool available.

Erudus

Best for: Supplier data and product-level allergen info

Erudus is a food data platform that connects manufacturers with food businesses, providing product-level allergen and nutritional data. Excellent for businesses that need detailed ingredient-level allergen data from suppliers.

Strengths
✓Direct manufacturer allergen data
✓Comprehensive product database
✓Good for caterers and food service companies
Weaknesses
✗Not a full compliance platform
✗Better for supply chain than restaurant operations
✗Limited operational compliance features
Pricing:Free for basic access, premium from £50/month.

Do4U Allergen

Best for: Simple allergen labelling

Do4U provides straightforward allergen labelling tools for food businesses, focusing on generating compliant labels for PPDS items. Good for bakeries and delis that primarily need labelling rather than full compliance management.

Strengths
✓Simple label generation
✓Natasha's Law compliant templates
✓Easy to use for non-technical staff
Weaknesses
✗Limited to labelling (no broader compliance)
✗No allergen matrix for full menu
✗No staff training features
Pricing:From £20/month.

Buying Guide

What allergen records do you need?

At minimum, you need an allergen matrix showing which of the 14 UK allergens are present in each menu item. If you sell PPDS food (pre-packaged for direct sale), you also need compliant ingredient labels. Beyond records, you should be able to demonstrate that staff are trained in allergen awareness and know how to handle allergen queries from customers.

Standalone vs integrated allergen management

A standalone allergen tool might be enough if allergen labelling is your only concern. But allergen management is closely linked to other compliance areas — training records, HACCP plans, EHO preparation — so an integrated platform that handles everything together will save time and produce better audit documentation.

Related Resources

GuideHow to Manage Allergens in a Commercial KitchenGlossaryThe 14 Allergens (UK Law)GlossaryNatasha's LawRegulationNatashas Law (Food Information Amendment 2019)RegulationFood Information Regulations 2014FeatureAllergens

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 14 allergens I need to declare?

The 14 allergens that must be declared under UK law are: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, nuts, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, and sulphur dioxide (sulphites above 10mg/kg).

Do I need allergen software if I have a small menu?

Even with a small menu, you still need to identify and communicate allergens. A spreadsheet might work for a very simple operation, but software becomes valuable as soon as you have menu changes, multiple staff, or PPDS items that need labelling.

Find the right tool for your business

Paddl brings compliance, operations, and team management into one platform built specifically for UK hospitality. See how it compares.

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