What allergen information does a UK restaurant have to give? It must tell guests which of the 14 allergens each dish contains. The regulations allow any means the operator chooses, including orally, so at the table the answer can be spoken if a written sign says staff can be asked. Online and phone orders need it at two stages: before the purchase is completed and at delivery. Prepacked-for-direct-sale food has needed a full ingredients label, with allergens emphasised, since 1 October 2021; food made to order, or placed into packaging at the consumer's request, is not PPDS. Written information plus a conversation is Food Standards Agency best practice, not law.
What the film covers
- The sauce changed supplier last week
- What goes wrong in practice, and what councils have done about it
- The 14 allergens list for a UK restaurant
- What the law requires for non-prepacked food
- Allergen information for online ordering and phone orders
- Grab-and-go food, buffets and what PPDS means
- The offence, and what the regulations leave out
- Best practice is not law: what the FSA asks for in writing
Questions the film answers
- Does a UK restaurant need a written allergen menu?
The law requires the information, not a particular format. For food served at the table, the information may be given orally if a visible written sign explains how guests can obtain it. Written information plus a conversation is the FSA's best practice from early 2025, and it is not law. The FSA Board has proposed that written information be underpinned by legislation, and that decision is for Ministers.
- Which 14 allergens must a restaurant list?
Celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, and tree nuts. Gluten covers wheat, rye, barley and oats. Tree nuts cover almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia. Peanuts are listed separately from tree nuts.
- What does an allergen matrix for a restaurant look like?
It is a grid of dishes against the 14 allergens, with a mark wherever a dish contains an allergen. The FSA publishes a free English-language matrix as a PDF. For dishes with several parts, the FSA best practice guidance suggests a breakdown by component, so a guest can see which part of the dish carries which allergen.
- When must allergen information be given for online orders?
At two stages: before the purchase of the food is completed, and when the food is delivered. The first can be in writing on a website or menu, or by phone. The second can be allergen stickers on the food, an enclosed copy of a menu, or a phone conversation. The FSA states this as a requirement for food sold online or by phone.
- Do I need allergen labels on food I wrap for takeaway?
The FSA says food made to order, and food placed into packaging at the consumer's request, is not prepacked for direct sale. Food that is PPDS needs the name of the food and a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised, a rule that has applied since 1 October 2021. Check each wrapped item against the FSA's PPDS guidance, and use the allergen information rules for everything else.
- Can a menu say "may contain" for every dish?
The FSA says general or blanket statements such as "may contain allergens" could be deemed misleading, because they are unlikely to be based on an assessment of the risk of cross-contamination for each of the 14 allergens. For non-prepacked food, the position on cross-contact can be given orally or on signs. Honest, specific wording beats a blanket line.