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Allergens in restaurants: how to inform correctly on your menu

Since 2014 every bar and restaurant has been required to inform customers about the allergens present in its dishes. We explain what the law requires, which are the 14 allergens that must be declared and how to show them for free on your QR menu and on your printed menu.

Is it mandatory to show allergens on a restaurant menu?

Yes. Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, in force since 13 December 2014, requires every establishment serving non-prepacked food (restaurants, bars, cafés, canteens, caterers, food trucks…) to inform about the presence of 14 substances that can cause allergies or intolerances. In Spain it is implemented by Royal Decree 126/2015.

The information must be available before the customer orders, either in writing (on the menu, a sign or a card) or verbally, provided that in that case there is a visible sign stating that staff can provide the information and that it is recorded in writing on the premises. The usual “ask our staff” on its own is not enough.

Non-compliance is treated as a food safety offence and can lead to fines of several thousand euros, in addition to civil liability if a customer suffers an allergic reaction.

The 14 allergens that must be declared

These are the allergens you must indicate, dish by dish, whenever they are part of the ingredients or have been used in the preparation:

Icon of the allergen Gluten Gluten Wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut and derivatives
Icon of the allergen Crustaceans Crustaceans Prawns, shrimps, crabs, lobster, langoustines…
Icon of the allergen Eggs Eggs Eggs and egg-based products
Icon of the allergen Fish Fish Fish and fish-based products
Icon of the allergen Peanuts Peanuts Peanuts and peanut-based products
Icon of the allergen Soy Soy Soybeans and soy-based products
Icon of the allergen Dairy products Dairy products Milk and dairy products, including lactose
Icon of the allergen Tree nuts Tree nuts Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pistachios…
Icon of the allergen Celery Celery Celery and celery-based products
Icon of the allergen Mustard Mustard Mustard and mustard-based products
Icon of the allergen Sesame Sesame Sesame seeds and sesame-based products
Icon of the allergen Sulphites Sulphites Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations above 10 mg/kg
Icon of the allergen Mollusks Mollusks Mussels, clams, squid, octopus, snails…
Icon of the allergen Lupins Lupins Lupin and lupin-based products

What about traces?

The law requires you to declare the allergens that are ingredients of the dish. Traces (cross-contamination from sharing a fryer, griddle or utensils) are not mandatory, but indicating them is good practice that protects your most sensitive customers and your business. BuenaCarta lets you mark both the allergens and the “may contain traces of” for every dish.

How to inform about allergens in your restaurant

  1. Check the recipes and the labels of every product you buy: sauces, stocks, batters, cured meats or breads often hide gluten, dairy, egg, soy or sulphites.
  2. Prepare a card for each dish with its allergens and traces, and keep it up to date whenever a supplier or a recipe changes.
  3. Show the information on the menu, next to each dish, with clear icons and a legend.
  4. Train your front-of-house and kitchen staff so they know how to answer and how to avoid cross-contamination.

Free menu with allergens with BuenaCarta

With the BuenaCarta QR menu, complying with the regulation takes minutes: on each dish you tick the allergens and traces and the menu automatically shows the official icons next to the dish name, both in the digital version and in the printable PDF. If you change a recipe, you update it from your phone and your customers see the correct information instantly.

  • The 14 official allergens with their icons, in every plan, including the free one.
  • Traces and cross-contamination per dish.
  • Vegan, vegetarian and spicy indicators.
  • Allergen legend on the digital and the printed menu.
  • Automatic translation of the menu, including the allergen names, with the Premium plan.

Create my free menu with allergens

Frequently asked questions about allergens in restaurants

You do not need to indicate anything, although many restaurants add a note such as “no declared allergens” to make clear that the information has been checked. In BuenaCarta a dish with no allergens ticked simply shows no icons.

Yes. The obligation covers all the non-prepacked food you serve: à la carte menu, daily set menu, tapas, snacks, breakfasts or the wine list (wines usually contain sulphites). With BuenaCarta you can create a separate daily menu and change it every day in a minute.

The regulation allows it if there is a visible sign inviting customers to ask the staff and the information is documented in writing on the premises and accessible. In practice, having them on the menu is safer for you and more convenient for the customer.

There is no mandatory official pictogram: you can use icons, numbers or the allergen name. What matters is that the information is clear, visible and linked to each dish. BuenaCarta’s icons follow the most widespread standard in hospitality.

An allergy is a reaction of the immune system that can be serious even with tiny amounts (for example, to tree nuts). An intolerance (such as lactose) affects digestion and usually depends on the amount. Both are covered by the 14 allergens of the regulation.

Your menu with allergens, free and in minutes

Protect your customers and your business. Create your digital menu with the 14 allergens and download the printable PDF.

Create my free menuView demo