In the UK and the EU, restaurants and cafés must tell customers if any dish contains one of 14 regulated allergens, and that information must be accurate and easy to get. For dishes served loose (non-prepacked food), the law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland lets you give it in writing or verbally — but if you rely on staff telling guests, a clearly visible notice must say they can ask. Since February 2025 the Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends that written allergen information is always available, backed by a conversation with staff.
A digital QR menu is one of the easiest ways to provide that written information and keep it up to date — but not a complete answer on its own.
• There are 14 allergens you must declare when they are an ingredient in a dish.
• For restaurant dishes (non-prepacked food) you can give the information in writing or verbally; if verbal, a visible sign must tell guests to ask staff.
• FSA best practice (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2025): written information always available, plus a conversation with staff.
• A QR menu can show allergens for every dish and update instantly, but you also need a non-digital alternative and trained staff.
• Rules differ by country — Ireland, for example, requires written information for loose food.
This is general guidance, not legal advice — check the official guidance for your country (links at the end of this article).
What are the 14 allergens?
The list comes from Annex II of EU Regulation No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, which the UK kept in its own law after Brexit. You must declare these when they are used as an ingredient (or processing aid) and are still present in the finished dish, even in an altered form. The tricky part is that many of them hide in sauces, stocks, dressings and garnishes.
| Allergen | What it covers | Where it often hides |
|---|---|---|
| Cereals containing gluten | Wheat (incl. spelt, khorasan), rye, barley, oats | Batter, breadcrumbs, gravy, stock cubes, soy sauce, beer |
| Crustaceans | Prawns, crab, lobster, crayfish | Thai curry paste, shrimp paste, fish stock, paella |
| Eggs | Eggs from any bird | Mayonnaise, aioli, fresh pasta, egg wash on pastry, meringue |
| Fish | All fish | Worcestershire sauce, Caesar dressing, fish sauce, pizza toppings |
| Peanuts | Peanuts (groundnuts) | Satay, curries, peanut oil, sauces, vegan desserts |
| Soybeans | Soya in any form | Soy sauce, tofu, edamame, miso, soya flour in bread |
| Milk | Milk and milk products, incl. lactose | Butter, cream sauces, ghee, glazes, mashed potato |
| Nuts (tree nuts) | Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamias | Pesto, frangipane, praline, nut oils, salads, granola |
| Celery | Stalks, leaves, seeds, celeriac | Soups, stocks, celery salt, spice blends |
| Mustard | Seeds, powder, leaves, liquid mustard | Dressings, marinades, sauces, curries |
| Sesame | Seeds, oil, paste | Tahini, hummus, bread toppings, Asian dressings |
| Sulphur dioxide and sulphites | Above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre | Wine, beer, dried fruit, some sausages, pickles |
| Lupin | Lupin seeds and flour | Some breads, pastries and pasta, especially in continental recipes |
| Molluscs | Mussels, oysters, squid, octopus, snails | Oyster sauce, seafood stock, fish stews |
Non-prepacked, PPDS and prepacked food: which rules apply to your menu?
Allergen law treats food differently depending on how it is packed. Most restaurant menus fall into the first category.
| Type of food | Typical examples | How allergens must be shown |
|---|---|---|
| Non-prepacked (loose) | Dishes served at the table, takeaway meals made to order, cakes from the counter | In writing or verbally (with a visible notice to ask staff in the UK); some EU countries require writing |
| Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) | Sandwiches or salads you pack before the customer orders and sell from the same premises | A label with the food name and full ingredients list, allergens emphasised (UK, since October 2021) |
| Prepacked | Branded crisps, canned drinks, bottled sauces bought in | Ingredients list on the pack with allergens emphasised, put there by the manufacturer |
PPDS rules are often called “Natasha’s Law”. They are about labels on packaged food, not menus: grab-and-go sandwiches you packed that morning need a full label, and listing them on your QR menu does not replace it. Dishes made to order are non-prepacked, and that is what the rest of this guide covers.
How can restaurants provide allergen information?
The legal minimum in the UK
In England, the Food Information Regulations 2014 (with equivalent regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) allow you to provide allergen information for non-prepacked food by any means, including verbally. If you give it verbally, you must indicate that details can be obtained by asking a member of staff, on a notice, menu, ticket or label customers can easily see where they choose their food. Written options named by the FSA include a menu, a chalkboard or an information pack. Either way, the information must be accurate.
FSA best practice (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
In February 2025 the FSA published best practice guidance on allergen information for non-prepacked foods. It does not change the law and you are not legally required to follow it, but it shows what the FSA considers good practice. The main points:
- Written allergen information should always be available, ideally without customers having to ask for it — for example on a paper or digital menu, in an allergen booklet or on a wall matrix.
- It should be supported by a conversation. Staff should ask all customers whether they have any allergen requirements and be trained to discuss them, including cross-contact risks.
- If the information is not on the main menu, a clear message should tell customers where to find it.
- If you use digital information, you should have an alternative for people who cannot access it, and a back-up in case the digital version fails.
- For takeaway and delivery, written information should be available before the order is placed and again when the food is delivered.
The FSA has said it supports making written information a legal requirement and intends to review how the guidance is being used. As of late 2026, check food.gov.uk for any change in the law.
Scotland
The FSA’s 2025 guidance does not cover Scotland. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has its own guidance and consulted in 2026 on whether written information should be required. Check foodstandards.gov.scot for the outcome.
EU countries
Regulation 1169/2011 makes allergen information for non-prepacked food mandatory across the EU (Articles 9(1)(c) and 44), but lets each member state set national rules on how it is provided. Ireland, for instance, requires it in writing; other countries may allow verbal information with a notice. Check your national food safety authority’s guidance, including any language requirements.
What a digital QR menu can and cannot do
What it does well
- Allergens per dish, in writing, readable before the guest orders.
- Instant updates when a recipe or supplier changes. A printed menu or PDF can stay wrong for weeks.
- Several languages, so a tourist with a nut allergy reads it in their own language.
- Section-level notes such as “All fried food is cooked in shared oil”.
- Sold-out marking, so guests don’t choose a safe dish that has run out.
What it cannot do
- Be the only channel. Some guests have no smartphone, a flat battery or poor eyesight. Keep a printed allergen matrix or folder as an alternative and back-up.
- Replace the conversation. Staff still need to ask about allergies and check with the kitchen.
- Know your recipes. It is only as accurate as what you type; the responsibility stays with you.
“May contain” and cross-contact warnings
The 14 allergens must be declared when they are ingredients. Accidental traces from shared equipment, oil or surfaces are different: this is where precautionary allergen labelling (PAL), such as “may contain”, comes in. FSA guidance says:
- Use it only when a risk assessment shows a risk you cannot control — never instead of good hygiene.
- Name the allergen (“may contain sesame”), not “may contain allergens”.
- Don’t combine “free-from” and “may contain” for the same allergen.
- If you cannot avoid cross-contamination, tell customers you cannot provide an allergen-free dish.
Keeping allergen information accurate
Allergen information often goes wrong because it was right once and nobody updated it. The FSA recommends procedures to keep it accurate at all times: keep a written recipe for every dish (sauces and garnishes included), ask suppliers to tell you when an ingredient changes, and check deliveries for substituted products — a new brand of pesto may swap pine nuts for cashews. Update the menu before the next service, and train staff; the FSA offers free online allergy training.
Allergen checklist for your digital menu
- List the allergens in every dish, drink and side, including sauces and garnishes.
- Show them on each dish in words (symbols need a written legend).
- Add section notes for shared risks, such as shared fryers.
- Translate them into every menu language and have them checked.
- Put “Please tell us about any allergies” on table cards.
- Keep a printed allergen matrix as an alternative and back-up.
- Train staff to ask every guest and check with the kitchen.
- Label any PPDS food with a full ingredients list.
- Update the same day recipes or suppliers change; review monthly.
- For takeaway, give allergen information before ordering and with the food.
How QR Dining helps
QR Dining was built with allergen information in mind. Every dish has its own allergens and ingredients fields in each of up to seven languages (English, Romanian, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Greek), and guests see them when they open the dish. Each section can carry an allergen note for statements like “All our pizzas contain gluten”, and you can attach an optional nutrition PDF per section. Changes go live instantly, and any dish can be marked Currently unavailable. Our guide on how to create a QR code menu for your restaurant shows where each field goes. If you are still deciding between formats, see QR code menu vs PDF menu vs printed menu.
Frequently asked questions
Do restaurants have to put allergens on the menu in the UK?
Not by law, as of 2026. You must provide allergen information for the 14 allergens, but in England, Wales and Northern Ireland you can do it verbally if a visible notice tells customers to ask staff. FSA best practice recommends written information is always available.
Is a QR code menu enough for allergen information?
It is a good way to provide written information, but it should not be the only one. FSA guidance says digital information needs an alternative for people who cannot use it, and staff should still discuss allergies with customers.
What is the difference between Natasha’s Law and menu allergen rules?
Natasha’s Law covers food prepacked for direct sale, such as sandwiches packed on the premises, which need a full ingredients label. Dishes made to order are non-prepacked and follow the menu rules described above.
Do the same rules apply in the EU?
The same 14 allergens apply across the EU under Regulation 1169/2011, but each country decides how information for loose food must be given. Ireland, for example, requires it in writing.
Official sources
- FSA: Allergen guidance for food businesses
- FSA: Allergen information for non-prepacked foods: best practice
- FSA: Precautionary allergen labelling
- legislation.gov.uk: Food Information Regulations 2014, regulation 5
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011
- Food Standards Scotland: foodstandards.gov.scot
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Allergen information for non-prepacked food
Make allergen information easy for your guests
Clear, up-to-date allergen information protects your guests and your business. QR Dining gives you per-dish allergens and ingredients in up to seven languages, instant updates and QR code stickers for your tables for £89 a year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Click Get Started on the home page and we will help you set it up.