Allergens are not optional: fines reach €24,000
EU Regulation 1169/2011 requires all food business operators to communicate the presence of 14 recognized allergens in every dish served. Beyond fines, a customer with a severe allergy consuming an undeclared allergen can have life-threatening consequences, with criminal liability for the restaurateur.
The 14 allergens to declare
- Cereals containing gluten 2. Crustaceans 3. Eggs 4. Fish 5. Peanuts 6. Soybeans 7. Milk (including lactose) 8. Tree nuts 9. Celery 10. Mustard 11. Sesame 12. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites 13. Lupin 14. Molluscs
Important: the list includes derivatives. Butter contains milk, egg pasta contains eggs and gluten, mayonnaise contains eggs and mustard.
How to display allergens on your menu
Option 1: Icons or numbers next to each dish (most transparent). Option 2: Separate allergen book available on request. Option 3: Verbal communication by trained staff.
Best practice: combine all three.
Kitchen allergen management
- Designated preparation areas for allergen-free dishes
- Separate color-coded utensils
- Staff training on cross-contamination
- Documented recipes with highlighted allergens
- Clear kitchen-to-service communication
BiteBase automatically calculates allergens from recipe ingredients and generates the allergen register as a PDF.
Cross-contamination: the hidden risk
Cross-contamination occurs when an allergen unintentionally transfers between foods during preparation. Common examples: frying chips in the same oil as shrimp, cutting bread with the same knife used for nuts, using the same spoon for sauces with and without milk.
Digital menus and allergens
QR/digital menus make allergen management easier: customers can filter by allergen, information is always current, multilingual support for international guests.
Common mistakes
1. Delegating everything to untrained servers — Every staff member must know the 14 allergens. 2. Not updating when changing suppliers — Different suppliers may use different ingredients. 3. Underestimating derivatives — Lactose is a milk derivative. Soy lecithin is a soy derivative. 4. Not considering sauces — Worcestershire contains fish. Pesto contains tree nuts. 5. No emergency protocol — What happens if a customer has a reaction?
FAQ
Must I list allergens for daily specials? Yes, every dish served must have allergens communicated.
Does bread/cover charge need allergen listing? Yes. Bread contains gluten (often milk and eggs too).
What happens during a health inspection? The inspector checks: allergen register presence and updates, staff training, anti-contamination procedures, signage.