Allergen Menu Template: Free 14 Allergens Table and Rules

An allergen menu template is a simple table: one row per dish, and next to it the allergens that dish contains. In the UK and the EU, restaurants must tell guests about 14 allergens; in the US, the FDA lists 9 major food allergens. Copy the tables below, fill in one row per dish from your real recipes, and keep it up to date.

This guide gives you both lists, a template to fill in, the rules in plain words and the quickest way to show allergens on your online menu.

What are the 14 allergens? (copy this table)

These are the 14 allergens in Annex II of EU Regulation 1169/2011, which the UK uses too. The second column shows where they often hide in a restaurant kitchen. It's a reminder, not a full list, so always check your recipes and your suppliers' labels.

Allergen menu template (copy and fill in)

Many restaurants find one row per dish easier to read than a big grid with 14 columns, especially on a phone. Here's the template, with two filled-in rows as an example of the format:

How to fill it in:

1. Work from the recipe card, not from memory. Include sauces, dressings, garnishes and the oil used for frying.
2. Check suppliers' labels: a ready-made stock or sauce can bring in celery, mustard or milk.
3. Name the allergen clearly: "tree nuts (walnuts)" tells a guest far more than "nuts".
4. Use "May contain" only for a real risk, like a shared fryer.
5. Write the date and check the row again every time a recipe or a supplier changes.

What are the rules in the UK and the EU?

In the EU, Regulation 1169/2011 makes allergen information mandatory for food that is not prepacked, including meals in restaurants (Article 44). Each country then decides how it must be shown, which is why the rules differ a little from place to place:

• UK (England, Wales and Northern Ireland): you can give allergen information in writing, on a menu, a board or an information pack, or by staff, as long as a written notice in a visible spot tells guests to ask. The Food Standards Agency's best practice since 2025 is written information plus a conversation.
• France: the information must be written and readable by guests without having to ask staff.
• Italy: allergens go on the menu, a register or a sign; if you use a digital system, you also need written records on site.
• Spain: written or, under conditions, by staff, with a visible notice and written records.

Selling for delivery or pick-up? In the UK, guests must get allergen information before they pay and again when the food arrives. Your online menu covers the first step.

What about the US?

The FDA lists 9 major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame, which became the ninth on January 1, 2023. The federal allergen labeling law is written for packaged food, so restaurant rules depend on your state and city. If you serve guests from the US and Europe, the 14-allergen table above already covers all 9.

How do you show allergens on an online menu?

A digital menu for restaurants makes allergen updates easy: change a recipe, edit the dish and the menu is up to date, with no reprinting. In Acuolina:

• Tick the allergens on each dish. Open the dish and go to the Allergens section. Pick everything it contains, and for gluten and tree nuts also pick the exact cereal or nut. The list has all 14 allergens and natural latex, plus lactose and alcohol under "Other warnings".
• Guests see them under the dish name, as "Contains: gluten (wheat) and milk", in the same size and color as the name and never cut short. The line shows again when they open the dish.
• Don't skip a dish. A dish with nothing ticked shows no allergen line, so go through drinks and desserts too.
• Write "may contain" in the description, and only when there's a real risk, like a shared fryer.
• Add labels like gluten free, vegan or nut free when they're true. They help guests choose at a glance, but they don't replace the "Contains" line.
• Keep the menu and your table in step. When a recipe changes, update the row and the ticks on the same day.

Then put the QR code on the tables; our QR code menu guide shows where it works best. Keep the printed table at the counter for guests without a phone and for staff.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• "Ask staff" with no written backup. Even where verbal information is allowed, staff need a written source to check.
• Only listing what's in the dish name. Butter in the sauce or egg wash on the bun is where problems start.
• Forgetting drinks and desserts. Wine has sulphites, many desserts have eggs, milk and nuts.
• An old table. A new supplier can change a dish's allergens overnight.

Where to go next

If you take orders from the menu, guests can also send them straight to you: see QR code table ordering and commission-free online ordering. Running a pizza shop? Our pizza and burger menu guide covers sizes and half-and-half. Comparing tools? Start with the free QR code menu options, then share your menu on Google and Instagram. Plans are on the pricing page, and you can create your free menu in a few minutes.