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EU Allergen Labelling: A Guide for Restaurants

Since December 2014, the EU Food Information Regulation (FIR, Regulation 1169/2011) requires all food businesses to inform consumers about 14 major allergens. This guide explains the obligations and shows how a digital menu simplifies compliance.

The 14 EU Major Allergens

  • A — Cereals containing gluten
  • B — Crustaceans
  • C — Eggs
  • D — Fish
  • E — Peanuts
  • F — Soy
  • G — Milk/Lactose
  • H — Tree nuts
  • I — Celery
  • J — Mustard
  • K — Sesame
  • L — Sulphur dioxide/Sulphites
  • M — Lupin
  • N — Molluscs

Legal obligations

Labelling is mandatory — verbally or in writing. Written labelling must clearly assign allergens (footnote system, symbols or codes). Violations can result in fines up to EUR 50,000.

Digital implementation with BlueChilliesQR

The menu generator supports all 14 EU allergens. Per dish, you can assign allergen codes (A–N) with a single click. The legend is automatically displayed in the footer. The interactive allergen filter in the exported HTML allows guests to filter dishes by allergen — a huge added value over printed menus.

Best practices

  • Train your kitchen staff on correct allergen labelling
  • Update labelling with every recipe change
  • Provide detailed allergen information upon request
  • Use the digital allergen filter as an added service

→ Create a menu with allergen labelling

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