The 14 Food Allergens: Guide for Irish Businesses
A practical allergen control guide for menus, recipes, suppliers and service.
A customer with a food allergy may rely on a menu or label to avoid an ingredient that could make them seriously ill. In Ireland, food businesses must declare the use of 14 specified allergen categories when they are ingredients in food or drink. For non-prepacked food, including meals sold by cafés, restaurants, delis and takeaways, the information must be provided in writing and be accessible before sale. Allergen control also belongs in the business's food safety management system.
What are the 14 EU allergen categories?
The categories are cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites above the specified threshold, lupin, and molluscs. Cereals containing gluten include wheat, rye, barley and oats. The named nuts include almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios and macadamia nuts. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites are declarable above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/L, expressed as total sulphur dioxide. Staff should understand ingredients rather than memorise a poster alone. A pesto may contain milk and cashews; a stock powder may include celery; a glaze may contain soy; a sauce may use mustard. Supplier specifications and recipe cards are essential because a familiar dish name rarely reveals every ingredient.
Written information must identify the food
The FSAI says allergen information for non-prepacked foods must be legible, clear, easy to find and available before a customer buys. It should relate directly to each food or drink. “Our kitchen uses allergens” is not a substitute for identifying the allergens in a specific dish. A printed menu, clearly signposted allergen folder or accessible electronic display can work if customers can find the information without having to request it from staff. The declaration concerns allergens intentionally used as ingredients. A voluntary “may contain” warning about possible accidental cross-contact does not replace the required ingredient declaration. Do not use a blanket warning to avoid keeping recipes accurate. For online or telephone orders, plan how written allergen information reaches the customer before purchase and at delivery as applicable.
Build a reliable recipe and supplier record
For every menu item, list the ingredients and sub-ingredients, including dressings, garnishes, sauces, oils and drinks. Collect supplier labels or specifications and record which version was checked. If a product is substituted, pause the allergen declaration until someone checks the new label. Do the same when the chef changes a recipe, even for a “small” topping. The FSAI's free MenuCal tool can help businesses record recipes and allergen information. Whichever system you use, assign an owner, date changes and make the current version easy for service staff to reach. Retire old printed menus and update delivery platforms when ingredients change.
Control accidental transfer in the kitchen
An allergen can reach a dish through shared utensils, frying oil, preparation surfaces, storage bins or hands. Assess where transfer is possible and set practical controls: separate or thoroughly clean equipment, protect ingredients, schedule preparation sensibly and label containers. Staff must know which measures are reliable in their kitchen. A quick wipe of a board may not be an adequate control for a customer with an allergy. When a customer requests an allergen-free option, confirm the exact ingredient and cross-contact controls that the business can deliver. If staff cannot verify the recipe or preparation method, say so clearly and do not guess. Record near misses and use them to improve the process.
Train front and back of house together
Kitchen staff need to know how recipe changes reach the menu. Front-of-house staff need to know where the written information lives and how to answer without improvising. Run a short drill: a customer asks whether a soup contains milk; a new stock brand is on the shelf. The team should check the current specification, update the recipe record if needed and provide a clear answer before taking payment. Management should review the allergen matrix and supplier information regularly, and immediately after changes. Include allergen handling in induction, HACCP training and refreshers. The legal duty applies to the business, while each trained worker helps make the written declaration trustworthy at the point of service.
Pay attention to exact names
For cereals containing gluten, identify the cereal, such as wheat or barley, rather than writing only “gluten”. For nuts, identify the particular nut, such as almond or cashew. This helps customers understand the ingredient and matches the FSAI's advice. Check compound ingredients carefully: a bought-in bread, marinade or dessert can contain several allergens. For sulphites, the legal threshold matters, so use supplier specifications rather than guessing from the ingredient name. Staff should have a route for asking the manager about uncertainty before a food or drink is sold.
Make information work for every sales channel
A customer may read a table menu, order at a counter or use a delivery app. Review the written allergen information in each channel, including daily specials and drinks. Place it where the customer can see it before committing to buy, and make sure the version at the till agrees with the kitchen record. If an item is temporarily unavailable or made with a substitute, stop relying on the old declaration until it is checked and updated. Keep a dated record of menu changes so the team can trace which information was in use.
