The 14 allergens to declare
Annex II of EU Regulation 1169/2011 lists the substances that cause allergies or intolerances and must always be declared when used in a dish:
- Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut)
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Milk, including lactose
- Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts)
- Celery
- Mustard
- Sesame seeds
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/l
- Lupin
- Molluscs
Who must declare them
Every business serving food that is not pre-packed: restaurants, trattorias, pizzerias, bars, rotisseries, fast-food outlets, canteens and anyone preparing takeaway or delivery food. It applies to every dish, drink and sauce, including those made on the premises or bought loose from a supplier.
For businesses selling online or taking distance orders, the Regulation requires the allergen information to be available before the customer completes the order.
How to communicate them
The rule is that customers must be able to find out a dish’s allergens before ordering it, clearly and without having to insist. The most common ways are:
- on the menu, next to each dish, with numbers or symbols and a key to the 14 allergens;
- in a register or in sheets per dish, kept in the dining room and shown by the staff, with a sign inviting customers to ask;
- in the digital menu or ordering app, if the restaurant uses one.
Whichever way you choose, the information must be kept up to date: if you change a recipe or a supplier, a dish’s allergens may change.
What happens if you don’t
Penalties are set by Italy’s Legislative Decree 231/2017, in force since 9 May 2018. Failing to provide allergen information for non-pre-packed food served by caterers, restaurants included, carries an administrative fine of €3,000 to €24,000.
Practical tips
- Start from the recipes. For each dish, write the ingredients and allergens once, and use that sheet for the menu, the register and online orders.
- Check suppliers’ labels. Sauces, bases and ready-made mixes often contain less obvious allergens, such as soy, celery or mustard.
- Train your staff. Whoever takes the order must know where to find the information and what to say.
- Think about languages. If staff or customers speak different languages, keep the sheets in several languages, for example Italian, Chinese and English.
In the first version of Kunoway RMS, the 14 allergens are a required menu field and also appear in online orders. If you are choosing a till, also read how to choose a POS for a fast-food restaurant.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (EUR-Lex)
- Legislative Decree no. 231 of 15 December 2017, penalties for breaches of Regulation 1169/2011 (Normattiva, in Italian)
The information is up to date as of the date shown and does not replace advice from your accountant or consultant.