Allergen rules for restaurants, country by country.
Every restaurant, café and bar in the EU and the UK must tell guests which of the 14 allergens are in its food. How you have to do it differs: some countries require written information, others allow staff to answer if a written record exists.
At a glance
| Country | Written information | Oral information | Calories on menus |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Recommended | Yes, if verifiable | England: 250+ staff |
| Germany | Written or oral | Yes, with written list and notice | Not required |
| Austria | Written or oral | Yes, by trained staff | Not required |
| France | Required | No (written required) | Not required |
| Italy | Required (menu, register, sign or digital) | Only with written documentation | Not required |
| Spain | Written or oral | Yes, with written or electronic record | Not required |
| The Netherlands | Written or oral | Yes, with notice and written record | Not required |
| Ireland | Required | No (written required) | Not required |
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and local authorities may interpret them differently; check with your food authority. Last checked: October 2026.
The 14 allergens.
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II. The UK kept the same list. They must be declared when used as an ingredient, even in small amounts.
- Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, Khorasan wheat)
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Milk
- Tree 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/litre)
- Lupin
- Molluscs
Written allergen information, kept in sync.
Menuvola gives you the written, dish-by-dish allergen information most rules expect, in every format.
- 14 allergens per dishIngredients, allergens and calories are required for every item; incomplete items stay in draft.
- Printed allergen sheetPrint an A4 or A3 allergen and calorie sheet from the same data for guests who can’t or don’t want to scan.
- QR menu with a noticeTable cards and the printed menu carry a notice that allergen information is available.
- Suggestions, not guessesAs you type ingredients, the panel suggests possible allergens (e.g. “butter” → milk); you confirm them.
- Four languagesMenus and printed documents in English, German, Russian and Turkish.
- kcal and kJA calorie calculator built on an ingredient database, shown per portion.
Questions you may have.
Which allergens must restaurants declare?
Across the EU and the UK, the 14 allergens in Annex II of Regulation 1169/2011: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin and molluscs.
Do the rules apply to food that isn’t packaged?
Yes. Since December 2014, allergen information is mandatory for non-prepacked food too, including meals served in restaurants, cafés and bars. Each country decides how the information must be given.
Is a QR code menu enough?
None of the official sources we checked says that a QR code alone is enough, and several countries require written information that guests can find without asking or without a phone. Keep a printed allergen sheet on the premises as well; Menuvola prints one from the same data as your QR menu.
Do I have to show calories on my menu?
Only in some places. In England, businesses with 250 or more employees must show kcal on menus. In the other countries on this page there is no general requirement, but many guests appreciate it.
Try Menuvola free for 14 days.
Set up your menu, print your allergen sheet and see how it works for your business. No card needed.
