Compliance & Safety
Food Allergy Chart for Restaurants
An editable allergen matrix for your menu: the nine major US allergens plus an optional gluten column, with a three-state cell for contains, may contain, and free. Filter for safe items, print a poster for the line, and flip to a guest-facing version for the host stand. Build it from your recipe cards and keep it dated.
Pre-filled with a 13-item dinner menu. Click any cell to cycle it: not present → contains → may contain. Edit item names and notes inline. Switch to guest-facing view before printing a copy for the host stand.
12 / 13
items flag at least one allergen
| Menu Item | MilkMilk | EggsEgg | FishFish | Crustacean ShellfishShell | Tree NutsT.Nut | PeanutsPnut | WheatWheat | SoybeansSoy | SesameSes | GlutenGlut | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Line copy. Chef verifies every row against current recipe cards before posting. Any recipe or supplier change: update the chart the same day, re-date it, and replace both the line copy and the host-stand copy.
What Is a Food Allergy Chart for Restaurants?
A food allergy chart, also called an allergen matrix, lists every menu item in rows and the major allergens in columns. Each cell says whether the dish contains the allergen, may contain it through cross-contact, or is free of it. Servers use it to answer “can I eat this?” without guessing, and the kitchen uses it as the reference for allergy tickets. It should be built from your recipe cards, not from memory.
9
major allergens under US law (sesame added Jan 1, 2023 by the FASTER Act, per FDA)
33M
Americans with a food allergy, per FARE
74%
of allergic reactions involve non-prepackaged food such as restaurant meals (2025 Nutrients review, cited by SnackSafely)
How to Use This Allergen Matrix
- 1Replace the sample dishes with your menu. One row per item, including sides, sauces, and desserts. Add rows with the button below the chart.
- 2Open each recipe card and click cells: X for contains, ~ for may contain (shared fryer, shared prep surface, supplier "may contain" statements).
- 3Turn the gluten column on if you get celiac or gluten-free requests. Gluten is not a federal allergen category, but Illinois now requires gluten content in manager allergen training.
- 4Use the "show items safe for" filter during service to pull up a safe list for one allergen in a second.
- 5Print the kitchen view for the pass and switch to guest-facing view for a host-stand copy. Re-date it every time a recipe changes.
The Big 9 Allergens and Where They Hide
Federal law (FALCPA 2004, plus the FASTER Act for sesame) names nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. Molluscan shellfish (clams, oysters, squid) are not on the federal list, so track them in a note if your menu leans seafood. The obvious sources are easy. The ones below are what cause the incidents.
| Allergen | Hidden in | Label words |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | Butter-basted steaks, brioche buns, "non-dairy" creamers with casein, ranch mix, some deli meats | Whey, casein, ghee, lactose |
| Eggs | Mayo and aioli, Caesar dressing, meringue, egg wash on pastry, pasta dough, some breaded coatings | Albumin, lysozyme, meringue powder |
| Fish | Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins lists anchovies), Caesar dressing, fish sauce in pad thai and curries, some Bloody Mary mixes | Anchovy, fish sauce, bonito, surimi |
| Crustacean shellfish | Shrimp paste in Thai curry bases, XO sauce, seafood stock in risotto, shared fryer oil with calamari | Shrimp, crab, lobster, crawfish, prawn |
| Tree nuts | Pesto (pine nuts), praline, marzipan, nut-based crusts, almond flour desserts, some pestos use walnuts or cashews | Almond, cashew, walnut, pecan, pistachio, pine nut, coconut (FDA lists it as a tree nut) |
| Peanuts | Satay sauce, some chili crisp, mole, egg rolls sealed with peanut butter, cross-contact at a dessert station | Arachis oil, groundnut, mixed nuts |
| Wheat | Soy sauce, roux, panko, croutons, seitan, malt vinegar, flour-dusted fryer baskets, beer batter | Semolina, durum, farro, spelt, bulgur, couscous |
| Soybeans | Soy sauce, miso, tofu, edamame, soy lecithin in chocolate, vegetable oil blends, some veggie burgers | Lecithin, tamari, shoyu, TVP, edamame |
| Sesame | Tahini in hummus, sesame buns, za'atar, halva, sesame oil in stir-fry, some falafel mixes | Tahini, benne seed, gomashio, sesame oil |
Worcestershire is the classic trap. Lea & Perrins lists anchovies, so crab cakes, Caesar dressing, and any steak sauce built on it are a fish allergen. Soy is not in the US Lea & Perrins recipe, but some private-label versions use soy sauce. Read the label on the bottle you actually buy.
Cross-Contact vs. Cross-Contamination
Cross-contact
An allergen protein gets into a food that should not have it. Same fryer for calamari and fries, one tongs for the pesto panini and the plain chicken, flour dust on a shared board. Cooking does not fix it. Heat kills bacteria; it does not destroy allergen proteins. This is the “~” cell on the chart.
Cross-contamination
Bacteria or other pathogens move from raw to ready-to-eat food, or from a dirty surface to food. Cooking to temperature and sanitizing fixes it. Your cleaning checklist covers this. FDA uses the two terms separately in its preventive controls rules (21 CFR 117).
How to Take an Allergy Order: The 5-Step Script
More than half of restaurant reactions happen after the guest told staff about the allergy (per the same 2025 review). The failure is the handoff, not the knowledge. Drill this script in pre-shift and put it in your SOP binder.
1. Ask before the order
"Does anyone at the table have a food allergy?" Ask every table, every time. Do not wait for the guest to volunteer it.
2. Write it on the ticket
Note the allergen and the seat number on the ticket in the POS allergy field, not a verbal shout. "Seat 3, tree nut allergy" is the minimum.
3. Check the chart, then confirm with the kitchen
Read the row on this matrix, then ask the chef or manager on duty to confirm the current recipe. A "may contain" cell is a no unless the kitchen can prep it clean.
4. Kitchen preps on a clean station
Fresh gloves, sanitized board and knife, dedicated utensils, purple-coded tools if you use them. No shared fryer. Plate goes out with a visible marker (a flag or a different plate).
5. Manager runs the plate
The manager or chef delivers it directly to the guest and names the allergen: "This is the salmon, prepared without dairy for seat 3." Close the loop out loud.
Screen for this in hiring. Our restaurant interview questions include an allergy-scenario question, and the server job description lists allergen communication as a core duty.
Purple Board and Dedicated-Tool Practices
Purple is the industry color for allergen-safe equipment (the other board colors track raw protein types). The color is not the point; having one set of tools that never touches the regular line is. Add this kit to your cleaning checklist so it gets sanitized and re-sealed every shift.
- Purple cutting board, purple-handled knife, purple tongs, kept in a sealed bin, not on the line.
- Dedicated sanitizer bucket and clean towel for the allergy prep. Wipe, then sanitize, then let air-dry.
- Fresh gloves and a clean apron. Gloves keep bacteria off food; they carry allergen proteins just fine if they touched the pesto first.
- Cook in a clean pan with fresh oil. Never the shared fryer. A fried item with a nut, wheat, or shellfish allergy becomes a sauté or grill item.
- Plate on a marked plate or with a flag. The plate travels by hand from the chef or manager to the seat, never on a tray with other food.
State Laws on Allergen Training and Posting
The FDA Food Code (2022) requires the person in charge to describe the major food allergens and the symptoms of a reaction (section 2-102.11), and to ensure employees are trained in allergen awareness as it relates to their jobs. States adopt the Food Code on their own schedule, and several go further. As of August 2026:
| State | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Food Allergy Awareness Act (2009). Allergen poster in the staff area, menu notice telling guests to inform their server, certified food protection manager completes allergen training. | FAACT / FARE |
| Rhode Island | 2012 law (HB 7399). Poster in staff area, menu notice, a designated knowledgeable manager who completes allergen training. | FAACT / FARE |
| Michigan | PA 516 of 2014 (SB 730). Certified food safety managers complete a training course with an allergen awareness component. | FARE |
| Virginia | HB 2090 (2015). State Board of Health regulations must include food allergy awareness training standards for restaurants. | FARE / VDH |
| Maryland | HB 751 (2016). Restaurants must ask patrons with known allergies to tell the order-taker before ordering; allergen awareness poster in staff areas. | FAACT / FARE |
| Illinois | Public Act 104-0090, effective Jan 1, 2026. Certified food service sanitation managers complete ANAB-accredited (formerly ANSI) allergen training (now including gluten and celiac content) within 30 days of hire and every 3 years. | Celiac Disease Foundation |
| Connecticut | PA 23-115. State allergen poster in the staff area plus menu or digital notices. | EveryBite |
| Texas | SB 812, the Sergio Lopez Act, effective Sept 1, 2024. Allergen poster; food handler and manager courses must include allergen content. | EveryBite |
| California | SB 68 (ADDE Act), effective July 1, 2026. Chains with 20+ locations must disclose the major allergens in each item on menus, menu boards, and QR menus. | FDA Law Blog / EveryBite |
| New York | New York City requires posted multi-language allergen information posters. A state bill (A6558/S5381) adds allergen labels on premises-packed food starting November 2026. Menu-notice rules vary; check your county health department. | FARE / EveryBite |
Not on the list? Your county health department still enforces the Food Code person-in-charge rule, and a plaintiff’s lawyer will ask for your training records either way. A dated chart plus a signed training log is cheap evidence. The ServSafe practice test covers the allergen questions managers get asked on the exam, and the insurance guide explains what general liability does and does not cover after a reaction.
Emergency Response: When a Guest Reacts
Informational only, not medical advice. Follow your local EMS guidance and the guest’s own action plan.
Signs of anaphylaxis: hives spreading fast, swelling of lips or tongue, trouble breathing or wheezing, repeated vomiting, dizziness, a sense of doom. Symptoms can start within minutes.
Epinephrine first. FARE’s guidance is to use epinephrine at the first sign of a severe reaction and call 911. Antihistamines do not stop anaphylaxis. Ask if the guest carries an auto-injector; help them use it if they ask.
Call 911 and tell the dispatcher it is a suspected anaphylactic reaction to food and whether epinephrine was given. Send someone to the door to meet EMS.
After: keep the plate and the ticket. Write an incident report the same night: what was ordered, what was said, who prepped it. Do not throw away the evidence.
Some states now allow restaurants to stock undesignated epinephrine under a standing order. Ask your health department and pharmacist before buying any.
Updating the Matrix When Recipes Change
A chart is only as good as its date. The guest reads “Updated August 2026” and trusts it. Assign one owner (usually the chef or KM) and make these five events an automatic update:
“If the chart on the wall and the recipe card in the binder disagree, the chart is wrong and a guest finds out first.”
Related Tools & Guides
ServSafe Practice Test
Allergen and food safety questions in the certification format
Recipe Card Template
The source document every allergen row should trace back to
Restaurant SOP Template
Write the allergy-order procedure your staff will actually follow
Restaurant Interview Questions
Screen servers and cooks on allergen scenarios before you hire
Restaurant Insurance Guide
Liability coverage for the incident your chart is meant to prevent