Allergen Matrix Template: Free Chart for Your Menu (63 Countries)

What is an allergen matrix? An allergen matrix (or allergen chart) is a table with your dishes as rows and the allergens as columns. For each dish you mark which allergens it contains, which it may contain, and the date you last checked it against the recipe and the ingredient labels. Staff use it to answer customers quickly and correctly. In the UK and the EU there are 14 allergens to cover; the United States has 9, Canada 11, and other countries have their own lists. Below is a free template you can copy, plus the allergen rules in all 63 countries Chef Hygiene works in.

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This guide is for restaurants, takeaways, cafés, bakeries, dessert shops, pubs, venues, corner shops, school kitchens, caterers, food vans and home bakers. Every rule comes from an official government, food agency or law source. Where we could not confirm a rule, the table says "Ask your authority".

For the wider picture, read Food safety rules by country: one table for 63 countries and Paper vs digital food safety records.

## Contents

1. What an allergen matrix is, and why you need one
2. The free allergen matrix template
3. How to fill it in, step by step
4. Which allergens: the lists by law
5. All 63 countries in one table
6. By type of business
7. How Chef Hygiene keeps your allergen chart right
8. FAQ
9. Official sources

## 1. What an allergen matrix is, and why you need one

• One place for the answer. When a customer says "I'm allergic to sesame", staff look at one row and one column instead of guessing.
• The law asks for it in many countries. In the UK and every EU country, a food business must give allergen information for food sold loose or served in a restaurant, not just for packaged food. A written chart is the easiest way to have that information ready.
• Inspectors look for it. A clear, dated chart shows that you know what is in your food.
• It protects people. A wrong answer about an allergen can make someone seriously ill.

An allergen matrix does not replace care in the kitchen. Keep allergy orders apart, use clean equipment, and check every new supplier's labels.

## 2. The free allergen matrix template

Copy this table into a spreadsheet or print it. Use C for "contains", M for "may contain" and leave the box empty if the dish does not contain that allergen. Add one row for every dish, drink, sauce and side.

Template for the UK, the EU and other countries that use the 14 allergens:

Template for the United States (9 major allergens):

Template for Canada (11 priority allergens):

For other countries, use the list in section 4 and add a column for each allergen.

Tips:

• "Gluten" means cereals containing gluten: wheat, rye, barley and oats (and spelt and Khorasan wheat in the EU list).
• "Tree nuts" in the EU list means almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios and macadamia nuts. Some countries ask you to name the nut.
• "Sulphites" in the EU list means sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10 mg per kg or litre.
• Put the "Date checked" in every row. A chart nobody has checked for a year is not much use.

## 3. How to fill it in, step by step

1. List everything you sell. Dishes, drinks, sauces, dressings, sides, desserts and specials.
2. Get the recipe for each item. Write down every ingredient, including oils, stocks, spice mixes and garnishes.
3. Read the labels. For every bought ingredient, read the allergen list on the pack or the supplier's specification.
4. Mark C or M. C if an allergen is an ingredient; M if the label says "may contain" or there is a real risk of cross-contact in your kitchen.
5. Write the date. Put today's date in "Date checked".
6. Check again when anything changes. A new supplier, a new recipe or a special means checking that row again.
7. Put it where staff can see it. And make sure every staff member knows how to read it.
8. Tell customers how to get the information. Follow your country's rule in section 5: on the menu, on a sign, in writing, or spoken with a notice.

## 4. Which allergens: the lists by law

• UK, all EU countries, Iceland and Norway: 14 allergens. Celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, tree nuts (EU Regulation 1169/2011 Annex II; in the UK, the retained version and the Food Information Regulations 2014). Serbia and Albania use the same 14.
• United States: 9 major allergens. Milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame (FALCPA 2004, plus the FASTER Act, which added sesame from 1 January 2023).
• Canada: 11 priority allergens. Eggs, milk, mustard, peanuts, crustaceans and molluscs, fish, sesame, soy, sulphites, tree nuts, and wheat and triticale.
• Australia and New Zealand. Wheat, fish, crustacean, mollusc, egg, milk, lupin, peanut, soy and sesame; nine tree nuts each named; barley, oats and rye when they contain gluten; sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more (FSANZ Standard 1.2.3).
• Japan: 9 mandatory on packaged food. Egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, crab, buckwheat, peanut, walnut and cashew. Cashew became mandatory in 2026.
• Russia and Belarus. The EAEU labelling rule TR CU 022/2011 names 15 allergenic components for packaged food.
• Mexico: 9 for packaged food (NOM-051). Brazil: the RDC 727/2022 list for packaged food.
• Gulf. Dubai: 9 allergen groups (Dubai Food Code). Saudi Arabia: 14 on menus. Qatar: allergens on every menu item.

Packaged-food lists matter to restaurants too: they tell you what to look for on the labels of the ingredients you buy.

## 5. All 63 countries in one table

How to read the table:

• Allergens: the list your country's law uses.
• Restaurants / loose food: how you must give allergen information for food that is not prepacked.
• Food packed on site: food you pack yourself and sell from the same place (in the UK, "prepacked for direct sale" or PPDS).
• Delivery / online: what you must tell customers who order at a distance.
• Fines: only where an official amount is published.
• Ask your authority: we could not confirm this from an official source.

From official sources, checked in October 2026.

### Notes by region

• UK: you may give allergen information in any way, including by speaking, but if staff tell customers, there must be a notice saying so. Food prepacked for direct sale (for example sandwiches made and packed in the morning) needs a label with the name and a full ingredient list with the 14 allergens emphasised (Natasha's Law, from October 2021). Ireland goes further: information for loose food must be written, and the customer must not have to ask.
• Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden allow spoken information with a clear notice. Norway asks for written information in Norwegian; spoken information cannot replace it. In Norway the rules also cover drinks.
• Western Europe: Germany and the Netherlands allow spoken information only with a written record and a notice. France asks for written, visible information. Belgium allows written or spoken information under conditions. Luxembourg asks for written information without the customer having to ask.
• Southern Europe: Italy accepts a menu, a sign or a register, or a notice pointing to staff with a written file, and publishes fines of €3,000 to €24,000. Spain asks for written information, with spoken information allowed alongside a written record. Portugal asks for written, visual or electronic information. Greece and Andorra allow spoken information with a sign.
• Central and Eastern Europe: Czechia asks for written information only. Poland says customers must be able to read it without asking, and a QR code alone is not enough. Slovakia uses allergen numbers on the menu. Slovenia publishes fines of €6,000 to €30,000 for companies; Bulgaria 2,000 to 4,000 lev.
• Balkans and Eastern Europe: Serbia, Moldova and Montenegro ask for information before purchase and at delivery. Montenegro publishes fines of €500 to €20,000 for companies. Russia's SanPiN asks caterers to tell customers about allergens in finished dishes. Turkey names menus, boards and brochures.
• North America: the US and Canadian national lists apply to packaged food; there is no federal menu rule, and states, provinces and cities may add their own.
• Australia and New Zealand: information must be shown with the food, or given when the customer asks.
• Asia: Japan, Mexico, Malaysia and Singapore set allergen rules for packaged food. India asks chains (a Central licence or 10 or more outlets) to show allergens on the menu.
• Gulf: Saudi Arabia accepts a menu, board, ticket or trained staff. Qatar asks for allergens on every menu item. Dubai accepts the label, the menu, or information on request.

## 6. By type of business

### Restaurant

• Your allergen chart covers every dish, side, sauce and drink.
• UK: restaurants, cafés and pubs that make and pack food before the customer orders need PPDS labels.
• If staff give the information by speaking, put up the notice your country asks for.

### Takeaway

• Customers ordering by phone or online need allergen information before they buy and when the food arrives (EU and UK rule).
• Belgium: on phone orders, staff must say the allergens before the customer chooses.
• Denmark: a notice on the website for online orders.

### Café

• UK: a café's packed sandwiches and salads made on site need PPDS labels. Unpackaged cakes on display are not PPDS.
• Iceland's guidance names cafés along with restaurants and bakeries.

### Bakery / cake shop

• Mark nuts and sesame carefully: many recipes and toppings use them.
• UK: bread put on tables unwrapped is not PPDS; bread you wrap before sale may be.
• Belgium: every business selling loose food, bakeries included, must give allergen information.

### Dessert shop / sweets

• Milk, eggs, nuts and gluten are common in desserts. Check toppings, sauces and sprinkles too.

### Pub / bar / club

• Norway: the rules also cover drinks such as draught beer, cider, cocktails, wine and smoothies.
• UK: pubs that pack food for direct sale need PPDS labels.

### Community hall / venue

• Events with set menus can ask guests about allergies in advance.
• Austria: private home-made cakes at fire brigade or charity festivals are exempt.
• Luxembourg: private people at charity sales are outside the rules, but the food agency recommends declaring allergens.

### Corner shop / grocery

• Food you pack yourself and sell from the same shop needs allergen information.
• Poland: food packed at the customer's request or for direct sale is covered.

### School / nursery kitchen

• Austria: the rules cover schools, kindergartens and hospitals.
• France: in collective catering, if a system records each person's refused ingredients beforehand, no information is needed at the point of serving; keep the record for 3 years.
• Croatia: hospitals, care homes, nurseries and canteens with recorded dietary needs have an exception.
• Norway: parents must be told, for example with next week's menu.
• Belgium: large kitchens may use a menu or tick-box forms.

### Caterer / food van

• UK: PPDS can include food from mobile or temporary outlets.
• Norway: stalls at markets and festivals may put allergen information near the food or on a menu.
• Keep a printed copy of your chart in the van.

### Home baker

• Your allergen duties are the same as any food business when you sell regularly.
• Austria and Luxembourg give exemptions only for private, charity sales (see Community hall above).

## 7. How Chef Hygiene keeps your allergen chart right

Chef Hygiene does not check your recipes for you: you enter each dish by hand. What it does:

• Allergen chart. Every dish against your country's allergen list, marked "contains" or "may contain", with notes and the date checked. Show it as a chart or a list.
• Reminder to re-check. A dish not checked for a year is flagged: "check it again against the recipe and labels". One button records "All dishes checked today".
• Staff view on the kitchen tablet. Staff tap the customer's allergies and see dishes grouped as "Not safe", "May contain" and "Free from". It works offline and reminds staff: "If in doubt, don't serve it."
• Labels for food you pack (UK PPDS style). Make a label with the dish name, ingredients with the 14 allergens in bold, the date made and the use-by date, then print it.
• Batches. When you cook a batch of a dish, its allergens come from the chart.
• Customer page. Your public QR page can show your allergen chart.
• Inspector pack. Your allergen chart is part of the pack you print or share with your inspector, and you can download it as a spreadsheet file (CSV).
• Ready for inspection? Shows whether you have an allergen chart and how many dishes are on it.
• Practice inspection. Asks whether you can tell a customer the allergens in every dish, and whether allergy orders are made apart with clean equipment. There are extra questions for takeaways, bakeries, venues, shops and schools.
• Training. Track who has done allergen awareness training in the training chart.

## 8. FAQ

### What is an allergen matrix?

A table with dishes as rows and allergens as columns, showing which allergens each dish contains or may contain, and when it was last checked.

### Is an allergen matrix a legal requirement?

The law asks you to give allergen information. It does not always say "use a matrix", but a written chart is the simplest way to have the information ready and correct.

### What are the 14 allergens?

Celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, and tree nuts. They apply in the UK, all EU countries, Iceland and Norway.

### What are the 9 major allergens in the US?

Milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame was added from 1 January 2023.

### What are Canada's priority allergens?

Eggs, milk, mustard, peanuts, crustaceans and molluscs, fish, sesame, soy, sulphites, tree nuts, and wheat and triticale: 11 in total.

### Which allergens does Japan require?

On packaged food: egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, crab, buckwheat, peanut, walnut and cashew.

### What does "may contain" mean?

That an allergen is not an ingredient but could get into the food, for example from shared equipment. Mark it "M" in your chart so customers can decide.

### Can I tell customers about allergens by speaking?

In many countries, yes, if there is a notice telling customers to ask staff. The UK, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Greece, Belgium and Andorra allow it. Ireland, Czechia, Norway and Luxembourg ask for written information.

### Must allergens be on the menu?

Not always. Many countries accept a menu, a sign, a folder or a chart. Slovakia uses allergen numbers on the menu, Qatar asks for allergens on every menu item, and in India chains must show them on the menu.

### Is a QR code enough?

Not in Poland: customers must be able to read the information without asking, and a QR code alone is not enough. Elsewhere, check the official link in your country's row.

### What is Natasha's Law?

The UK rule, in force since October 2021, that food prepacked for direct sale must have a label with the name and a full ingredient list with the 14 allergens emphasised.

### What counts as "prepacked for direct sale"?

Food packed on the same premises before the customer orders it, such as sandwiches packed in the morning. Food packed at the customer's request is not PPDS in the UK.

### Do I need allergen labels on food I pack myself in the EU?

In the EU, food packed on the premises for direct sale counts as non-prepacked, so the loose-food rules of your country apply (Regulation 1169/2011 article 44).

### What about delivery and online orders?

In the EU and UK, customers must get allergen information before they buy and again when the food is delivered.

### Do allergen rules apply to drinks?

Yes. Norway names draught beer, cider, cocktails, wine and smoothies.

### How often should I check my allergen chart?

Every time a recipe, an ingredient or a supplier changes, and at least once a year.

### What should I do with specials?

Check the special against the recipe and labels the same day, add it to the chart, and tell staff.

### What happens if I give wrong allergen information?

It can make a customer seriously ill, and you can be fined. Official fines include up to €24,000 in Italy and €6,000 to €30,000 for companies in Slovenia.

### Do allergen rules apply to small businesses?

Yes. The rules apply to every food business, whatever its size.

### Do home bakers need allergen information?

Yes, if they sell regularly. Austria and Luxembourg exempt only private, charity sales.

### Do school kitchens have special rules?

Some countries name them. France and Croatia have exceptions when each person's dietary needs are recorded in advance. Norway says parents must be told.

### Do food vans and market stalls need allergen information?

Yes. Norway lets stalls put the information near the food or on a menu. In the UK, PPDS rules can apply to mobile outlets.

### Does the US require allergen information on restaurant menus?

There is no federal menu rule. States and cities may have their own rules.

### Does Australia require allergen information in restaurants?

Information must be shown with the food or given when the customer asks.

### What is the difference between allergy and intolerance?

A food allergy is an immune reaction and can be life-threatening. An intolerance, such as lactose intolerance, is usually less severe. Your chart helps with both.

### How do I avoid cross-contact?

Make allergy orders apart, with clean equipment and clean hands, and keep allergen ingredients stored separately.

### Should staff be trained on allergens?

Yes. Staff need to know how to read the chart, what to say, and when to ask the chef. Several countries, such as Austria, Belgium and Greece, link spoken information to trained staff.

### Can I use one chart for several sites?

Only if every site uses the same recipes and suppliers. Otherwise, keep a chart for each site.

### What language must the information be in?

Norway asks for Norwegian, and Monaco for French. Elsewhere, use a language your customers understand.

### Where should I keep the allergen chart?

Where staff can see it while serving, such as on the kitchen tablet or printed at the counter, and in your records for the inspector.

### Can I download this template?

Copy the tables in section 2 into a spreadsheet. Chef Hygiene can also export your chart as a CSV file.

### Does Chef Hygiene know my country's allergen list?

Yes. Pick your country and the allergen chart uses that country's list.

### Can Chef Hygiene print allergen labels?

Yes, UK PPDS-style labels with the 14 allergens in bold, one label at a time.

### Is this guide legal advice?

No. It is a summary from official sources, checked in October 2026. Rules change, so always check the official link for your country.

## 9. Official sources

• EU: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (food information to consumers)
• UK: Allergen guidance for food businesses (FSA)
• United States: FASTER Act: sesame is the ninth major food allergen (FDA)
• Canada: Food allergies (Health Canada)
• Australia and New Zealand: Allergen labelling (FSANZ)
• Japan: Food allergy labelling (Consumer Affairs Agency)
• Every other country: the official link in its row of the table in section 5.

Chef Hygiene keeps your allergen chart checked, dated and ready for every customer:

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