14 Allergens: List and Printable PDF Table

The European Union has a list of 14 allergens that you must tell customers about. It applies to every foodservice business - restaurants, bars, cafes, food trucks, catering and delivery. Below you will find a table of the 14 allergens that you can download for printing as a free PDF poster (PL, EN and UA), a complete list with examples of dishes in which each allergen appears, and practical tips for marking allergens on your menu.

Key points at a glance

• 14 groups of allergens are listed in Annex II to EU Regulation No 1169/2011. For food offered without packaging, including in foodservice, providing information about them is mandatory (Art. 44(1)(a)).
• The information must be available at the point of sale, that is, before the customer chooses a dish, and in Poland it is given on a notice or in another way directly available to the customer (§ 19(2) of the Ordinance of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MRiRW) of 23.12.2014).
• Most mistakes concern not main dishes but sauces, side dishes, spices and semi-finished products - this is where allergens hide (this is industry practice, not a statistic).
• Missing or incorrect labelling under Regulation 1169/2011 is not an offence under Art. 100 of the Act on Food and Nutrition Safety, so no mandate fine is issued for it on that basis. The Act instead provides for a financial penalty imposed by decision of the State Voivodeship Sanitary Inspector (Art. 103(1)(1b)(c) and Art. 104), of up to thirty times the average salary. You can read more about penalties and appeals in the article on fines and penalties from Sanepid (the State Sanitary Inspection).
• The business owner running the venue (Art. 8(5) of Regulation 1169/2011), and not the customer, is responsible for the reliability of food information in the venue.
• Download the free "14 allergens" poster for printing (PDF) and hang it in the kitchen as a cheat sheet for your team.

The 14 allergens in one table

A quick overview: number, allergen and the products in which it most often hides. Click the name to go to the description.

Full list of the 14 allergens with examples of dishes

Below you will find each of the 14 allergens, with information on where it occurs in a foodservice kitchen and in which dishes it appears most often.

1. Gluten

Source: cereals containing gluten: wheat (including spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats or their hybridised strains, as well as products derived from them (Annex II point 1; Commission Notice 2017/C 428/01 point 6 treats the list of cereals as exhaustive).

Where it occurs in the kitchen: wheat flour, breadcrumbs, coating, pasta, dough, beer, soy sauce (contains wheat), stock cubes, sauce thickeners.

Example dishes: breaded pork cutlet, pierogi, pancakes, pizza, cream soup thickened with flour, bechamel sauce, cakes and biscuits, beer in meat marinades.

How to mark it on the menu: list it as "gluten (wheat)" or "gluten (rye)" depending on the source. If you use soy sauce, remember that it also contains gluten.

2. Crustaceans

Source: shrimps, crabs, lobsters, spiny lobsters, crayfish.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: fish soups, shrimp pastes, seafood in salads, seafood stocks, bisque creams.

Example dishes: shrimp in tempura batter, seafood salad, pad thai with shrimp, bisque soup, seafood risotto, shrimp in garlic butter.

How to mark it on the menu: give the specific species: "crustaceans (shrimp)" or "crustaceans (crab)". Watch out for seafood mixes - they often contain several species.

3. Eggs

Source: hen eggs (most often), but also quail, duck and other eggs.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: mayonnaise, coating (beaten egg for dipping), cakes, ice cream, egg pasta, emulsion sauces, some creams and puddings.

Example dishes: salad with mayonnaise, breaded cutlet (egg + breadcrumbs), pancakes, tiramisu, vanilla ice cream, hollandaise sauce, pasta carbonara, frittata.

How to mark it on the menu: mark it as "eggs". Remember hidden sources - mayonnaise in sauces, egg in pancake batter, egg pasta.

4. Fish

Source: all species of fish - salmon, cod, herring, tuna, anchovies, trout and others.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: Worcestershire sauce (contains anchovies), anchovy paste, fish stocks, fish creams, surimi (imitation crab, often made from fish).

Example dishes: fish and chips, nicoise salad (tuna, anchovies), fish soup, sushi, salmon tartare, Caesar sauce (contains anchovies), surimi salad.

How to mark it on the menu: give the species of fish: "fish (salmon)" or "fish (anchovies)". Worcestershire sauce is one of the most frequently overlooked sources - mark it in your list.

5. Peanuts

Source: groundnuts (botanically these are legumes, not nuts).

Where it occurs in the kitchen: peanut butter, groundnut oil, Asian sauces (satay, pad thai), desserts, snack bars, nut mixes, some margarines.

Example dishes: pad thai with peanut sauce, chicken satay, salads with a sprinkling of peanuts, desserts with peanut butter, African soup with groundnuts.

How to mark it on the menu: mark it as "peanuts". It is a separate category from "tree nuts" (point 8) - do not combine them into one item.

6. Soy

Source: soybeans and products derived from them - soy sauce, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy lecithin, soybean oil.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: soy sauce (one of the most commonly used), soy lecithin in chocolate and bread, soybean oil for frying (fully refined soybean oil and fat are excluded in Annex II, so check which oil you actually use), tofu in vegetarian dishes, Asian marinades.

Example dishes: stir-fry with soy sauce, ramen, tofu pad thai, chocolate fondant (soy lecithin), bread (soy lecithin as an emulsifier), meat marinated in soy sauce.

How to mark it on the menu: mark it as "soy". Check the labels of semi-finished products - soy lecithin is in very many processed products and is not always obvious.

7. Milk

Source: cow's milk and products derived from it - butter, cream, cheeses, yoghurt, whey, casein, lactose.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: butter for frying, cream in sauces, cheeses in bakes and salads, milk chocolate, stock (some cubes contain milk), mashed potatoes.

Example dishes: mashed potatoes with butter, bechamel sauce, cheese bake, pizza (mozzarella), tiramisu, panna cotta, cream soup with cream, risotto with parmesan.

How to mark it on the menu: mark it as "milk". A common mistake is overlooking butter or cream as a source of milk. If you use butter for frying, the dish contains the milk allergen.

8. Tree nuts

Source: hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, almonds.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: pesto (often with cashews or almonds), desserts, cakes, granola, nut coatings, marinades, nut oils, muesli.

Example dishes: pesto with cashews or almonds, nut cake, brownie with walnuts, salad with nuts, baklava (pistachios, walnuts), pistachio ice cream, granola with almonds.

How to mark it on the menu: give the specific type: "tree nuts (hazelnuts)" or "tree nuts (cashews)". Commission Notice 2017/C 428/01 (point 13) requires this in the ingredients list on pre-packaged food, and in foodservice it is simply useful for the customer, because an allergy is often to one type of nut. Note: the list of nuts in Annex II is exhaustive (point 6 of the Notice): pine nuts are not listed in it, so using them alone is not covered by this obligation. A warning about them is voluntary and worth considering.

9. Celery

Source: celery stalks, celeriac, celery seeds, celery powder.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: stocks (celery is the basis of Italian soffritto and of Polish soup vegetables), soups, salads, stock cubes, powdered spices, vegetable marinades.

Example dishes: chicken broth (soup vegetables with celery), tomato soup made on vegetable stock, Waldorf salad, Polish vegetable salad, celery in a raw vegetable salad, vegetable cream soups.

How to mark it on the menu: mark it as "celery". It is one of the most frequently overlooked allergens, because celery is "everywhere" - in stocks, soup vegetables, broth cubes. Check the composition of cubes and spices.

10. Mustard

Source: mustard seeds, mustard, mustard oil, mustard powder.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: mustard (obviously), marinades, dressings, sauces (e.g. vinaigrette), ready-made seasonings, spice blends, some ketchups and mayonnaises.

Example dishes: hot dog with mustard, salad dressings (honey-mustard vinaigrette), pork loin in mustard, barbecue marinades, hollandaise sauce (some recipes), roasts in a mustard glaze.

How to mark it on the menu: mark it as "mustard". Watch out for ready-made sauces and dressings - they often contain mustard, even if it is not obvious from the product name.

11. Sesame

Source: sesame seeds, sesame paste (tahini), sesame oil.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: burger buns (sesame topping), hummus (tahini), Asian salads, coatings, sesame oil in Asian dishes, halva.

Example dishes: burger in a sesame bun, hummus with tahini, Asian salad with sesame oil, falafel with tahini, bread with sesame, sushi with a sesame topping.

How to mark it on the menu: mark it as "sesame". The most common problem is burger buns. If you order buns with a sesame topping, every burger served in that bun must have sesame marked.

12. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites

Source: sulphur dioxide (SO2) and sulphites at a concentration above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/l. Used as preservatives.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: wine (white and red), dried fruit (apricots, raisins, cranberries), wine vinegar, processed meat (sausages, cured meats), mustard, lemon juice from concentrate.

Example dishes: dishes made with wine (meat sauce, risotto), salads with dried fruit, desserts with raisins, dressings with wine vinegar, dishes with processed cured meats.

How to mark it on the menu: mark it as "sulphur dioxide and sulphites" or "sulphites". If you cook with wine, sulphites from the wine may remain in the dish. The threshold from Annex II (above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/l expressed as SO2) applies to the ready-to-eat product, so whether a given dish exceeds it depends on the amount and type of wine; if in doubt, mark it. Also check dried fruit and processed meat.

13. Lupin

Source: lupin seeds, lupin flour.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: lupin flour in bread (especially gluten-free), pasta, cakes, protein preparations. Lupin is increasingly used as a substitute for soy and gluten.

Example dishes: gluten-free bread with lupin flour, gluten-free pasta, cakes and muffins with lupin flour, "high-protein" products in a fit menu.

How to mark it on the menu: mark it as "lupin". It is an allergen that appears more and more often, because lupin flour is gaining popularity in gluten-free and vegetarian products. Check the labels of breads and pastas.

14. Molluscs

Source: mussels, octopuses, squid, snails, scallops, clams.

Where it occurs in the kitchen: seafood, fish soups, frutti di mare, oyster sauce, seafood pastes.

Example dishes: spaghetti frutti di mare, breaded squid (also gluten and eggs), seafood risotto, fish soup, escargot (snails), octopus salad, stir-fry with oyster sauce.

How to mark it on the menu: give the species: "molluscs (squid)" or "molluscs (mussels)". Watch out for oyster sauce - it is a hidden source of molluscs in Asian cuisine. If you use it in a stir-fry, mark the allergen.

Legal basis and details

Why allergen labelling is mandatory

The legal basis is Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food information to consumers. Its Art. 44(1)(a) imposes an obligation to provide information on substances causing allergies (Art. 9(1)(c)) also when food is offered to final consumers or to mass caterers without packaging. The way the information is provided is determined by national law: in Poland, § 19(2) of the Ordinance of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 23 December 2014 on the labelling of particular types of foodstuffs (Journal of Laws (Dz.U.) 2015, item 29, as amended). The Act on Food and Nutrition Safety does not contain this obligation, only a sanction for breaching it (Art. 103(1)(1b)(c)).

In practice this means that:

• Allergen information applies to every dish offered - it can be given directly in the menu or in a separate document available in the venue, as long as the customer has easy access to it.
• The information must be available at the point of sale, before the customer places an order.
• Simply "ask the staff" is not enough. Commission Notice 2017/C 428/01 (points 30-31) allows oral communication only if it can be verified, and where there are no national rules it requires written form and rules out giving the information only at the consumer's request. The MRiRW guide (not legally binding) allows "on request" only when there is visible information that it can be obtained, and the District Sanitary Inspectorate (PSSE) in Gołdap (31.12.2020) takes the view that oral communication alone is not enough.
• Highlighting the names of allergens (by font, style or background colour) is required in the list of ingredients (Art. 21(1)(b)). If you provide only an allergen table separately, highlighting is good practice, not a requirement of that provision.

Inspections are carried out by the State Sanitary Inspection. We have no data on which irregularities are found most often, so we do not make such claims. In any case, it is not only about penalties: it is about the safety of your customers and the reputation of your venue.

How to mark allergens on the menu - practical tips

The rules do not impose a single format (§ 19(2) of the MRiRW ordinance speaks of a notice or another way directly available to the customer). You can choose the way that suits your venue. What matters is that it is clear and consistent.

Allergen table, list and poster: what is what

In everyday language, "allergen table", "allergen list (for your menu)" and "the list of allergens" mean different things. The list of 14 allergens comes from Annex II to Regulation 1169/2011 and is the same for all venues. You have its shortened version in table form at the beginning of this post, and for printing as a PDF poster, which you hang in the kitchen as a cheat sheet for your team. The allergen list for your menu (a matrix: dishes in rows, allergens in columns, see option 3) is a document of your venue that says which allergens each dish contains. It is the information for the customer, while the poster helps the team. We describe exactly what has changed (and what has not) in the allergen list and in the requirements for menus in the post allergens on the menu 2026: what EU law requires.

Option 1: Numbers next to dish names. Assign each allergen a number from 1 to 14 (in the order above). Next to each dish on the menu, write the relevant numbers. At the bottom of the page or on the back of the menu, place a legend.

Option 2: Icons or symbols. Design simple icons for each allergen (e.g. an ear of rye for gluten, a shrimp for crustaceans). You place them next to each dish. This method is more visual, but it needs a designer and can be hard to read at small sizes.

Option 3: A separate allergen table. The clearest method is a separate table where you have dishes in rows and the 14 allergens in columns. You mark an "X" where the allergen is present. It looks like this:

A ready-made template with all 14 columns, a legend and filled-in examples is in the Guide to creating an allergen list. You do not have to build the table from scratch.

Option 4: A description in the ingredients. You highlight allergens directly in the description of the dish's composition - in bold, in CAPITAL LETTERS or in a different colour. E.g. "Carbonara: pasta (GLUTEN), bacon, EGGS, pecorino cheese (MILK), pepper."

Whichever method you choose:

• The information must be available at the point of sale, before ordering.
• It must be up to date - every change of recipe requires an update.
• It must be consistent - what is in the menu must match what actually lands on the plate.
• Staff must know where to find the information and how to answer a customer's question.

The most common mistakes in allergen labelling

Typical mistakes (industry practice, no statistics):

1. Overlooking sauces and side dishes. The main dish is marked, but the sauce (e.g. with mustard, cream, soy sauce) is not. The customer receives an allergen they did not know about.
2. No update after a change of supplier. The manufacturer of the bun, mayonnaise or stock cube has changed - and the allergen list stayed old. The new product may have a different composition.
3. Combining "peanuts" with "tree nuts". These are two separate allergen categories. A customer allergic to hazelnuts may tolerate peanuts and vice versa.
4. Overlooking "hidden" allergens. Soy lecithin in chocolate, celery in stock cubes, anchovies in Worcestershire sauce, sulphites in wine used for cooking. These are allergens that are not visible in the name of the dish.
5. No information about the risk of cross-contact. Even if a dish does not contain an allergen in its recipe, it may come into contact with an allergen in the kitchen (e.g. a shared fryer, chopping board). The rules do not require informing about cross-contamination, but the MRiRW guide allows voluntary warnings such as "may contain"; they should not be used "as a rule", only where the risk actually exists.
6. An allergen list made once and forgotten. The menu changes, seasonal dishes appear, suppliers change - but the allergen list stays as it was half a year ago. The information must be reliable (Art. 8(2) of Regulation 1169/2011), so an outdated list is a risk.
7. Staff do not know where to look for the information. The list exists, but the waiter does not know where it is. Or cannot read it. Training the team on allergens is just as important as the list itself.

FAQ - frequently asked questions

How many allergens must be labelled?

Information on 14 groups of allergens listed in Annex II to EU Regulation No 1169/2011 is mandatory. They are: gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soy, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin and molluscs. The list applies across the whole European Union, and the Commission may change it by delegated acts (Art. 21(2)).

What penalty applies for failing to label allergens?

Missing or incorrect labelling under Regulation 1169/2011 is not an offence under Art. 100 of the Act on Food and Nutrition Safety, so no mandate fine is issued for it on that basis. The Act provides for a financial penalty (Art. 103(1)(1b)(c)), which the State Voivodeship Sanitary Inspector imposes by decision (Art. 104(1)), of up to thirty times the average monthly salary in the national economy. When setting the amount, the authority takes into account, among other things, the degree of harm of the act and the degree of fault (Art. 104(2)). The decision can be appealed (14 days, Art. 129 § 2 of the Code of Administrative Procedure (KPA)). A mere finding of irregularities may end with post-inspection recommendations entered in the inspection book (Art. 31 of the Act on the State Sanitary Inspection), which are not a decision. If the breach causes a direct threat to life or health, the inspector may order, among other things, the shutdown of the workplace or part of it (Art. 27(2) of the Act on the State Sanitary Inspection; the decision is immediately enforceable). Independently of this, a customer who suffers harm may pursue claims under the general rules of civil law; this post does not settle that.

Who is responsible for allergens in a restaurant?

The business owner running the venue (Art. 8(5) of Regulation 1169/2011) is responsible for food information in the venue. If an incident occurs, the procedure is described in the article allergic reaction in a restaurant - what to do step by step. The owner must ensure that the allergen list is up to date, staff are trained and the information is available to the customer. The information obligation is not transferred to the customer ("but he did not say he has an allergy"). Claims against the supplier are a separate matter, which this post does not settle.

Next steps

Allergen labelling is not a one-off task - it is a system that has to work every day. If you are looking for a ready-made structure that you can adapt to your menu, in GastroReady packages you will find an allergen guide with an editable matrix, instructions for the team and update rules (including in the Shield package). You do not have to build it from scratch.

Useful materials on the blog:

• How to make an allergen list for your menu - step by step
• Allergen cross-contact - how to control the risk in the kitchen
• Allergen training in foodservice - a 45-minute script + test

HACCP documentation with a ready-made allergen guide:

• HACCP for restaurants - complete documentation with an allergen matrix
• HACCP for catering - allergen procedures for deliveries and transport
• HACCP for cafes - allergens in drinks, cakes and snacks
• HACCP for food trucks - simplified documentation with allergen labelling

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Legal status as of: 28 October 2026
Legal basis: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011: Art. 8(2), (5) and (6), Art. 9(1)(c), Art. 21, Art. 44(1)-(2), Annex II (consolidated text in force from 1.04.2025, taking into account Delegated Regulation 2024/2512; we did not find a newer consolidated version in the Publications Office); Ordinance of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 23.12.2014 (Journal of Laws (Dz.U.) 2015, item 29) § 19(1)(3) and (2), with amending acts up to Dz.U. 2025, item 1574 (none of them changed § 19(2)); Act on Food and Nutrition Safety (consolidated text Dz.U. 2026, item 1399, status as of 28.09.2026) Art. 100, Art. 103(1)(1b)(c), Art. 104(1)-(2); Act on the State Sanitary Inspection (consolidated text Dz.U. 2024, item 416) Art. 27(1)-(2), Art. 31(1); Code of Administrative Procedure (consolidated text Dz.U. 2025, item 1691) Art. 129 § 2; Commission Notice 2017/C 428/01 points 6, 13, 29-31 (not a binding act). We did not re-check on 28 October: the MRiRW guide (not legally binding) or the position of the District Sanitary Inspectorate in Gołdap of 31.12.2020 (the position of a single authority; review of 4 October 2026). After the consolidated text of the Act on the State Sanitary Inspection, the ELI register shows only the amendment Dz.U. 2026, item 605, which in Art. 27(2) changes the word "facility" to "building" and does not affect Art. 27(1) or Art. 31. We did not check amendments to Regulation 1169/2011 newer than the consolidated version of 1.04.2025. Examples of dishes and allergen sources are industry knowledge, not a legal provision.
Last review: 28 October 2026