<div style="max-width:740px;margin:0 auto;padding:0 2px;color:#414856;"><div style="display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;margin:0 0 14px;"><p style="margin:0;font-family:ui-monospace,monospace;font-size:12px;letter-spacing:2px;color:#3E8B20;font-weight:700;">FOOD SAFE JOURNAL</p></div><h1 style="margin:0 0 14px;color:#11213C;letter-spacing:-0.02em;font-size:32px;line-height:1.2;"><strong>The 14 Allergens Every Irish Menu Must Declare — and How to Do It Right</strong></h1><div style="width:74px;height:4px;border-radius:3px;margin:0 0 22px;background:linear-gradient(90deg, #65C93E 0%, #4EA82A 100%);"></div><p style="margin:0 0 20px;font-size:19px;line-height:1.6;color:#2C3340;"><strong>Ireland goes further than most of Europe on allergen information: if you sell food that isn&rsquo;t pre-packed — restaurant meals, deli counters, takeaways — the law requires allergen information to be provided <strong>in writing</strong>. Here&rsquo;s what that means in practice.</strong></p><h2 style="margin:42px 0 14px;color:#11213C;letter-spacing:-0.01em;border-bottom:1px solid #E6E8EC;padding-bottom:9px;font-size:24px;line-height:1.2;"><strong>The legal position</strong></h2><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">EU Regulation 1169/2011 (the Food Information to Consumers Regulation) lists 14 allergens that must always be declared. For non-prepacked food, Irish law — S.I. No. 489 of 2014 — requires that written allergen information is available where the food is offered for sale: on the menu, on a card at the counter, or in a book customers can ask for. &ldquo;Ask staff&rdquo; on its own is not enough.</p><h2 style="margin:42px 0 14px;color:#11213C;letter-spacing:-0.01em;border-bottom:1px solid #E6E8EC;padding-bottom:9px;font-size:24px;line-height:1.2;"><strong>The 14 allergens</strong></h2><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">Cereals containing gluten &middot; Crustaceans &middot; Eggs &middot; Fish &middot; Peanuts &middot; Soybeans &middot; Milk &middot; Nuts &middot; Celery &middot; Mustard &middot; Sesame seeds &middot; Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (above 10&nbsp;mg/kg or 10&nbsp;mg/L) &middot; Lupin &middot; Molluscs.</p><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">For each dish, you declare which of the 14 are <strong>ingredients</strong> — including anything carried in by stocks, sauces, garnishes, marinades and cooking oils. That&rsquo;s where most menus go wrong: the chicken is fine, the marinade isn&rsquo;t.</p><h2 style="margin:42px 0 14px;color:#11213C;letter-spacing:-0.01em;border-bottom:1px solid #E6E8EC;padding-bottom:9px;font-size:24px;line-height:1.2;"><strong>Getting it right day to day</strong></h2><ul style="margin:0 0 18px;padding-left:22px;"><li style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#414856;"><strong>Build an allergen matrix.</strong> One row per dish, one column per allergen, reviewed every time a recipe or supplier changes.</li><li style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#414856;"><strong>Control substitutions.</strong> A different mayo or bouillon can quietly change the allergen profile of half the menu. New ingredient in, matrix updated — same day.</li><li style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#414856;"><strong>Separate allergen cross-contact from the paperwork.</strong> Declaring milk on the menu doesn&rsquo;t help if the &ldquo;dairy-free&rdquo; option is fried in the same oil. Think storage, prep areas, utensils and fryers.</li><li style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#414856;"><strong>Train everyone who serves.</strong> The person answering the customer&rsquo;s question is your legal front line — they should know where the matrix is and how to read it, not guess.</li></ul><div style="background:rgb(245,250,230);border:1px solid #BCD3AE;border-radius:12px;padding:22px 24px;margin:30px 0;"><p style="margin:0 0 8px;font-size:18px;color:#11213C;"><strong>Allergen training for the whole front line</strong></p><p style="margin:0 0 14px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.6;color:#414856;">Our Allergen Awareness course covers the 14 allergens, EU 1169 and practical cross-contact control — about 40 minutes, instant QR-verified certificate.</p><p style="margin:0;"><a href="/courses/allergen-awareness-training" style="color:#ffffff;background:#4EA82A;padding:11px 22px;border-radius:9px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700;font-size:15px;display:inline-block;">See the Allergen course &rarr;</a></p></div><h2 style="margin:42px 0 14px;color:#11213C;letter-spacing:-0.01em;border-bottom:1px solid #E6E8EC;padding-bottom:9px;font-size:24px;line-height:1.2;"><strong>Frequently asked questions</strong></h2><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-size:17px;color:#11213C;"><strong>Do I have to list &ldquo;may contain&rdquo; warnings?</strong></p><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">Precautionary allergen labelling is voluntary. What the law requires is accurate declaration of allergen ingredients. Use &ldquo;may contain&rdquo; sparingly and honestly — as a risk statement, not a disclaimer for poor separation.</p><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-size:17px;color:#11213C;"><strong>Where exactly must the written information be?</strong></p><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">Where the customer chooses the food: the menu itself, a chalkboard, an allergen folder at the point of sale, or clearly signposted. It must be available before purchase without the customer having to ask.</p><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-size:17px;color:#11213C;"><strong>What happens if we get it wrong?</strong></p><p style="margin:0 0 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.72;color:#414856;">Allergen failures are treated seriously — enforcement can range from improvement notices to closure orders and prosecution, and a mistake can genuinely cost a customer their life. It&rsquo;s also one of the first things EHOs now check.</p></div>

Irish law requires written allergen information for non-prepacked food. The 14 allergens, S.I. 489, and the systems that keep your menu honest.

The 14 Allergens Every Irish Menu Must Declare — and How to Do It Right

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The 14 Allergens Every Irish Menu Must Declare — and How to Do It Right

The 14 Allergens Every Irish Menu Must Declare — and How to Do It Right

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