In March 2025, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) published updated best practice guidance on how food businesses should provide allergen information for non-prepacked food. While the underlying law hasn't changed — the Food Information Regulations 2014 still apply — the FSA's guidance strengthens the expectation that businesses should provide written allergen information rather than relying solely on verbal communication.

If you run a restaurant, café, bakery, takeaway, or catering company in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, this guidance affects how you should be communicating allergens to your customers.

The FSA's 2025 guidance makes clear that written allergen information is best practice for all food businesses serving non-prepacked food. This includes:

• Restaurants and cafés serving meals made to order
• Takeaways and delivery kitchens
• Bakeries selling loose items from a counter
• Catering companies serving at events
• Market stalls and street food vendors

The guidance does not mandate a specific format. You can provide written allergen information through:

• Menus with allergen symbols or text alongside each dish
• Separate allergen matrices or charts
• Digital menus accessible via QR code or tablet
• Counter cards or display labels

The key requirement is that allergen information must be accurate, up to date, and accessible to the customer at the point of choosing their food.

Previously, many food businesses relied on the "ask a member of staff" approach — displaying a sign saying allergen information was available on request. While this remains legally permissible under the Food Information Regulations 2014, the FSA now considers it the least reliable method because:

• Staff knowledge varies. Not every team member knows the allergens in every dish, especially in businesses with high turnover.
• Verbal information is harder to verify. If a customer has a reaction, there is no record of what they were told.
• It creates friction. Customers with allergies may feel uncomfortable asking, especially in busy environments.
• It depends on training. If a staff member is new, absent, or simply forgets, the system fails.

The FSA's position is that written information reduces the risk of human error and gives both customers and enforcement officers a verifiable record of allergen declarations.

### For Restaurants If you currently rely on verbal allergen information, the FSA's guidance is a strong signal to move to written declarations. This could mean adding allergen information to your printed menu, creating a separate allergen chart, or — increasingly — using a digital allergen management system that generates QR code menus with allergen data built in.

### For Cafés Cafés with frequently changing menus face an extra challenge: keeping written allergen information up to date. A digital system that lets you update allergen data in real time — and displays it via a QR code at the counter — is a practical solution. Learn more about allergen management for cafés.

### For Bakeries Bakeries selling loose items need written allergen information available at the point of sale. For pre-packed items, Natasha's Law already requires full ingredient labelling with allergens emphasised. A bakery allergen management system can handle both loose and pre-packed products.

### For Catering Companies Caterers should provide written allergen information at the event — whether that's a printed card on the buffet table or a QR code guests can scan. Since menus change per event, a flexible system that lets you create allergen records per job is essential.

While the FSA's guidance is described as "best practice" rather than a legal requirement, Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) use it as a benchmark during inspections. If your business relies solely on verbal allergen communication and an EHO finds gaps — for example, a staff member who cannot accurately state the allergens in a dish — it is likely to result in enforcement action.

Businesses that provide clear, written allergen information are demonstrating due diligence, which is a key defence if something goes wrong.

Allergenius is built to make written allergen information simple and sustainable:

• Record allergens per menu item — every dish or product has its allergen data stored digitally.
• Generate QR code menus — customers scan and see allergen information instantly, satisfying the FSA's written information recommendation.
• Update in real time — change a recipe and the allergen data updates everywhere. No reprinting, no out-of-date matrices.
• Staff access from any device — even if a customer does ask verbally, your team has accurate information at their fingertips.
• Always inspection-ready — your allergen records are organised, current, and accessible digitally.

Is written allergen information a legal requirement? Not explicitly under the Food Information Regulations 2014, which allow allergen information to be provided verbally. However, the FSA's 2025 best practice guidance strongly recommends written information, and EHOs increasingly expect to see it during inspections.

What format should written allergen information take? The FSA does not mandate a specific format. You can use printed menus with allergen symbols, separate allergen matrices, digital QR code menus, or counter display cards — as long as the information is accurate and accessible to the customer before they choose their food.

Does this guidance apply in Scotland? Food Standards Scotland (FSS) publishes its own guidance, which is broadly aligned with the FSA's position. Scottish food businesses should check FSS guidance for any specific differences.

How often should allergen information be updated? Allergen information must be updated whenever a recipe, ingredient, or supplier changes. With a digital system like Allergenius, updates are instant and reflected across all customer-facing displays.