# Allergen Matrix: [Venue or menu name]

> A dish by allergen grid for a restaurant, café, hotel kitchen or event
> menu, with the cross-contact controls behind it and the way staff
> answer guests. It covers the 14 allergens that EU Regulation (EU) No
> 1169/2011 Annex II requires food businesses to declare (also used in
> the UK) and the 9 major food allergens defined in US law and in the
> FDA Food Code 2026. Replace every `[bracketed]` value and every row
> marked *Example*. This is a documentation format, not legal or medical
> advice: check the current official text where you trade and a
> qualified professional.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- Build the matrix from recipe cards and supplier specifications, not
  from memory. Every compound ingredient (stock, sauce, bread, dressing)
  needs its own label check.
- Mark a cell only when the allergen is an ingredient. Cross-contact
  risk goes in its own column with the control, so that guests can
  judge the risk.
- Common pitfall: the matrix is right on launch day and wrong a month
  later because a supplier changed a product. Section 4 ties every
  substitution to a re-check.
- Related templates: recipe cost card (`hospitality/recipe-cost-card`),
  food safety plan (`hospitality/food-safety-plan`), event menus on the
  banquet event order (`hospitality/banquet-event-order`).
-->

## Document control

<!-- Guidance: Treat the matrix as a controlled document. Print the version number and date on every copy in the kitchen and at front of house, and remove old copies when you issue a new one. -->

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Document ID | [HOS-ALG-001] |
| Version | [1.0] |
| Menu | [*Example:* Autumn dinner menu, Brasserie Okkenden (fictional)] |
| Owner | [@head-chef] |
| Checked by | [@general-manager] |
| Effective from | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Next review | [On every menu, recipe or supplier change, and at least every 3 months] |

### Revision history

| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 *(Example)* | 2026-10-30 | Head chef | First issue for autumn menu |

## 1. Allergen lists and legal context

<!-- Guidance: Keep the lists that apply where you trade. If you serve guests from several countries, track all 14 EU and UK allergens: they cover the 9 US groups (wheat sits under cereals containing gluten), but the EU nuts entry names eight tree nuts, while the FDA tree nut list includes others, for example pine nuts. Check the current FDA list. -->

**EU and UK: 14 allergens (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II).**
Cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans,
milk, nuts (named tree nuts), celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur
dioxide and sulphites (above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre as SO2), lupin and
molluscs. Article 9 makes allergen information mandatory and Article 44
applies it to food that is not prepacked, such as restaurant dishes;
member states set how it is given. The Regulation has applied since
13 December 2014 (European Commission page, checked 2026-10-30). In the
UK the same list applies through assimilated law, and prepacked for
direct sale food has needed a full ingredients list with allergens
emphasised since 1 October 2021. Check the consolidated text and the
Food Standards Agency guidance.

**US: 9 major food allergens.** Milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish,
tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. The first 8 come from
FALCPA (2004); the FASTER Act added sesame, with labelling effective
1 January 2023 (FDA food allergies page, checked 2026-10-30). The FDA
Food Code 2026 uses the same list in its definition of "major food
allergen", asks the person in charge to make sure staff are trained in
food allergy awareness (§ 2-103.11(O)), and asks the permit holder to
give written notice of major food allergens in unpackaged food served
to consumers (§ 3-602.12(C)). The Food Code is a model: it binds only
where a state or local authority adopts it, so check which edition your
regulator uses.

Highly refined oils from an allergen source are excluded from the US
definition and from parts of the EU list. Check the exact exemptions
before relying on them.

## 2. Matrix

<!-- Guidance: One row per dish as served, including sides and sauces. Y = contains as an ingredient. C = cross-contact risk that cannot be fully controlled (explain in section 3). Blank = not present, checked against the recipe and labels. Never use "may contain" as a default for every cell; it hides real information. -->

Columns follow the 14 EU and UK allergens. US guests: the gluten column
covers wheat, and the fish and crustacean columns cover the US fish and
crustacean shellfish groups. Name any US tree nut outside the EU list
(for example pine nuts) in the cross-contact note column.

| Dish | Gluten | Crust. | Egg | Fish | Peanut | Soy | Milk | Nuts | Celery | Mustard | Sesame | Sulphites | Lupin | Mollusc | Cross-contact note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braised short rib, mash *(Example)* | | | | | | | Y | | Y | | | Y | | | Shared fryer not used |
| Sesame-crusted salmon *(Example)* | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | | | Y | | | | Soy sauce contains wheat |
| Mussels in white wine *(Example)* | Y | | | | | | Y | | Y | | | Y | | Y | Bread served on the side |
| Pistachio tart *(Example)* | Y | | Y | | | | Y | Y | | | | | | | C: pastry section handles peanuts, see CC-02 |
| Fries *(Example)* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | C: shared fryer with battered fish, see CC-01 |
| [Dish] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [Note] |

## 3. Cross-contact controls

<!-- Guidance: List each place where an allergen can reach a dish that does not contain it: shared fryers, boards, scoops, toppings, buffets. Give the control and say plainly when you cannot exclude it. -->

| ID | Where | Allergens | Control | Residual risk told to guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC-01 *(Example)* | Fryer 1 shared by fries and battered fish | Gluten, fish | Fries for allergen orders cooked in fryer 2 (dedicated) on request | No, when fryer 2 is used |
| CC-02 *(Example)* | Pastry section | Peanuts, nuts | Separate boards and colour-coded utensils, peanut products stored on lowest shelf, sealed | Yes, small risk stated on menu |
| CC-03 *(Example)* | Buffet service at events | All | Labels per dish, separate serving spoons, allergen meals plated in kitchen and named | Yes for buffet items |
| CC-[NN] | [Where] | [Allergens] | [Control] | [Yes / no] |

## 4. Change control

<!-- Guidance: Most allergen incidents in kitchens follow a change: a new supplier, an out-of-stock substitute, a new dessert. Make the re-check part of receiving and of menu change. -->

- Every delivery: if the product or brand differs from the specification,
  receiving staff stop it from use until the chef checks the label and
  updates the matrix.
- Every recipe change: the chef updates the recipe card, the matrix and
  the version number before the dish is served.
- Every specials board: allergens are written next to the dish, checked
  by a second person.
- Record substitutions here:

| Date | Dish | Change | Allergen impact | Matrix version | Checked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-04 *(Example)* | Fries | Seasoning salt brand changed | Mustard now present, added | 1.1 | [@sous-chef] |
| YYYY-MM-DD | [Dish] | [Change] | [Impact] | [Version] | [@name] |

## 5. Front of house procedure

<!-- Guidance: Staff should know the 14 or 9 allergens, where the matrix is, and that the answer comes from the matrix or the chef, never from a guess. -->

1. Ask every table about allergies when taking the order, and mark
   the allergy on the order ticket.
2. Check the matrix for each dish ordered. If anything is unclear, ask
   the chef before the order is accepted.
3. Tell the guest about any cross-contact risk in section 3. Let the
   guest decide.
4. The kitchen prepares allergy orders with clean equipment and the
   person who plates the dish confirms the allergy on the ticket.
5. Deliver allergy orders separately, naming the dish and the allergy.
6. If a guest reacts: call emergency services, follow first aid
   training, keep the dish and ticket, and complete a guest incident
   report (`hospitality/guest-incident-report`).

## 6. Training record

<!-- Guidance: Train at induction and after every menu change. Keep a record you can show an inspector. -->

| Name | Role | Training | Date | Next due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Name] *(Example)* | Server | Allergen awareness, matrix walk-through | 2026-10-28 | 2027-10-28 |
| [Name] | [Role] | [Course] | YYYY-MM-DD | YYYY-MM-DD |

## Standard and licence note

Based on Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (Annex II, Articles 9 and 44),
the US major food allergen list (FALCPA 2004 and the FASTER Act 2021)
and the FDA Food Code 2026 (§§ 2-103.11(O) and 3-602.12(C)), as checked
on 2026-10-30. Official texts: EUR-Lex
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj), FDA
(https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/food-allergies
and https://www.fda.gov/food/retail-food-protection/fda-food-code),
UK Food Standards Agency guidance
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses).
The text is original, not a copy of any law or guidance. Check the
current official version before use. Template licence: MIT.