UK Allergen Regulations for Restaurants 2026 | Natasha's Law

Under UK food law (retained EU Regulation 1169/2011 and the Food Information Regulations 2014), the following 14 major allergens must be declared: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites (>10 mg/kg), lupin, and molluscs. This applies to all food businesses in the UK, including restaurants, cafés, pubs, takeaways, caterers, bakeries, and food stalls.

Natasha's Law (the UK Allergen Labelling Regulations), which came into force on 1 October 2021, requires all food businesses to provide full ingredient lists with allergens emphasised on food that is prepacked for direct sale (PPDS). This includes sandwiches, wraps, salads and other items prepared on the premises and packed before the customer selects them. The law was introduced following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse from a sesame allergy in 2016 after eating a Pret A Manger baguette. While restaurants serving non-prepacked food are not directly affected by PPDS rules, they must still declare allergens under the Food Information Regulations 2014.

In the UK, failure to comply with allergen regulations can result in: fines of up to £5,000 per offence in the Magistrates' Court, unlimited fines in the Crown Court for serious offences, imprisonment of up to 2 years under the Food Safety Act 1990 (Section 14 – selling food not of the substance demanded), prosecution by local authority Trading Standards or Environmental Health, improvement notices requiring immediate corrective action, and emergency prohibition orders closing the business. In extreme cases involving death, manslaughter charges can be brought.

Under the Food Information Regulations 2014, allergen information for non-prepacked food can be communicated in three ways: 1) In writing on the menu, chalkboard, or food label with the 14 allergens clearly indicated, 2) By directing customers to ask staff, provided a clear notice states "Please ask our staff for allergen information" and staff are properly trained, 3) Through a digital menu with automatic allergen detection (such as IAMenu), which is fully compliant and ensures real-time accuracy. The FSA recommends written communication as best practice to reduce the risk of human error.

Allergen enforcement in the UK is carried out by local authority Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and Trading Standards Officers. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) in Scotland, provide overarching policy and guidance. EHOs conduct routine inspections under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and can issue improvement notices, emergency prohibition orders, or prosecute businesses for non-compliance. The FSA also runs the Allergen Alert system, issuing public recalls and notifications.

Yes. The Food Information Regulations 2014 apply to all food sold to the final consumer, including takeaway, delivery, catering, and online food orders. For distance selling (online orders), allergen information must be available before the purchase is completed (on the website or app) and again when the food is delivered. Delivery platforms such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat increasingly require full allergen declarations for every menu item listed on their platforms.

While there is no specific legal requirement for a formal allergen training certificate in the UK, the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Food Information Regulations 2014 require that food handlers are adequately trained and supervised to ensure food safety, which includes allergen management. The FSA recommends that all staff who handle food or serve customers should receive allergen awareness training covering the 14 allergens, communication to customers, cross-contamination prevention, and emergency response. Many local authorities now check training records during inspections.

Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) is the FSA's food safety management system for smaller food businesses. It includes a dedicated section on allergen management covering: identifying allergens in every recipe, separating allergen-containing ingredients during storage and preparation, cleaning procedures to prevent cross-contamination, training staff to answer allergen queries, and keeping records up to date. IAMenu automates allergen identification for every dish, significantly simplifying SFBB compliance and reducing the risk of human error.

IAMenu's Super Chef feature uses artificial intelligence (GPT) to analyse every dish in context: the dish name, ingredients, category, and subcategory are all considered. For example, if a dish is categorised under "Fish & Chips", the AI automatically recognises the presence of fish and gluten (batter), even without an explicit ingredient list. The chef retains full control and can manually adjust any results. The system also translates allergen information into 29 languages, making it ideal for tourist-facing businesses.

IAMenu's Starter Plan is free and already includes automatic AI allergen detection. For multilingual restaurants or chains, the Professional Plan (£39/month) and Premium Plan (£69/month) offer automatic allergen translation into 29 languages and advanced features. Compared with fines of up to £5,000 per offence (unlimited in Crown Court), potential imprisonment, and reputational damage, the investment is minimal and provides immediate peace of mind and demonstrable compliance.