auto Allergen scan with AI
Super Chef analyses every dish on your menu and flags the 14 required EU allergens in seconds. No human error, no oversights, no fines.
Why venues need auto allergen scan
Every year, food allergies cause over 26,000 hospitalisations in Europe and are responsible for hundreds of preventable deaths. EU rule 1169/2011 requires every food business operator, including venues, bars, cafes and catering services, to inform consumers about the presence of any of 14 major allergens in every dish served. Non-compliance is not just a health risk: fines range from 3,000 to 50,000 euros depending on the country.
The problem is that manual allergen management is fragile. A new chef who does not know that carbonara sauce contains egg and milk, an ingredient changed at the last minute that nobody updates on the menu, a handwritten note lost in the chaos of service. Each of these failures can end in a fine or, worse, a medical emergency.
Super Chef by IAMenu eliminates human error. Our AI right away analyses every product on your menu, cross-referencing name, items, category and food context, and flags the found allergens with 95% accuracy. No manual clicks, no spreadsheets, no excuses during an inspection.
How Super Chef works: Context-Aware scan
Super Chef is not a simple keyword list. It uses GPT with deep food context to infer allergens even when they are not explicitly written.
Product analysis
When you create or edit a dish, Super Chef receives the product name, ingredient list, text, category (e.g. Pizzas) and subcategory (Classic). All this info is sent to the AI.
Deep food context
The AI does not just search for keywords. It knows that if a dish is in the Pizzas category, it very likely contains gluten from the dough, even if the chef did not write it. It knows that a carbonara implies egg and cheese. It knows that a battered dish contains gluten and egg.
Intelligent scan
Super Chef returns the list of found allergens with a confidence level for each. The allergens are right away flagged on your product without you having to do anything.
Full chef control
You always have the final say. If the AI detects an allergen that does not apply, you uncheck it with one click. If we missed one, you flag it manually. Manual edits are protected: the AI will not overwrite them in future analyses.
Real example: Pasta Carbonara
INPUT:
Name: Pasta Carbonara | items: bacon, egg, parmesan cheese, black pepper | Category: Pasta
OUTPUT:
Allergens found: GLUTEN (pasta), EGGS (egg), MILK (parmesan)
Super Chef infers GLUTEN from the Pasta category and the name Pasta, even though the chef did not write flour or wheat in the items. That is context-aware scan.
The 14 required EU Allergens
EU rule 1169/2011 - All right away found by Super Chef
Gluten
Wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, bread, pasta, beer, sauces
Detects gluten in Pizzas (category), battered dishes, bechamel sauces
Crustaceans
Prawns, lobster, crab, crayfish, surimi
Detects in seafood paella, seafood soup, prawn tempura
Eggs
Omelettes, mayonnaise, cakes, batter, fresh pasta
Infers in carbonara, battered dishes, desserts (flan, custard)
Fish
Cod, salmon, tuna, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce
Detects in cod croquettes, Caesar salad (anchovies)
Peanuts
Peanut butter, satay, pad thai, snacks
Detects in Asian dishes, satay sauces, desserts with nuts
Soy
Soy sauce, tofu, tempeh, lecithin, vegetable protein
Detects in Asian cuisine, stir-fries, oriental sauces
Milk
Milk, cheese, butter, cream, yoghurt, ice cream
Infers in gratins, white sauces, desserts, pizzas
Tree nuts
Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, cashews
Detects in pesto (pine nuts), desserts, salads, praline
Celery
Fresh celery, celery salt, vegetable stock, soups
Detects in stocks, Waldorf salad, base soffritto
Mustard
Mustard, vinaigrette, curry, prepared sauces
Infers in burgers, hot dogs, marinades, curries
Sesame
Sesame seeds, tahini, hummus, burger buns
Detects in burger buns (sesame), sushi, falafel, hummus
Sulphites
Wine, vinegar, dried fruits, preserves, beers
Infers in dishes with wine (coq au vin), vinegar, pickles
Lupin
Lupin flour, snacks, gluten-free products
Detects in gluten-free products (flour substitute), snacks
Molluscs
Mussels, clams, octopus, squid, oysters
Detects in paella, seafood noodles, mixed fried seafood
EU rule 1169/2011: What your venue must comply with
rule (EU) No 1169/2011 on food info to consumers establishes that every food business operator, including venues, bars, cafes and catering services, must inform consumers about the presence of any of the 14 major allergens in the food they serve.
The obligation applies to both packaged and non-packaged food (dishes served on premises). A generic sign is not sufficient: the info must be specific to each dish and kept up to date. A health inspection that finds discrepancies between your menu and the actual allergens in your dishes can result in immediate fines.
Penalties vary significantly across EU countries. In Spain, fines range from 5,000 to 600,000 euros in serious cases. In Germany, the Ordnungsamt can impose penalties of up to 50,000 euros. In France, the DGCCRF applies fines of 1,500 to 7,500 euros. In Italy, sanctions range from 3,000 to 24,000 euros. In the UK, Natasha's Law requires full ingredient labelling.
Super Chef automates the entire process. Instead of manually reviewing every dish on your menu each time you change an ingredient, the AI does it for you in real time. Guaranteed compliance, always up to date.
Real-world use cases
Pizzeria with 45 products
An Italian pizzeria with 45 products on its menu activates Super Chef. In under 2 minutes, every product has its allergens right away flagged. The AI detects GLUTEN in all pizzas (dough), MILK in those with mozzarella, EGGS in fresh pasta. The chef only needs to review and adjust 3 products with special items. Previously, this process took half a day with an Excel spreadsheet.
45 products analysed in 2 minutes vs 4 hours manually
Coeliac customer filtering allergens
A coeliac customer visits the venue's e-menu. They activate the allergen filter and exclude GLUTEN. The menu instantly shows only safe dishes: salads without croutons, grilled meats, flour-free desserts. The customer feels safe, the venue avoids risks, and the trial is excellent.
100% of dishes correctly filtered for special diets
Health inspector verifies compliance
A health inspector arrives unannounced. They ask to see the menu and allergen documentation. The venue owner opens IAMenu on their tablet and shows: every dish with its AI-found allergens, date of last analysis, change history. The inspector checks 10 random dishes and all match. Inspection passed without issues.
Inspection passed in 5 minutes with complete digital documentation
Super Chef in numbers
95%
Allergen scan accuracy
Based on context-aware analysis that includes name, items, category and food knowledge
14
EU allergens found
Complete coverage of rule 1169/2011: all 14 required allergens in the European Union
<2s
Analysis time per product
Instant scan when saving or editing a product. No waiting, no interruptions
0
Clicks required
Fire-and-forget: scan runs right away in background when creating or editing a dish
Frequently asked questions about AI allergen scan
What allergens does Super Chef detect right away?+
Super Chef detects the 14 required allergens under EU rule 1169/2011: gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soy, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin and molluscs. These are the same 14 allergens that health authorities require every food place to declare.
Can I edit or correct the allergens found by the AI?+
Yes, you always have full control. If Super Chef detects an allergen that does not apply to your recipe, you uncheck it with one click. If one is missing, you flag it manually. Manual edits are protected with the is_reviewed flag: the AI will not overwrite your corrections in future auto analyses.
Is it compliant with European allergen rules?+
Super Chef is specifically designed to comply with rule (EU) No 1169/2011 on food info to consumers. It detects the 14 allergens that the rule requires to be declared. However, the final responsibility for the info provided to consumers always lies with the food business operator.
How does context-aware scan work?+
Unlike keyword-based systems, Super Chef uses GPT with food context. This means that if your product is in the Pizzas category, the AI knows it very likely contains gluten from the dough, even if you did not write it in the items. Similarly, it infers milk in gratins, eggs in battered dishes, and sulphites in dishes with wine.
What happens if I change a dish's items?+
Super Chef runs right away every time you edit a product. If you change the items, the AI re-analyses the dish and updates the found allergens. Only manual markings (is_reviewed) are protected. Previous auto scans are recalculated with the new data.
Does it work with menus in other languages?+
Yes. IAMenu supports 29 languages and Super Chef works with names and items in any of them. The AI gets food terminology in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and many more. Both Margherita and Marguerite or Margarita trigger gluten and milk scan.
How much does allergen scan cost?+
auto allergen scan is included in all IAMenu plans, including the free Starter plan. There are no additional charges per analysis. Super Chef runs every time you create or edit a product, with no usage limits.
Can guests filter the menu by allergens?+
Yes. The IAMenu e-menu includes allergen filters that your guests can use. A customer with a tree nut allergy can activate the filter and see only safe dishes. The filters are based on the allergens found by Super Chef and the chef's manual markings.
Activate Super Chef and comply with rules right away
Start for free. Super Chef analyses your entire menu in minutes. No setup, no manual clicks, no risk of fines.
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