Do delivery apps have to show allergen information?

Allergen information for restaurant food must be available before the purchase is concluded. The restaurant is responsible for supplying accurate information, and it must be accessible to the customer before ordering, whether on the app or by another clearly identified means.

Is putting allergens on the receipt enough for online orders?

No. Article 14 requires the information to be available before the purchase is concluded. A receipt or a sticker in the bag arrives too late.

Does Article 14 cover phone orders?

Yes. Phone orders are distance communication. Staff must be able to give or point to the allergen information before the order is placed.

Do vending machines follow Article 14?

No. Article 14(3) excludes food sold through vending machines and automated commercial premises.

Article 14 of EU 1169/2011: allergen information for delivery, takeaway apps and online orders

By the Menulta editorial team · Facts checked 15 October 2026 · Updated 15 October 2026

The short answer

Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 covers food sold by distance communication, such as websites, apps, phone and catalogue orders. For non-prepacked food, such as a restaurant meal ordered for delivery, the allergen information must be available before the purchase is concluded, free of charge. For prepacked food, all mandatory particulars except the durability date must be available before purchase, and all of them at delivery.

What Article 14 requires

Article 14 deals with the fact that a customer ordering remotely cannot see a label or ask a waiter at the moment they decide. The information has to travel to them before they commit.

14(1)(a): For prepacked food, all mandatory particulars except the date of minimum durability or use-by date must be available before the purchase is concluded. They must appear on the material supporting the sale or be provided by other appropriate means clearly identified by the operator, at no extra cost to the consumer.
14(1)(b): For prepacked food, all mandatory particulars must be available at the moment of delivery.
14(2): For non-prepacked food sold at a distance, the particulars required under Article 44, which always include allergens, must be made available as set out in 14(1)(a), before the purchase is concluded.
14(3): The rules do not apply to food sold through vending machines or automated commercial premises.

What 'before the purchase is concluded' means in practice

On a website or app, the allergen information must be reachable before the customer pays. Showing it on the dish page, or behind a clearly labelled link from the dish, works. Showing it only on the receipt, on a sticker inside the bag, or in an email after checkout does not.

For phone orders, the information must be available during the call. Staff answering the phone need the written allergen record in front of them, or a clear way to point the customer to it before the order is placed, for example a link to the online menu.

Delivery platforms and aggregators

When a restaurant sells through a third-party delivery app, the platform displays the menu, but the restaurant is still the operator marketing the food under its name, as described in Article 8. The restaurant supplies the allergen data and remains responsible for its accuracy.

Platforms differ in how they collect allergen information. Some have structured allergen fields for each item, some rely on a free-text description, and some only show a phone number for allergy questions. Whatever the format, check that each item's information matches your current record, and update every platform the same day a recipe changes.

Delivery-specific risks

Delivery adds risks that do not exist in a dining room. The customer cannot see the dish being plated, cannot ask a follow-up question at the table, and often orders for several people with different needs.

Label each container clearly, especially when a dish has been adapted for an allergy.
Seal sauces and dressings separately where possible, so an allergen-free main is not contaminated in transit.
Keep allergen-adapted orders physically separate when packing.
Include a short allergen note in the bag as a reminder, in addition to the information shown before purchase.
Make sure the order ticket records the customer's allergy note in a way the kitchen cannot miss.

Your own online menu and QR menus

If guests can order directly from your website or from a QR code at the table, Article 14 logic applies to the ordering flow: allergen information must be visible before the order is placed. Even where a QR menu is only for browsing and staff take the order, showing allergens per dish on the guest's phone is the clearest way to meet Article 44 and to answer allergy questions before ordering.

Checking your listings

A quick monthly check prevents most delivery allergen errors. Open each platform listing as a customer would, pick three dishes at random and compare the allergen information shown with your current record. Correct any differences on every platform the same day, and note the date of the check.

Sources

This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice. Guests with an allergy should follow their doctor's advice. Operators should confirm their own setup with their food safety adviser or local authority.