Article 9 of EU 1169/2011: the twelve mandatory particulars, and the one restaurants can't skip
By the Menulta editorial team · Facts checked 15 October 2026 · Updated 15 October 2026
The short answer
Article 9(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 lists twelve mandatory particulars for food sold in the EU. They are the name of the food, the ingredients list, allergens, the quantity of certain ingredients, net quantity, date of minimum durability or use-by date, storage conditions, the business name and address, country of origin where required, instructions for use where needed, alcoholic strength for drinks above 1.2%, and the nutrition declaration. Prepacked food needs all that apply. For restaurant and other non-prepacked food, only the allergen particular, point (c), is mandatory EU-wide.
The twelve particulars in Article 9(1)
The list is short, but most points are expanded by later articles and annexes. The table gives each point with where the detailed rules live.
| Point | Particular | Detailed rules |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | The name of the food | Article 17, Annex VI |
| (b) | The list of ingredients | Articles 18 to 20, Annex VII |
| (c) | Allergens: any Annex II ingredient or processing aid, or derivative, still present | Article 21, Annex II |
| (d) | The quantity of certain ingredients or categories (QUID) | Article 22, Annex VIII |
| (e) | The net quantity of the food | Article 23, Annex IX |
| (f) | The date of minimum durability or the use-by date | Article 24, Annex X |
| (g) | Any special storage conditions and/or conditions of use | Article 25 |
| (h) | The name or business name and address of the food business operator | Article 8 |
| (i) | The country of origin or place of provenance, where Article 26 requires it | Article 26 |
| (j) | Instructions for use, where it would be difficult to use the food without them | Article 27 |
| (k) | For drinks with more than 1.2% alcohol by volume, the actual alcoholic strength | Article 28 |
| (l) | A nutrition declaration | Articles 29 to 35 |
Which particulars apply to restaurant food
Article 44 changes the picture for non-prepacked food. Point (c), allergens, is mandatory for every restaurant, café, canteen and takeaway in the EU. The other eleven are not required for non-prepacked food unless a Member State adopts national measures that require them.
That does not make the other points irrelevant. Article 7 still applies to everything you tell a guest, so the name of a dish must not mislead about what is in it. A dish called 'fresh fish of the day' that arrives from the freezer, or a 'homemade' dessert bought in, is a fair-information problem even where no particular is formally required.
Allergens: the particular that is never optional
Point (c) covers an ingredient or processing aid listed in Annex II, or derived from a substance in Annex II, that is used in making the food and is still present in the finished product, even in altered form. Three phrases do the work.
- 'Processing aid' means something used during preparation and not meant to remain in the food. Flour used to dust a board, or egg wash on pastry, still counts if it ends up on the plate.
- 'Derived from' captures products such as butter (milk), tahini (sesame) and soy sauce (soy and usually wheat).
- 'Still present, even in altered form' means cooking does not remove the duty. A celery-based stock reduced into a sauce must still be declared as celery.
How Article 9 connects to the rest of the regulation
Article 9(2) says the particulars must be shown in words and numbers, though pictograms or symbols may be used as well. Article 12 says that for non-prepacked food, Article 44 decides how the information is made available. Article 13 sets the minimum font size for prepacked labels. Article 15 requires the information in a language easily understood by consumers in the Member State where the food is marketed.
For a restaurant, that chain reduces to one practical rule. Keep a written, accurate record of the Annex II allergens in each dish, present it in the way your national measure requires, and make it understandable to the guests you actually serve.
Where restaurants go wrong with Article 9
The usual error is treating point (c) as a list to recite rather than a record to maintain. Allergens must reflect today's recipe and today's suppliers. Keep the record per dish, date each change, and make sure the version guests see is the current one.
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.