Allergens on a QR code menu: how to show them per dish, in every language
By the Menulta editorial team · Facts checked 15 October 2026 · Updated 15 October 2026
The short answer
To show allergens on a QR code menu, record the 14 EU allergens for each dish, display them on the dish itself in words with optional icons, make them available in every language the menu offers, and update them the same day a recipe or supplier changes. Tell guests clearly that allergen information is on the menu and that they should still mention allergies to staff. Done well, a QR menu is one of the clearest ways to meet Article 44 of Regulation 1169/2011.
Why a QR menu suits allergen information
Printed menus rarely have room for allergens on every dish, so they end up in a separate folder. A digital menu can show them right on the dish, in the guest's language, without clutter. Because the information is digital, it can be updated the moment a recipe changes, which is where printed allergen records most often fail.
What good allergen display looks like
- Allergens shown on each dish, not only in a general note.
- Allergen names in words, in the guest's language; icons are an optional extra.
- Specific sources where useful: 'nuts (pistachio)', 'gluten (barley)'.
- Precautionary notes only where there is a real cross-contact risk, explained specifically.
- A clear statement that guests with allergies should also tell staff.
- Drinks and desserts included, not just mains.
Icons: helpful, but not enough
Allergen icons are useful for scanning quickly, but there is no single EU-wide icon set, and guests from different countries interpret icons differently. Article 9(2) of Regulation 1169/2011 requires mandatory information in words and numbers, with pictograms only as an addition. Always show the allergen name in words next to any icon.
Translations
Allergen names must be translated accurately. The common traps are nuts versus peanuts, crustaceans versus molluscs, celery and celeriac, and gluten versus wheat. The safest systems store allergens as structured data, not translated text, and display each allergen using a fixed, checked translation. That way, a dish's allergens are identical in every language and change together.
Keeping allergen data current
The biggest risk is outdated information. Build a routine: whenever a recipe, ingredient or supplier changes, the person making the change updates the dish's allergens before the dish is served. Review the whole menu at each seasonal change. Keep a record of when each dish was last checked.
Bought-in components such as sauces, breads and desserts deserve special attention, because their recipes change without the kitchen noticing. Check the label on every delivery of a substituted product.
Signposting and staff
A digital allergen record only helps if guests know it is there. Add a line to the menu and near the QR code, such as 'Allergen information is shown on every dish. Please tell us about any allergy when ordering.' Train staff to open the dish's allergen information with the guest when asked, rather than answering from memory.
Building the allergen record
Start with recipes, not dishes. List each base recipe, such as stocks, sauces, doughs and dressings, with its allergens, then build each dish from those components. When a base recipe changes, every dish that uses it changes too. Add bought-in products as their own components, copying allergens from the label. This structure makes the digital record accurate and easy to maintain, and it means the QR menu shows the same allergens the kitchen actually uses.
Drinks, bar and desserts
Allergen records often stop at the main menu. Guests with allergies also order cocktails with egg white, nut liqueurs and cream, wines fined with egg or milk, beers made with barley, and desserts with nuts and gluten. Include the drinks list and desserts in the digital menu with the same allergen detail, so guests can check them before ordering.
Checking accuracy
Once a month, pick a few dishes at random and compare the allergens shown on the QR menu with the current recipe and labels in the kitchen. Fix any differences immediately and find out why they happened. This simple audit catches the slow drift that builds up as recipes and suppliers change through a season.
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.