The UK allergen rules, in plain English.

The basics

Food businesses must tell customers if any of the 14 regulated allergens are used as ingredients in the food they sell. In Great Britain the rules come from Regulation 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, kept in UK law after Brexit (now called “assimilated” law; it used to be called “retained” EU law) and enforced in England by the Food Information Regulations 2014, with equivalent regulations in Wales and Scotland. In Northern Ireland the EU Regulation still applies directly under the Windsor Framework, enforced by the Food Information Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014.

Non-prepacked food (cafés, restaurants, takeaways)

For food served loose or made to order, allergen information must be available to customers. You can provide it in writing, or tell customers that it’s available by asking staff, in which case the information must be accurate, consistent and verifiable, and staff need to know where to find it.

The FSA’s best-practice guidance (February 2025)

In February 2025 the Food Standards Agency published best-practice guidance for non-prepacked food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In short:

• Allergen information should be available in writing (for example a menu, allergen matrix or chalkboard) and backed up by a conversation with the customer.
• Businesses should ask customers about allergies and prompt them to tell staff. The FSA’s suggested wording is “Please talk to us if you have a food allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease. We want to cater safely for everyone.”
• Digital information such as a QR code or website shouldn’t be the only way to get the information; there should be a non-digital alternative.
• Online, allergen information should be no more than one click away.
• Icons can help, but they should come with a name or key so they’re understood.

The guidance is best practice rather than law today, but it’s what inspectors and customers increasingly expect. The FSA has said it wants written allergen information to become a legal requirement.

Source: FSA - Allergen information for non-prepacked foods: best practice.

Natasha’s Law: prepacked for direct sale

Since 1 October 2021, food that’s prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) must carry a label with the name of the food and a full ingredients list with the 14 allergens emphasised (for example in bold). PPDS food is packed at the same place it’s sold, before the customer orders or picks it (like a sandwich made in the morning and put in the chiller). It can also include food a business packs and then sells itself from a market stall or other mobile or temporary outlet.

On the label, list the ingredients in descending order of weight (as they were when the food was made), and break down compound ingredients into what’s in them (for a sandwich, the ingredients of the bread as well as the filling). For meat products, such as a sausage roll or a pie, show the percentage of meat (known as QUID), for example “pork (80%)”.

Fourteen’s Pro plan prints PPDS labels from your dish records, with allergens in bold, on standard Avery sheets. Check each label before use: it can only be as accurate and complete as the ingredient details you enter.

Sources: FSA - Introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food · FSA - Labelling guidance for PPDS food products.

Delivery apps and online ordering

If you sell through Just Eat, Uber Eats, Deliveroo or your own website, allergen information must be available before the customer buys and again when the food is delivered. A short link to your Fourteen allergen page (Pro) keeps the information one click away from your listing.

Enforcement

Local authority environmental health and Trading Standards officers enforce the rules. Getting allergen information wrong can lead to improvement notices and prosecution, and fines on conviction are unlimited in England and Wales. Courts have imposed substantial penalties on small businesses where customers were put at risk.

Scotland

In Scotland the rules are enforced under the Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014, and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is the regulator. The basics are the same: the same 14 allergens, and allergen information must be provided for non-prepacked food as well as prepacked food. Natasha’s Law labelling for PPDS food applies in Scotland too.

The FSA’s February 2025 best-practice guidance covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland only. FSS ran its own consultation on improving written allergen and ingredient information in the non-prepacked sector from 23 February to 17 May 2026; at the time of writing it hasn’t published the outcome.

Sources: The Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014 · FSS - Safely managing allergens in your food business · FSS consultation, 2026.

What’s coming

• The FSA has advised ministers on “Owen’s Law” (making written allergen information on menus a legal requirement for restaurants and other out-of-home businesses), and Board members have called for continued advocacy to make it law. Until the law changes, the February 2025 guidance remains best practice rather than a legal duty.
• In Scotland, the outcome of FSS’s 2026 consultation is still to be published (see above).

Sources: FSA Board minutes, September 2025 · FSA Board minutes, December 2025.

A quick checklist

1. Record the 14 allergens for every ingredient you use, naming the cereal and nut.
2. Check ingredients against supplier labels, especially after a delivery substitution.
3. Have written allergen information available: a matrix at the counter and a menu customers can read.
4. Prompt customers to tell you about allergies, and train staff to have that conversation.
5. Review your information regularly and whenever a recipe or supplier changes, and keep a dated record.

This page is a summary for general information and isn’t legal advice. For your specific situation, speak to your local authority’s food safety team or a qualified adviser.

Put all fourteen on your menu