Allergen matrix

Under EU Regulation 1169/2011 (the INCO, or Food Information to Consumers, rules), any food business must be able to tell a guest whether a dish contains any of 14 named allergens: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin and molluscs. An allergen matrix is how a kitchen keeps that information organised and current.

The matrix is usually a grid: menu items down one side, the 14 allergens across the top, and a clear mark in each cell where the allergen is present. Because it is built from the ingredient list on each spec sheet, it stays accurate only if the underlying recipes are kept up to date, one reason allergen data and costing belong in the same document rather than in separate files.

Treat the matrix as a living safety record, not a one-time compliance exercise. Every recipe change, new supplier or seasonal swap can introduce an allergen, so review it whenever the menu moves, and make sure the version at the pass matches the one the floor quotes to guests.