What Is an Allergen Matrix?
An allergen matrix is a grid with every dish on your menu down one side and the 14 regulated allergens across the top, marked wherever a dish contains that allergen. Kitchens use it to answer customer questions accurately, front-of-house teams use it to guide guests, and environmental health officers routinely ask to see it during inspections. It is the single most practical way to show you know what is in your food.
The 14 Allergens You Must Declare
UK and EU food law requires food businesses to declare 14 allergens when they are used as ingredients: celery, cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats), crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya, and sulphur dioxide or sulphites above 10 mg/kg. Restaurants, pubs, cafés, hotels, B&Bs and takeaways must be able to tell customers which of these are present in every dish they sell.
How the Generator Works
Enter each dish and list its ingredients, including sauces, dressings, oils, breadcrumbs, stocks and garnishes. The AI reads the ingredient list and suggests which of the 14 allergens are likely to be present, with a short reason. Nothing is applied automatically: you tick or untick every allergen yourself after checking your recipes and supplier labels, and only confirmed allergens appear on the printed matrix and customer chart.
Checking Supplier Labels and Sub-Recipes
Most allergen mistakes come from hidden ingredients: Worcestershire sauce containing fish, stock cubes containing celery, dressings containing mustard, dried fruit treated with sulphites, and bread or batter containing gluten. Check the label of every bought-in product and every in-house sub-recipe. When a supplier changes a product, re-check it and update the matrix the same day.
Natasha's Law and Prepacked for Direct Sale Food
Since October 2021, food that is prepacked for direct sale in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — for example sandwiches or salads made and packed on site before a customer orders — must carry a label with the name of the food and a full ingredients list with the 14 allergens emphasised. A matrix supports that process but does not replace the label itself.
Cross-Contamination and "May Contain" Statements
An allergen matrix records ingredients that are deliberately used. It cannot tell you about cross-contact from shared fryers, boards, utensils or preparation areas. Assess those risks separately, train your team to explain them honestly, and never promise that a dish is free from an allergen unless your controls genuinely support it.
Using Allergen Records When Buying or Selling a Food Business
Buyers of restaurants, pubs and cafés should ask to see the current allergen matrix, training records and food hygiene rating as part of due diligence. Sellers who can hand over an up-to-date matrix, clear recipes and supplier specifications present a better-run business and give buyers fewer reasons to renegotiate.