The basics
What is an allergen matrix, and do you need one?
A grid of every dish against the 14 allergens, filled in from recipes and supplier labels. It is how most UK kitchens hold the allergen information the law requires them to give.
Checked against the official guidance on 18 September 2026
The short answer on the law
UK law requires every food business to know which of the 14 allergens are in each food it sells, and to give that information to customers: in writing, or orally with a notice telling customers to ask (regulation 5). It does not say “matrix”. But a matrix is the simplest way to hold the answers accurately, give staff one reference, and, since the FSA's 2025 best practice recommends written information, show customers something in writing.
One dish, from ingredients to row
Take a Welsh rarebit made with sourdough, mature cheddar, English mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ale, butter. The name suggests cheese on toast; the ingredients say more:
| Allergen | From |
|---|---|
| GlGluten | sourdough, ale, welsh rarebit |
| FiFish | worcestershire sauce |
| MiMilk | mature cheddar, butter, welsh rarebit |
| MuMustard | english mustard |
Four columns ticked, and the fish is the one most kitchens miss: Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. That table is exactly what the free builder produces as you type (it also flags that the sourdough may contain soya or sesame, to check on the label).
How to build one that stays right
- List every dish, side, sauce and drink as it appears on the menu.
- For each, write the ingredients from the recipe, and copy the allergen information of anything bought in.
- Tick “contains” for every allergen in the ingredients; mark “may contain” only after a risk assessment.
- Have a second person check it, then date and sign it.
- Keep it where orders are taken, and train staff to use it before answering a customer.
- Update it — and date the new version — every time a recipe, ingredient or supplier changes.
In England and Wales, the FSA's Safer Food, Better Business pack includes safe methods for food allergies and managing allergen information; in Scotland, CookSafe covers the same ground.
How often to update it
There is no fixed legal interval. The information must be accurate at the moment you give it, so update the matrix before a change reaches the plate: a new dish, a recipe tweak, a new supplier or a product reformulated by your supplier. Many kitchens also re-check the whole chart monthly and when the menu changes season.
Allergen matrix questions
Is an allergen matrix a legal requirement?
The law requires you to hold accurate allergen information for everything you sell and to give it to customers. It doesn't name the document. A matrix is the usual way to hold it; the FSA's 2025 best practice recommends giving the information in writing, which a printed matrix does.
Who should fill in the allergen matrix?
Whoever knows the recipes and reads the supplier labels, usually the head chef or the kitchen manager, and it should be checked by a second person. Put both the date and the name of the checker on it.
Where should the allergen matrix be kept?
Where the people who take orders can reach it in seconds: the pass, the counter, the bar. Customers should be able to see it too if you use it as your written allergen information.
What is the difference between an allergen matrix and an allergen menu?
A matrix is a grid, dishes against allergens, used by staff and often shown to customers. An allergen menu lists the dishes with their allergens next to each one, for customers. Both come from the same information; a QR allergen menu is one way to publish it.
Official sources
- Food Information Regulations 2014, regulation 5 — non-prepacked food — legislation.gov.uk.
- Allergen information for non-prepacked foods: best practice — Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK), March 2025.
- Allergen guidance for food businesses — Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK), updated 17 July 2026.
- Safer food, better business for caterers — Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK).
- CookSafe — allergen management — Food Standards Scotland.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II — substances or products causing allergies or intolerances — legislation.gov.uk (version applying in Great Britain).
All sources opened and checked on 18 September 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.