Menu Allergen Matrix

What is the menu allergen matrix form template?

When a guest asks "Does this have nuts in it?", the answer shouldn't depend on who's working that night. An allergen matrix gives everyone the same reference: every dish on the menu, every one of the 14 major allergens, and notes on what might get in through shared fryers or boards.

This template builds that matrix one dish at a time. On the first page you record the venue, menu name, the date the menu is in use from, who completed it and what you checked it against. Then each dish gets a name, a "Contains" list of the 14 allergens (celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya, and sulphur dioxide and sulphites), a may-contain note and a note on whether it can be adapted. "Add another dish?" opens the next one, up to twelve.

The chef confirms the check and signs, and FileIt files the result as a PDF. Print it for the pass and the front-of-house station, and when the menu changes, fill in a new one so you keep a dated history of what you served.

Who uses a menu allergen matrix form?

• A café writing up allergens for its new seasonal menu
• A pub kitchen giving front-of-house staff a printed reference for every dish
• A caterer recording allergens for a set wedding menu
• A hotel keeping separate matrices for breakfast, lunch and room service
• Re-checking the menu after a supplier swaps an ingredient
• Keeping a dated history to show an environmental health or food safety officer

Questions on this menu allergen matrix form

70 questions over 2 pages · includes signature, conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.

The menu allergen matrix form, page by page

1 Menu details

Record the venue, the menu name, the date the menu is in use from and a date to review it again. Add who completed it and their role. "Checked against" asks whether you've looked at current recipes, supplier labels and spec sheets, the ingredients of sauces and garnishes, and cooking oil and fryer use. A box notes what changed since the last version.

2 Dishes and sign-off

A short reminder asks you to include sauces, dressings and garnishes. Dish 1 asks for the dish name, then "Contains" with the 14 allergens as tick boxes plus a None of the 14 option. "May contain or cross-contact notes" is for things like shared fryer oil, and "Can it be adapted?" records swaps such as a gluten-free bun. Answer yes to "Add another dish?" and Dish 2 appears, continuing up to Dish 12. For a longer menu, split it into starters, mains and desserts and fill in one record for each.

At the end of the page, add kitchen-wide notes for guests, such as "We use nuts in the kitchen". The person completing it confirms each dish was checked against its current recipe and supplier information and that the record will be updated when something changes, then signs.

Make the template yours

• Change the allergen list if your country uses a different list of major allergens
• Add more dish sections in the designer for longer menus
• Add a "Vegan" or "Vegetarian" tick if front of house is asked about those too
• Set the document title to include the menu name
• File each menu's records into its own vault folder
• Edit the confirmation statement to match your food safety procedures

Tips for a better menu allergen matrix form

• Check the label of every bought-in item, including sauces, stocks and bread
• Redo the record whenever a supplier or recipe changes, not just when the menu changes
• Train front-of-house staff to check the printed matrix, not to guess
• Be honest in the may-contain notes. A guest with a severe allergy needs to know about shared fryers
• Keep old versions. A dated history shows what was on the menu on any given day

Menu allergen matrix form: frequently asked questions

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Templates are a starting point. Check that the questions and any wording about consent, privacy or terms suit your situation and the rules where you are. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.