Allergen labelling for restaurants and cafés in Australia
Updated 20 October 2026
Restaurants, cafés and takeaways in Australia must declare the allergens in their food using the "required names" in the Food Standards Code. Because their meals don't carry a label, the declaration can be displayed with the food or given to the customer when they ask. The required names come from Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL), in force since 25 February 2024: wheat, fish, crustacean, mollusc, egg, milk, lupin, peanut, soy, sesame, nine named tree nuts, barley, oats and rye (when they contain gluten) and added sulphites of 10 mg/kg or more. Menuthere lets you tick 14 allergen tags on every dish. Where a tag is broader than the required name, such as "Tree nuts", write the exact name in the dish description.
In short
- Applies to every food business, including home kitchens and app-only kitchens. There's no size threshold.
- Unlabelled food (café, restaurant, takeaway): display the allergens with the food, or give them on request, using the required names.
- Name each tree nut. "Contains tree nuts" isn't enough under PEAL. Write "cashew", "almond" and so on.
- Gluten: declare "wheat" for wheat, and add "gluten" if gluten is present. Barley, oats and rye are declared only when they contain gluten.
- "May contain" statements aren't regulated by the Code, but giving wrong allergen information is a serious offence.
The required allergen names
From FSANZ and the NSW Food Authority's table (Food Standards Code, Schedule 9), as of October 2026:
| Declare using this name | Notes |
|---|---|
| wheat | Includes hybrids such as triticale. Add "gluten" to the summary if gluten is present |
| barley, oats, rye | Only if they contain gluten. Summary statement uses "gluten" |
| fish | |
| crustacean | Prawns, crab, lobster |
| mollusc | Mussels, oysters, squid. Declared separately from crustacean since PEAL |
| egg | |
| milk | All milk produced by animals |
| lupin | |
| peanut | |
| soy (or soya, soybean) | |
| sesame | |
| almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, walnut | Each nut by name |
| sulphites | Only when added at 10 mg/kg or more |
A few products are exempt, for example highly refined soybean oil and glucose syrups made from wheat starch with gluten removed to set limits. Check the FSANZ exemptions before you rely on one.
What the rules mean for food you serve
The Food Standards Code treats packaged and unpackaged food differently:
| Situation | How the allergen declaration is made |
|---|---|
| Packaged food that needs a label (for example cakes you package for a shop) | In the ingredient list in bold, plus a bold summary statement starting "Contains", next to the ingredients |
| Food that doesn't need a label (meals at a café, restaurant or takeaway, unpackaged cabinet food) | Displayed with the food, or provided to the purchaser on request, using the required names |
| Retail food service | Declared whenever a customer asks, however small the amount (except sulphites under 10 mg/kg) |
The NSW Food Authority lists what counts as a serious offence: not giving allergen information when asked, giving wrong information, or serving food containing an allergen the customer asked you to leave out. If you can't be sure a meal is free of an allergen, you must tell the customer.
Precautionary statements such as "may contain nuts" are voluntary and not regulated by the Code. If you use one, use it only where cross-contact is a real risk.
Online menus and delivery
The Code doesn't yet have separate allergen rules for food ordered online from a restaurant. As of October 2026, food ministers are working on the information shoppers get for food sold online, starting with packaged food, and FSANZ plans a consultation paper on digital labelling in the second half of 2026.
Until then the food-service rule applies: your customer must be able to get the allergen information. In FSANZ's 2025 consumer research, ordering meals or drinks from a restaurant or takeaway (32.4% of respondents) was the online food service people reported using most. An online customer can't ask the person at the counter, so showing allergens on the dish is the simplest way to meet the rule. FSANZ's guidance for food delivery businesses says the same: give allergen information with delivered food.
More detail on online ordering pages: do I need to show allergens on my online ordering website?
PEAL names and Menuthere's 14 allergen tags
Menuthere's tags follow the EU and UK list of 14. Most match a PEAL name. Some are broader or extra:
| PEAL required name | Menuthere tag | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| wheat | Gluten | Tick Gluten and write "wheat" (and "gluten") in the description |
| barley, oats, rye (with gluten) | Gluten | Tick Gluten. The tag covers all four cereals |
| crustacean | Crustaceans | Tick it |
| mollusc | Molluscs | Tick it |
| egg | Eggs | Tick it |
| fish | Fish | Tick it |
| milk | Milk | Tick it |
| peanut | Peanuts | Tick it |
| soy | Soy | Tick it |
| sesame | Sesame | Tick it |
| lupin | Lupin | Tick it |
| sulphites (10 mg/kg or more) | Sulphites | Tick it |
| almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, walnut | Tree nuts | Tick Tree nuts and name each nut in the description |
| (not required in Australia) | Celery, Mustard | Optional. Leave unticked unless you want to show them |
Customers see the ticked allergens when they open a dish on your online menu or QR menu. See allergens and nutrition. The free allergen chart maker builds a printable chart from your Menuthere menu. Its columns follow the EU 14, so add the nut names in your own notes.
Worked example: an allergen statement for one dish
A Melbourne takeaway sells a chicken satay noodle bowl for A$19.50 (price as of October 2026). The recipe:
- Egg noodles: wheat flour, egg
- Satay sauce: peanuts, coconut milk, soy sauce (soybean, wheat)
- Fish sauce
- Crushed cashews on top
- Chicken, bean sprouts, coriander, lime
Allergen statement to show with the dish:
Contains: wheat, gluten, egg, peanut, soy, fish, cashew.
How it's built:
- List each allergen once, using the required names. Wheat appears twice (noodles and soy sauce) but is listed once.
- Add "gluten" because the wheat contains gluten.
- Name the nut. "Cashew", not "tree nuts". Coconut isn't on the required list, so it isn't declared (you can still mention it).
- In Menuthere, tick Gluten, Eggs, Peanuts, Soy, Fish and Tree nuts, and put the "Contains" line at the start of the dish description so the exact names show too.
- Recheck when a supplier changes. A new soy sauce or a different noodle brand can change the list. Check each product's label.
Checklist for your menu
- Every dish's ingredients checked against the required names, including sauces and other compound ingredients
- Tree nuts named individually, wheat named as "wheat"
- Allergens shown on the online menu, or a clear note that customers can ask, with someone available to answer
- Staff trained to answer allergen questions and to say when they can't guarantee a meal is free of an allergen
- Packaged items (cakes, sauces sold in jars) labelled with the bold ingredient list and "Contains" statement
- Supplier labels rechecked when products change
This page is general information as of October 2026. For your own menu, check with your state or territory food regulator. Starting from home? See the home-based food business guide. Other menu rules: kilojoule labelling for chains and GST on restaurant and takeaway food. Set up your online ordering system in Australia or a QR code menu with allergens on every plan, including Free.
FAQs
Do restaurants have to label allergens in Australia?
Yes. Restaurants, cafés and takeaways must declare allergens using the required names. Because their meals aren't labelled, the information can be displayed with the food or given to the customer on request.
What are the PEAL allergen names?
Wheat, fish, crustacean, mollusc, egg, milk, lupin, peanut, soy, sesame, almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, walnut, sulphites (10 mg/kg or more), and barley, oats or rye when they contain gluten.
Can I just write "contains tree nuts"?
No. Since PEAL took effect on 25 February 2024, each tree nut must be named, for example cashew or macadamia. The same applies to molluscs, which are declared separately from crustaceans.
Do I need to show allergens on my online menu?
The Code lets unlabelled food have allergens displayed or given on request. Online customers can't easily ask at the counter, so showing allergens on each dish is the simplest way to make sure they can get the information.
Is a "may contain" statement required?
No. Precautionary statements such as "may contain nuts" are voluntary and the Food Standards Code doesn't regulate them. Giving wrong allergen information, though, is a serious offence.
Does Menuthere use the Australian allergen names?
Menuthere has 14 allergen tags based on the EU and UK list. Most match the Australian names. For tree nuts and wheat, tick the tag and write the exact name, such as cashew or wheat, in the dish description.
Sources (9)
- FSANZ, Allergen labelling for food businesses (required names; food not required to bear a label; 25 February 2024 start; stock until 25 February 2026; page updated 30 September 2025) — foodstandards.gov.au/business/labelling/allergen-labelling (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- NSW Food Authority, Food allergen rules (required names table; food service declarations; offences) — foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/industry/food-allergen-rules (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- NSW Food Authority, Allergies and intolerances — foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/retail/allergies-intolerances (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- NSW Food Authority, Home-based and mixed businesses (tell the customer if you can't be certain) — foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/retail/home-based-mixed-businesses (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- FSANZ, Allergy information for the food service industry (page updated 25 February 2025) — foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/foodallergies/food-allergen-portal/Allergy-information-for-the-food-service-industry (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- FSANZ, Food delivery (page updated 30 September 2025) — foodstandards.gov.au/business/food-safety/food-delivery (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- FSANZ, Online shopping and labelling (2025 consumer survey insights) — foodstandards.gov.au/online-shopping-and-labelling (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Food Regulation, Information for food sold online: understanding and defining the problem (August 2025) — foodregulation.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-08/information-for-food-sold-online-understanding-and-defining-the-problem.pdf (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- FSANZ, Work program dashboard, July 2026 (digital labelling review) — foodstandards.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-07/Work%20Program%20Dashboard%20-%20July%202026_0.pdf (accessed 20 Oct 2026)