Putting a café menu on a phone does not remove the café’s allergen responsibilities. It changes where guests look for the information and makes menu-update discipline more important.
The Food Standards Agency says food businesses must inform customers when they use any of the 14 regulated allergens in the food and drink they provide. Start with its current allergen guidance for food businesses.
Make the information easy to reach
Guests should not have to hunt through a footer or leave checkout to understand where allergen information is available. Put information with the item or provide a clear link and instruction close to the menu.
For distance-selling situations, the Food Standards Agency’s guidance says written allergen information should be available before the order and when it is delivered. The exact rules for a café’s service model can differ, so confirm the process with the local authority or an appropriate adviser.
Use the recognised allergen names
Train staff and structure menu records around the 14 regulated allergens rather than informal labels. “Nut-free”, “gluten-friendly” or an icon without a key can be misunderstood.
An item can contain more than one regulated allergen. A modifier can also change the answer: changing milk, adding syrup or choosing a pastry side may alter the information shown for the order.
Keep ingredients and the digital menu together
When a supplier, recipe or product changes, update the menu record before selling the changed item through the QR flow. A practical routine is:
- Check the supplier label or specification.
- Update the café’s allergen record.
- Update the digital menu item and modifiers.
- Tell the staff working that service.
- Verify the guest view on a phone.
Do not rely on a member of staff remembering that the online menu is out of date.
Be careful with “free from” statements
Listing an ingredient allergen is not the same as promising that an item is free from cross-contact. If the café cannot control cross-contact, do not let the digital menu imply a guarantee the kitchen cannot support.
Give guests a clear route to speak to staff about allergies. The ordering screen should support that conversation, not replace it.
Test modifiers and unavailable items
Check the complete guest journey, including milk choices, toppings, meal deals and seasonal substitutions. If staff replace an unavailable item, the replacement needs its own allergen check rather than being treated as equivalent.
Café QR allergen controls
Café QR lets a café enable guest allergen labelling and tag menu items with the allergens it tracks. The café remains responsible for keeping the information accurate and for its wider food-safety process.
See the QR table-ordering setup or use our launch checklist before putting codes on tables.