Eating out with a food allergy or coeliac disease

What food businesses must tell you

• Restaurants, cafés and pubs must give you allergen information. It may be written on the menu or there may be a notice telling you to ask staff.^[1]
• Takeaways and delivery must make allergen information available twice: when you order and when the food arrives.^[1]
• Loose food from bakeries, butchers and delis needs allergen information too. It can be spoken, but then staff must tell you where the written information is.^[1]
• Food prepacked on site (for example sandwiches, wrapped deli cheese or boxed salads packed before you choose them) must carry a label with the name and full ingredients, allergens emphasised in bold, capitals, colour or underlining. This has applied across the UK since 1 October 2021 and is often called Natasha’s Law.^[2][3]
• A business must give you the information, but it does not have to make you an alternative meal.^[1]

The 14 allergens

UK law names 14 allergens that food businesses must declare when they are ingredients.^[1] Anything else you react to (for example a fruit or a spice) is not covered by these labels, so ask directly.

1. Celery
2. Cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley and oats)
3. Crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobsters)
4. Eggs
5. Fish
6. Lupin
7. Milk
8. Molluscs (such as mussels and oysters)
9. Mustard
10. Peanuts
11. Sesame
12. Soybeans
13. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (above 10 parts per million)
14. Tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts)

How to order safely

The Food Standards Agency’s advice for eating out:^[1]

• Say clearly what you react to when you order, with examples of foods that cause it.
• If staff do not seem to understand, ask for the manager or someone who can help.
• Take care with complicated dishes, and ask about glazes, garnishes, sauces and cooking oils, and about cross-contamination in the kitchen.
• If you have any doubt that staff understand your needs, do not eat there.

If English is not your first language, carry a written card in English that names your allergy. Ask about every part of a dish rather than assume. Our vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher guide covers other diets.

Coeliac disease and gluten

Coeliac UK, the national charity, advises calling ahead to speak to a manager or chef, checking that fryers and utensils used for gluten-free dishes are kept separate, and not eating a meal you are unsure about.^[4]

Its Gluten Free Accreditation scheme uses a GF symbol on menus, websites and windows: it means the dish is gluten free according to the law and the caterer meets the charity’s standard.^[4] Look for it in chains and independents alike, and still tell staff you have coeliac disease.

In an emergency

For a severe reaction (anaphylaxis) the NHS says:^[5]

1. Use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one.
2. Call 999 for an ambulance and say you think it is anaphylaxis.
3. Lie down and raise your legs; sit up slowly if you are struggling to breathe. Do not stand or walk, even if you feel better.
4. If there is no improvement after 5 minutes, a second auto-injector dose may be given.

More on the NHS and costs for visitors: travel insurance and the NHS and UK emergency numbers.

Questions

Do UK restaurants have to tell me what allergens are in my food?

Yes. The Food Standards Agency says restaurants, cafés and takeaways must provide allergen information, either written on the menu or by telling you to ask staff. Takeaways must make it available when you order and when the food is delivered.

What is Natasha’s Law?

It is the name often used for the labelling rule for food that is prepacked for direct sale, such as a sandwich made and packed on the premises before you choose it. Since 1 October 2021 that food must carry a label with its name and a full ingredients list with the 14 allergens emphasised.

Does a restaurant have to cook me a different meal?

No. The Food Standards Agency says businesses must give you allergen information but do not have to offer an alternative meal. Call ahead if you need one.

What should I do in a severe allergic reaction?

The NHS says to use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one, call 999 for an ambulance and say you think it is anaphylaxis, then lie down with your legs raised. A second dose may be given after 5 minutes if symptoms have not improved.