If you manage a restaurant in Spain, informing customers about allergens present in your dishes is not optional: it's a legal obligation. Non-compliance can result in fines of up to €600,000 and, more importantly, puts your customers' health at risk.

In this article we explain exactly what the regulations require, which are the 14 mandatory declaration allergens and how a digital menu helps you comply effortlessly.

The regulations that govern it

Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, transposed in Spain through Royal Decree 126/2015, requires all food service establishments to provide information about allergenic ingredients present in the food they serve.

This includes not only packaged products, but also food prepared in the kitchen. In other words: your menu, your specials board and any information about the menu must include this information.

The 14 mandatory declaration allergens

The regulations specify exactly which substances and products must be declared:

  1. Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt and their hybrid varieties)
  2. Crustaceans and crustacean-based products
  3. Eggs and egg-based products
  4. Fish and fish-based products
  5. Peanuts and peanut-based products
  6. Soya and soya-based products
  7. Milk and milk derivatives (including lactose)
  8. Tree nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios and macadamia
  9. Celery and celery derivatives
  10. Mustard and mustard derivatives
  11. Sesame seeds and sesame-based products
  12. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites in concentrations above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre
  13. Lupin and lupin-based products
  14. Molluscs and mollusc-based products

How should this information be displayed?

The regulations don't require a specific format, but they do establish that the information must be:

  • Accessible: customers must be able to check it before ordering, without having to ask explicitly.
  • Precise: it cannot be vague or generic. If a dish contains gluten, you must specify which cereal exactly.
  • Up to date: if you change a recipe and add a new allergen, the information must be updated immediately.

Accepted options are: listing it on the printed menu, in a document available in the dining area, on visible notices or verbally by staff (though this must have written record). A digital menu that displays allergens per dish fully complies with regulations and is the most practical option.

What penalties apply for non-compliance?

The Food Safety Act 17/2011 classifies breaches as minor, serious or very serious. Failing to provide correct allergen information can be considered a serious or very serious breach, with fines ranging from €3,001 to €600,000 depending on severity and repeat offences.

Beyond the financial risk, a serious allergic reaction can have very serious legal consequences for the establishment.

The easiest way to comply: digital menu

A digital menu like Q'aproveche lets you mark the 14 allergens per dish directly from the management panel. Customers see them clearly on their mobile, before ordering, without needing to ask the waiter or print additional documents.

When you change a recipe, you update the allergen in seconds. No reprinting menus, no outdated boards.

If you also use the bookings system, you can identify your diners' allergens before they arrive at the restaurant. One step further towards responsible hospitality.