Allergen icons on a menu: how to use them well

Icons make a menu quick to scan, but there's a catch: there is no single official EU icon set, and not everyone reads them the same way.

No mandatory icon set

Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 requires information on 14 allergens, not specific pictures. The icons on many menus are popular designs, not official ones.

Why icons alone aren't enough

A guest from another country may not recognise a lupin or celery drawing. Put the allergen name next to each icon, ideally in the guest's language.

Good practice

• Always use the same icon for the same allergen and include a legend.
• Keep enough contrast to read them on a dim terrace.
• If a dish has no allergens, say so: a blank creates doubt.
• Colours alone fail for colour-blind guests; pair them with text.

How to add icons to a menu, step by step

• 1. List the 14 allergens from Annex II of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 for each dish, from the recipe and the supplier labels, not from memory.
• 2. Choose one icon set and use it everywhere: menu, board, website.
• 3. Put the allergen name next to each icon, and add a legend once per page.
• 4. Check the result printed in black and white and on a phone in sunlight; if an icon is unreadable there, it's unreadable for guests.
• 5. Update the icons the day a recipe or supplier changes, and keep the written allergen record that national rules require.

Common questions

• Can I use only icons, without words? You can, but guests from other countries may not recognise lupin, celery or sulphite drawings, so names help.
• What about 'may contain traces'? Precautionary labelling isn't one of the 14 mandatory declarations; if you use it, use it only where there's a real cross-contamination risk, otherwise guests learn to ignore it.
• Do drinks need icons? Drinks are food too: sulphites in wine and gluten in beer count.

How it works

1. Upload your menu as PDF, Excel or text (or send it to us and we upload it for free). Review it and publish.
2. MenuDoro translates it into 10 languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Greek and Chinese.
3. Print one QR code per table. Guests scan it with their camera, no app to download, and see the menu in their language.
4. They order from their phone. The ticket reaches the kitchen screen in your language, with table and dishes in writing.

Frequently asked questions

Which icons does MenuDoro use?

Icons with the allergen name next to them, translated into each guest's language.

Are icons required by law?

No. The information is required; the format is up to you within national rules.

No made-up numbers: MenuDoro is a new product and this page describes what it does today. Updated: 2026-10-13.