Restaurant allergen handling procedure
SOP template
Check this template against your local regulations and your own policies before you use it.
| SOP no. | Version | Effective date | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Approver | Review date |
Purpose
To make sure every guest who tells us about a food allergy gets accurate information and a meal prepared and served without the allergen, and that staff know what to do if a guest has an allergic reaction.
Scope
Every dish and drink served, including specials, sauces, garnishes and takeaway orders. It applies to everyone who buys, stores, prepares, describes or serves food.
Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Head chef or kitchen manager | Keeps the allergen matrix current, checks deliveries and recipe changes, and signs off allergy orders on each shift. |
| Server or person taking the order | Asks about allergies, records them on the order, tells the kitchen, and serves the dish. |
| Cooks | Prepare allergy orders separately, following the steps below, and confirm the dish is safe. |
| Manager on duty | Answers questions staff can’t, handles any reaction, and makes sure staff are trained. |
Definitions
- Allergen
- A food that can cause an allergic reaction, such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy or sesame. Your local rules list the ones you must declare.
- Cross-contact
- An allergen getting into a dish that shouldn’t contain it, from a surface, a utensil, oil, hands or another food.
- Allergen matrix
- A chart of every dish on the menu and which allergens it contains, kept up to date.
What you need
- The allergen matrix, at the pass and front of house
- Allergy flags on the ordering system or order tickets
- Clean boards, knives and utensils kept for allergy orders, and clean pans
- Ingredient labels and supplier specifications for every product
Procedure
Keep the allergen matrix current
List every dish and its allergens, including sauces, dressings and garnishes. Update it before any new dish, recipe change or substitute product is used.
Check deliveries and substitutions
Check the label of every product delivered against the one in the matrix. If a supplier sends a different brand or product, check its allergens before you use it.
Ask every guest about allergies
Ask when you take every order, and make sure the menu tells guests to tell staff about any allergy.
Record and flag the order
Write the allergy on the order, flag it on the ordering system, and tell the chef in person as well.
Check with the chef, never guess
Use the allergen matrix to tell the guest which dishes are safe. If you’re not sure, ask the chef or the manager.
Caution: Never guess or say a dish is “probably fine”. If you can’t be sure a dish is free of the allergen, tell the guest.
Prepare the dish without cross-contact
Wash your hands and put on clean gloves. Clean the surface, then use clean boards, utensils and pans. Don’t use shared fryer oil, grills or water that has cooked the allergen.
Check the dish before it leaves the kitchen
The chef checks the dish against the order and the matrix, and keeps it apart from other plates at the pass.
Serve it to the right guest
The person who took the order, or the manager, carries the dish separately and confirms the allergy with the guest as they serve it.
Act fast if a guest has a reaction
Call emergency services at once if the guest has trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or collapses. Help them use their own adrenaline autoinjector if they have one, and don’t leave them alone.
Caution: Don’t give the guest anything to eat or drink, and don’t ask them to walk. Keep them lying down, or sitting if breathing is easier.
Record and review
Record any reaction or near miss, keep the dish’s ingredients and labels, and find out what went wrong before the next service.
Records
- The allergen matrix, with the date of each change, kept for as long as your local rules require.
- Ingredient labels or supplier specifications for every product used.
- Staff training records for allergen handling.
- Incident records for any allergic reaction or near miss, with what was changed.
Related documents
- Food safety plan
- Allergen matrix
- Kitchen cleaning checklist
- First aid procedure
Revision history
| Version | Date | What changed | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
