Why Allergen Management Is Non-Negotiable for Food Trucks
Every year in Europe, food allergies cause thousands of hospitalizations and dozens of fatalities. As a food truck operator, you are legally responsible for informing customers about the allergens present in your dishes.
Under the EU Food Information for Consumers (FIC) Regulation No. 1169/2011, every food professional — including food trucks — must inform consumers about the 14 major allergens present in their preparations.
Failing to comply means risking:
- Fines from health inspectors during routine checks
- Temporary closure orders for serious violations
- A severe allergic reaction, with potential legal liability and devastating human consequences
The 14 Allergens You Must Declare
The FIC regulation mandates disclosure of these 14 substances in every dish sold:
| # | Allergen | Common Food Truck Examples | |---|----------|--------------------------| | 1 | Gluten | Burger buns, wraps, breading, soy sauce | | 2 | Crustaceans | Shrimp, bisque, cocktail sauce | | 3 | Eggs | Mayonnaise, crêpe batter, breading | | 4 | Fish | Fish & chips, Worcestershire sauce | | 5 | Peanuts | Satay sauce, peanut oil | | 6 | Soybeans | Soy sauce, tofu, soybean oil, lecithin | | 7 | Milk | Cheese, cream, butter, béchamel | | 8 | Tree nuts | Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pesto | | 9 | Celery | Stock cubes, seasoning blends, crudités | | 10 | Mustard | Vinaigrette, marinades, sauces | | 11 | Sesame seeds | Burger buns, hummus, sesame oil | | 12 | Sulphur dioxide / sulphites | White wine in cooking, dried fruits, vinegar | | 13 | Lupin | Lupin flour in some breads | | 14 | Molluscs | Calamari, mussels, oyster sauce |
Important: cross-contamination counts too. If you fry your chips in the same oil as your shrimp fritters, your chips potentially contain crustaceans.
How to Display Allergen Information in Your Food Truck
The 3 Legal Options
Regulations allow you to choose the format, as long as information is accessible before purchase:
1. Display on the menu board The simplest method: indicate allergens directly on your board or printed menu next to each dish. Use standardized pictograms or allergen numbers.
Example: Classic Burger — Beef, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, house sauce (1, 3, 7, 10, 11)
2. Allergen register A binder or document available to customers on request, detailing allergens per dish. Less practical for food trucks as it slows down service.
3. Verbal information + notice sign You can inform customers verbally provided a visible sign states: "Allergen information is available on request from our staff." Not recommended as the sole method — one rush-hour lapse can cause an incident.
Best Practice for Food Trucks
Combine approaches 1 and 3: display allergens on your menu board AND post a sign inviting allergic customers to speak up. When in doubt, always check the recipe's technical sheet.
With FoodTracks, every recipe recorded in the app can include its ingredient list and associated allergens. You can export and print an up-to-date allergen sheet for each dish.
Setting Up an Allergen Management System
Step 1: Inventory All Your Ingredients
For every recipe on your menu, list every ingredient, including those in purchased sauces, commercial breads, and seasonings. Standard ketchup contains vinegar (sulphites); a typical burger bun contains sesame and gluten.
Tip: systematically photograph or scan the labels of your supplier products. FoodTracks lets you scan invoices and link product information to your recipes.
Step 2: Create a Technical Sheet for Each Recipe
Each sheet should include:
- The exhaustive ingredient list
- Allergens present (highlighted or in bold)
- Weight per portion
- Ingredient cost (useful for profitability)
Step 3: Train Your Team
If you have employees or temporary staff, they must be able to answer confidently when asked "Does this dish contain gluten?" Run a quick briefing:
- Where to find the allergen sheet for each dish
- What to do if a customer reports an allergy (check the sheet, suggest a safe dish, alert the kitchen)
- Emergency response for a severe allergic reaction (call emergency services, recovery position)
Step 4: Prevent Cross-Contamination
In a food truck, limited space makes cross-contamination more likely. Implement:
- Dedicated utensils: one spatula for gluten-containing patties, another for gluten-free
- Preparation order: prepare allergen-free dishes first, then those containing allergens
- Cleaning between preparations: wipe surfaces and change gloves between different preparations
- Separate storage: major allergens (tree nuts, peanuts) should be stored in sealed, separate containers
What to Do When You Change a Recipe or Supplier
One of the most common traps: you switch bread suppliers and the new one contains sesame while the old one did not. Your allergen display becomes inaccurate overnight.
The rule: every time you change a supplier or recipe, update your allergen sheets immediately. With FoodTracks, your recipes are centralized — modifying an ingredient automatically updates the associated allergen list.
Inspections: What to Expect
Health inspectors can visit your food truck at any time, including during a busy festival service or at a market.
Inspectors check:
- Whether allergen information is displayed or available
- Consistency between your menu and your technical sheets
- Your ability to answer allergen-related questions
- Storage and preparation conditions (cross-contamination risk)
Allergen-Free Options: A Commercial Opportunity
Offering a gluten-free, lactose-free, or vegan option is not just a constraint — it is a differentiation lever. Demand for allergen-free dishes is surging:
- Up to 10% of adults in Europe report a food allergy or intolerance
- Around 30% of consumers are actively reducing gluten or dairy intake
- Allergic customers are loyal: when they find a food truck that serves them safely, they come back
Conclusion
Allergen management in a food truck is not more red tape — it is a legal obligation, a safeguard for your customers, and a powerful tool for commercial differentiation. Start by inventorying your ingredients, create your technical sheets, and train your team.
With FoodTracks, you centralize your recipes, automatically associate allergens, and keep your sheets permanently up to date.
Try FoodTracks for free and secure your allergen management today.
Read also: Hygiene & HACCP for food trucks · Mandatory food truck training · Food truck regulations in France
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the 14 allergens that must be declared in a food truck?
- The 14 regulated allergens are: gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin, and molluscs. They must be declared for every dish sold, including sauces and sides.
- How should I display allergens on my food truck menu?
- The most effective method is to display allergen numbers or pictograms directly next to each dish on your menu board, combined with a sign inviting allergic customers to speak up. A detailed register available on request completes the system.
- What are the penalties for a food truck that doesn't comply with allergen labeling?
- Non-compliance with allergen information requirements can result in fines per violation found during health inspections. Repeat or serious offences can lead to temporary closure orders. An allergic incident can also trigger the operator's civil and criminal liability.
- How do you prevent allergen cross-contamination in a food truck?
- Use dedicated utensils for each preparation type, prepare allergen-free dishes first, clean surfaces and change gloves between preparations, and store major allergens (peanuts, tree nuts) in sealed, separate containers.
- Do I need to update allergen displays when I change suppliers?
- Yes, absolutely. A supplier change can alter an ingredient's composition (e.g., a new bread containing sesame). Check the labels of every new product and update your allergen sheets and displays immediately. FoodTracks centralizes your recipes and automatically updates allergens when an ingredient is modified.
