What the recent takeaway checks show

A recent Trading Standards check in Devon, Somerset and Torbay found a worrying problem for takeaway businesses. Meals were bought from curry houses after the customer declared a milk allergy. In 29 out of 37 businesses tested, the food still contained milk.

That is not just a paperwork issue. It shows how quickly allergy information can break down between the menu, the person taking the order, the kitchen, the recipe and the supplier information.

The common gaps are very practical

The report pointed to a few likely causes: chicken marinated in dairy products, cross-contamination, and ingredients such as herbs and spices carrying may contain statements. These are exactly the sort of details that can be missed if the team is working from memory.

A dish can look safe on the menu but still be unsuitable because of a marinade, stock, sauce, garnish, fryer, shared spoon, or supplier change. Vegan food is also not automatically milk-free, and free-from claims should only be used where the business has the process to back them up.

A quick allergen check for this month

If you run a restaurant, cafe or takeaway, this is a good time to test your own process before a customer, inspector or delivery order exposes the problem.

• Choose five popular dishes and two dishes that staff often describe as vegan, vegetarian or dairy-free.
• Check the actual recipe, not just the menu description.
• Look at marinades, sauces, spice mixes, stocks, oils, desserts, toppings and garnishes.
• Check supplier sheets for may contain warnings and ingredient changes.
• Ask a front of house team member where they would find the latest allergen information during service.
• Check that the same answer appears on your printed menu, QR menu, website and delivery platform.

Do not guess when an allergy is declared

When a customer tells you they have an allergy, the safest answer is not the quickest answer. Staff should stop, check the written allergen information, speak to the kitchen or manager if needed, and be clear if the business cannot safely provide the dish.

If you cannot guarantee that a meal is free from a particular allergen, say so clearly. It is better to politely decline an unsafe order than to give a customer false confidence.

Dietary labels need the same care

Customers may ask about vegetarian, vegan or meat-free options for many reasons. Some may be avoiding dairy. Some may be avoiding meat products because of an allergy such as alpha-gal syndrome, which is rare in the UK but can involve reactions to mammalian meat and related products.

That means dietary flags should be based on ingredients and preparation, not assumptions. Check gelatine, stocks, fats, flavourings, glazes, desserts, sweets, sauces and processing aids where they are relevant to the question being asked.

How Allergy Menu can help

Allergy Menu gives you one place to manage dish, ingredient and allergen information. You can update your allergen matrix when recipes or suppliers change, then share the latest information through your QR menu, website menu and staff tools.

That helps reduce the risk of different people giving different answers. It also gives your team somewhere clear to check when an allergy is declared and service is busy.

Want to see how it works? Sign up today and get one month free to try Allergy Menu in your business.

Written on 2026-07-21 by Juliet Moran

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