Put Allergen Information Before Checkout and Into the Bag on Direct Orders

If you sell food through your own website, guests with an allergy cannot ask your staff a quick question before they pay. UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance says allergen information must reach them at two points: before the order is complete and again when the food arrives. This post shows how to build both points into your direct ordering flow.

The rules below come from UK guidance. Owners in the United States, Canada and Australia should check their own national food authority, but the two-point habit works for any restaurant that sells food at a distance.

What the guidance says about distance selling

The FSA defines distance selling as selling food without face-to-face contact. That covers orders placed on a website, in an app or by phone. Your own direct ordering page counts.

For these orders, the FSA says written allergen information should be available before the food is ordered and when it is delivered. If you take orders by phone, you can give the information orally before the purchase is completed.

The FSA also says a business that shows allergen details on its own webpage can place them on the main menu. If they are not on the main menu, they should ideally be no more than one click away, with a clear message and link.

Finally, the FSA says businesses should ask guests whether they need allergen information before taking the order. That single question shapes how you design your checkout.

Why direct ordering needs its own check

In a dining room, a server can repeat what is in a dish. Online, the page does that job. If the page is wrong or out of date, the guest has no second chance to catch it.

Many restaurants run a printed allergen chart for the dining room and a separate online menu. Over time the two drift apart as recipes and suppliers change. Your direct ordering page then shows something different from what the kitchen cooks.

The FSA also says that if you cannot keep allergen information accurate online, guests must still be able to get it easily. You should tell them where, such as by speaking with staff on the phone. Treat that as a fallback, not a goal.

Step 1: Put allergen details where guests will see them

Start with the menu itself. Show the allergens on each item or on the item detail view, so guests see them while they choose.

Then add a clear link near the top of the menu to a full allergen chart. Keep the label plain, such as "Allergen information." Do not hide it in the footer or behind a general "Info" tab.

• Place allergen details on the main menu, or no more than one click away.
• Use the same wording on the page that your kitchen uses on its own chart.
• Show the information before the guest reaches the payment step.
• Test the link on a phone, because most guests order from one.

Step 2: Ask the question at checkout

Add a short prompt before payment, such as "Does anyone in your party have a food allergy?" A yes or no choice works well. A yes should open a note field where the guest can describe the allergy.

Keep the prompt neutral. Do not promise an allergen-free kitchen unless your kitchen can truly deliver one. Your page can say that your team will review the note and may call the guest if there is a concern.

Decide who reads the note

A note field is only useful if someone reads it. Pick a named role on each shift, such as the expediter or shift lead, who checks every allergy flag before cooking starts.

If the note describes something you cannot safely prepare, contact the guest right away. A quick call before cooking is far better than a problem at the door.

Step 3: Make the allergy flag visible on the kitchen ticket

A note buried in a long order comment is easy to miss. Ask your ordering setup to print or display the allergy flag at the top of the ticket, away from ordinary special requests.

Use a consistent look, such as a bold line that reads "ALLERGY" followed by the guest's note. Your cooks will learn to spot it in seconds.

1. The guest answers the allergy question at checkout.
2. The ticket shows a clear allergy flag at the top.
3. The shift lead reviews the note and confirms the plan with the cook.
4. The packer checks the bag against the ticket before sealing it.

Step 4: Send allergen information with the food

The FSA says written allergen information should also be provided on delivery so the guest can review it before eating. It gives examples such as a sticker on the food containers or a menu with allergen information.

For pickup and curbside orders, the same idea works at the handoff. Staple a small allergen sheet to the bag, or print the allergen details on the receipt or container label.

If your restaurant uses its own drivers, brief them on this step. If a guest asks a question at the door, the driver should know to check with the restaurant rather than guess.

Step 5: Keep one source of truth

The most common failure is two charts that disagree. Choose one master allergen document and make everything else copy from it. That includes the online menu, the printed chart and the label you send with orders.

Give one person the job of updating it whenever a recipe, supplier or brand changes. Set a monthly review as well, even when nothing seems to have changed.

Allergen categories are not the same in every country. In the United States, for example, sesame became the ninth major food allergen, as reported by Food Service Director. If your menu items or templates were built before that change, check that they list it.

A quick audit you can run this week

Place a test order on your own site from a phone, as if you were a guest with an allergy. Walk through each step and write down what you see.

• Can you find allergen information before you pay?
• Does the checkout ask about allergies?
• Does the ticket in your kitchen show the flag clearly?
• Does the finished bag include allergen information?
• Do the online details match your kitchen chart?

Fix the first gap you find, then repeat the test. Small repairs add up quickly, and each one reduces risk for a guest who cannot afford a mistake.

The bottom line

Direct ordering gives you control over the guest experience, and that includes safety information. Show allergen details before payment, ask the allergy question, flag it on the ticket and send written details with the food. Those four steps match what UK guidance asks for, and they build trust with guests who need it most.