The allergen matrix: how to build one your EHO will trust

Ask any Environmental Health Officer what they want to see when they walk into a food business and allergens come up, and the answer is usually the same: a clear, current allergen matrix and evidence that you keep it up to date. This guide explains what a matrix is, how to build one properly, and the mistakes that undermine it.

What is an allergen matrix?

An allergen matrix is a simple grid: your dishes down one side, the 14 UK regulated allergens across the top, and a tick (or cross) in every cell where a dish contains that allergen. One page tells a customer, a team member or an inspector exactly which dishes contain gluten, milk, nuts, sesame and the rest.

The matrix itself is not named in law — what the Food Information Regulations 2014 require is that you can provide accurate allergen information for every item you serve. The matrix is simply the clearest, most widely accepted way to do that for non-prepacked food, and it is what most EHOs expect to be shown.

How to build one properly

• 1. List every dish you serve — including sides, sauces, specials and drinks with mix-ins. Anything a customer can order belongs on the matrix.
• 2. Gather supplier specification sheets — the allergen declaration for every bought-in ingredient. Never work from memory or from the front of the packet alone; formulations change.
• 3. Break each dish into its ingredients — including compound ingredients (the mayonnaise in your coleslaw contains egg; the stock cube may contain celery).
• 4. Tick every allergen present — for each dish, mark all 14 columns honestly. If a dish is being reformulated, take it off the matrix until you are sure.
• 5. Date it and sign it — inspectors want to see when it was last reviewed and who is responsible.
• 6. Review on a schedule — monthly is a sensible default, plus immediately whenever a recipe, supplier or ingredient changes.

The mistakes that undermine a matrix

• Filling it in from memory. The most common and most dangerous shortcut — hidden allergens live in sub-ingredients you have forgotten about.
• Letting it go stale. A matrix dated eighteen months ago tells an inspector your allergen controls are decorative.
• Ignoring cross-contamination. The matrix records what is in each dish. Shared fryers, shared prep surfaces and airborne flour need managing — and communicating — separately.
• One person owning it in their head. If only the owner knows the allergens, every day off is a risk. The matrix exists so the whole team gives the same answer.

Get a free printable template

We publish a free, printable A4 matrix template covering all 14 UK allergens, with space for 18 dishes per sheet and the review prompts inspectors like to see. Download the free template here — no catch, we just email you the link.

When the paper version stops scaling

A paper matrix is fine until the first menu change — then every update means redrawing the grid, reprinting labels and correcting the menu, and the versions drift apart. AllerSafe keeps one source of truth: enter each ingredient once, and your matrix, Natasha's Law PPDS labels and QR allergen menu are all generated from the same data. Update an ingredient and every document changes together — with a printable matrix your EHO can take away.

Start a free 14-day trial — no card required.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your business remains responsible for the accuracy of its allergen information — always verify against current supplier specifications.