The priority allergens
Under the Food and Drug Regulations, prepackaged food must declare these whenever they are present, including in small amounts as part of another ingredient.
| Priority allergen | Where it shows up on a menu |
|---|---|
| Eggs | Mayonnaise, hollandaise, egg wash, fresh pasta, baked goods |
| Milk | Butter, cheese, cream, whey, many sauces and desserts |
| Mustard | Dressings, marinades, sauces, spice blends, deli meats |
| Peanuts | Satay, some curries, peanut oil, baked goods and candy |
| Crustaceans and molluscs | Shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, clams, scallops, squid; oyster sauce |
| Fish | Fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Caesar dressing and caesar cocktails |
| Sesame seeds | Bagels and buns, tahini, hummus, sesame oil |
| Soy | Soy sauce, tofu, miso, edamame, soy lecithin |
| Sulphites | Wine, dried fruit, some pickles and processed potatoes, at 10 ppm or more |
| Tree nuts | Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts and others |
| Wheat and triticale | Bread, batter, pasta, flour-thickened sauces, soy sauce |
Gluten sources must be declared too: barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat. Sulphites are declared when added at 10 parts per million or more.
What applies to restaurants
The federal list was written for packaged food labels. Restaurants are regulated by the provinces and territories through food premises and food handler rules, and the common thread is the same everywhere:
- staff must be able to tell a customer accurately what is in a dish;
- food handlers must be trained, and certified in most provinces;
- kitchens must prevent cross-contamination between allergens and other food.
Health Canada's priority list is the one inspectors and customers recognise, so it is the sensible set of columns for a restaurant allergen chart.
Quebec and French
In Quebec, information given to customers, menus included, must be available in French. An allergen chart counts. Allergens can show the chart in French for a Quebec business.
"May contain"
Precautionary statements such as "may contain peanuts" are voluntary in Canada and should only be used for a real risk that can't be avoided. Health Canada recommends naming the allergen and using "may contain". See the guide to "may contain" warnings.
Putting it in front of customers
A written allergen matrix gives the same answer whoever is working. Allergens builds one from your menu with Health Canada's list as columns, on a page customers can filter and scan from a QR code, with a Letter-size PDF for staff.