How to Identify Allergens in Your Restaurant Recipes

Why Allergen Identification Is Harder Than It Looks

Most restaurant owners know the obvious ones — a shrimp dish contains shellfish, a cheese pizza contains milk. But SB-68 requires disclosure of every allergen in every item, including ingredients buried in premade sauces, dressings, bread, and seasoning blends.

A grilled chicken breast seems allergen-free until you realize the marinade contains soy sauce (wheat + soybeans), the seasoning blend has a milk-based anti-caking agent, and it's served on a sesame bun. That's 4 allergens in a "simple" chicken sandwich.

The Audit Process: Step by Step

1. List Every Menu Item

Start with your full menu — appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts, drinks (yes, some drinks contain allergens). Don't forget specials, kids' menu, and off-menu items you regularly make.

2. Break Each Item Into Ingredients

For each menu item, list every ingredient that goes into it. Include:

Main ingredients (the obvious ones)
Sauces and dressings (check the label or recipe)
Marinades and brines
Cooking oils (peanut oil is an allergen)
Breading, batter, and coatings
Garnishes and toppings
Bread, buns, and wraps

3. Check Each Ingredient Against the 9 Allergens

For every ingredient, determine if it contains or is derived from one of the 9 major allergens. For premade products (bottled sauces, bread from a vendor), read the manufacturer's ingredient label.

Common Hidden Allergens by Category

Wheat (hides in almost everything)

Soy sauce (traditionally brewed with wheat)
Teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce
Breaded and battered items (obvious but easy to forget for shared fryers)
Thickened gravies and sauces (flour-based roux)
Some spice blends (wheat-based anti-caking agents)
Imitation crab (surimi contains wheat starch)

Soy (the most ubiquitous allergen)

Soy sauce (in countless Asian-inspired dishes)
Vegetable oil blends (often contain soybean oil)
Tofu, edamame, miso
Many commercial bread and baked goods
Processed meats (soy protein filler)
Chocolate (soy lecithin as emulsifier)

Milk (beyond the obvious dairy)

Butter used in cooking and finishing
Cream-based soups and sauces
Casein in non-dairy cheese alternatives
Whey in bread, crackers, and protein bars
Ghee (still a milk product)
Some processed meats (contain milk proteins)

Sesame (the newest addition, easily missed)

Hamburger buns (many have sesame seeds)
Hummus (contains tahini = sesame paste)
Asian sesame dressing and sesame oil
Falafel and Middle Eastern dishes
Some bread and bagels
Granola bars and energy bars

Fish (in unexpected places)

Worcestershire sauce (contains anchovies)
Caesar dressing (anchovies)
Some Asian fish sauces and curry pastes
Certain barbecue sauces

The Faster Way: Let AI Do the First Pass

Auditing a 50-item menu manually takes hours. The ingredient cross-referencing alone is tedious and error-prone — especially for items with 15+ ingredients in a complex sauce.

MenuComply automates the first pass. Upload your menu, and AI analyzes each item to flag likely allergens based on common recipe compositions. You then verify each suggestion — confirming what's correct, adding what was missed, and removing false positives.

This cuts the audit from hours to minutes. The AI catches the non-obvious ones (Worcestershire = fish, soy sauce = wheat + soy) that are easy to miss manually.

Keep It Updated

Your allergen disclosure isn't a one-time task. It needs updating when:

You add or change menu items
A supplier changes their product formulation
You switch vendors for bread, sauces, or other premade items
Seasonal menu changes

Build allergen review into your menu-change process. Every time a dish changes, re-check its allergen profile.

Get Started

Don't let the complexity stop you from getting compliant. Start with what you know, let AI help with the rest, and verify everything.

Try MenuComply free — upload your menu and see allergen suggestions in minutes.