Reading Ingredients & Labels
You cannot serve safely what you cannot identify. Reading labels correctly — and re-reading them when products change — is how staff catch hidden allergens before they reach the plate. This chapter covers U.S. allergen labeling rules and where allergens tend to hide.
How labels declare allergens
Under FALCPA, major allergens on packaged foods must be declared by their common name, either within the ingredient list (for example, 'whey (milk)') or in a separate 'Contains' statement such as 'Contains: milk, soy, wheat.' There is no minimum-percentage threshold — even a small amount must be declared. Always read the full label, including the 'Contains' line and any 'may contain' advisory, before serving a product to an allergic guest.
Re-read every time
Manufacturers can reformulate products at any time without changing the brand or product name. A sauce, dressing, or bread the kitchen has used for months may now include an allergen — soy, wheat, milk, egg, or sesame — it did not before. That means staff must re-read the label every time a product is reordered or a supplier changes it. Assuming ingredients are unchanged, or waiting for a guest to react, puts people at risk.
Where allergens hide
Allergens are frequently concealed in components that don't announce them: sauces and gravies (milk, wheat, soy), dressings and marinades (soy, egg, sesame), breading and batter (wheat, egg, milk), and seasoning or spice blends (many). Because the dish's name rarely reveals these, check the full recipe and every component's label, not just the headline ingredient, before confirming a dish is safe for an allergic guest.