Download the blank starter template.
Download the free allergen matrix CSV or open the printable blank template. Open the CSV in Excel, Google Sheets, or another spreadsheet editor. No account is required. The templates contain column headings and blank review rows; they do not contain allergen answers.
The starter columns use the US Big 9. Confirm the set and detail your restaurant needs before using the sheet. You can add columns and adapt the structure. This template is a working record, not an official approval or a completed chart.
Give each row enough context to be useful.
- Dish, variation, and section: match the names your team uses on the menu.
- Allergen columns: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
- Review status: keep “Needs review” until the ingredient and preparation record has been checked.
- Source checked: identify the recipe, label, or supplier information used.
- Reviewed by and reviewed date: record who checked the row and when.
- Preparation notes: retain relevant context for the kitchen.
The allergen column names follow the FDA's list of nine major food allergens. Keep the underlying ingredient records with the sheet; a source note should help you find them again.
Define the legend before anyone fills a cell.
For this working template, use C for Contains and M for May contain. Keep them separate. Add the legend above the chart in your spreadsheet or on the printed page.
A blank row starts as unreviewed. A blank allergen cell only becomes a meaningful part of the recorded chart after the row's review is complete. Even then, it means no flag was recorded for that allergen; it is not a guarantee about the dish or its preparation.
Do not use color as the only signal. Letters or distinct markers survive a black-and-white printout and remain easier to explain to a new member of staff.
Fill the first row from a real recipe.
- Copy one dish name from the menu and list its variation if applicable.
- Gather the complete recipe, including sauces, garnish, and bought-in components.
- Check the specific ingredient products and any house recipes inside the dish.
- Record supported Contains and May contain information in the appropriate columns.
- Add source notes and leave uncertainties marked Needs review.
- Have the responsible person finish the review, then enter their name and the date.
For example, a row labeled “House sandwich, toasted” is only a label until someone checks that kitchen's bread, filling, sauce, garnish, and preparation. The template deliberately supplies no guessed allergen values for familiar dishes.
Check these details before printing.
- Restaurant name, menu name, and an updated date are visible.
- The full set of chosen allergen columns fits on the page.
- The legend explains every marker.
- Incomplete rows are easy to spot and are not presented as checked.
- Variations and specials match the current menu.
- The print is legible at its actual size, including long dish names.
- Old copies are removed when the new chart goes into use.
For a separate official UK resource, the Food Standards Agency publishes an allergen matrix alongside its business guidance. Choose resources that fit your restaurant's context.
When the sheet becomes the part you keep putting off.
A spreadsheet can be a useful start. Maintenance gets harder when one sauce appears in several rows, the same dish sits on multiple menus, and staff need both a paper copy and a guest link.
Dishcard connects reusable ingredients to dishes and generates the matrix, detailed PDF, and web menu from those records. You review the source facts and replace printed snapshots after changes; Dishcard handles the repeated relationships and layout.
Try it free for 14 days, with no card required. One location with unlimited dishes and teammates is $19 per month or $190 per year. Start your first menu in Dishcard.