Allergens: what to check before you order
An ingredient list is useful evidence, but it cannot guarantee how a particular restaurant will prepare your meal.
By CompareMenus · Editorial guide · Reviewed September 19, 2026
Read the current restaurant information
The FDA identifies nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. People can also react to other foods. Check the current ingredient and allergen information for the exact item, size and customization, then speak to the restaurant about your needs.
Separate ingredients from cross-contact
An item may omit an allergen as an intended ingredient but share a fryer, grill, toaster, utensil or preparation surface with foods containing it. Ask the restaurant about its procedures. A missing allergen field in our database is not a statement that an item is free of that allergen.
Be specific about modifications
Removing a visible topping does not remove an allergen already present in a sauce, seasoning, bun or preparation process. Tell staff about the allergy before ordering, explain what must be avoided and confirm whether they can accommodate it.
How CompareMenus handles this
We link to the source and retain partial statements as partial. We do not turn missing information into an “allergen-free” badge or infer safety from a product name. Historical menu records must not be used to make a current allergy decision.