Allergen Labeling Guide for MENA Restaurants

Allergen labeling on restaurant menus is becoming increasingly important across the MENA region. While not yet as strictly enforced as calorie display, the trend is clear: regulators are moving toward mandatory allergen disclosure, and customers are already demanding it. ## The 14 Major Allergens (Codex Alimentarius) The international standard recognizes 14 major food allergens: 1. **Cereals containing gluten** (wheat, rye, barley, oats) 2. **Crustaceans** (shrimp, crab, lobster) 3. **Eggs** 4. **Fish** 5. **Peanuts** 6. **Soybeans** 7. **Milk** (including lactose) 8. **Tree nuts** (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios) 9. **Celery** 10. **Mustard** 11. **Sesame seeds** 12. **Sulphur dioxide and sulphites** 13. **Lupin** 14. **Molluscs** (oysters, mussels, squid) ## MENA Regulatory Status - **UAE**: Not yet mandatory on restaurant menus, but recommended by Dubai Municipality. Hotels and chains increasingly implement voluntarily. - **Saudi Arabia**: SFDA requires allergen information on packaged food. Restaurant menu requirements are expanding. - **Kuwait**: Growing enforcement through KFDA inspections. - **Qatar**: MoPH encourages disclosure as part of food safety standards. ## Implementation on Digital Menus The simplest approach is icon-based labeling: - Assign an icon to each allergen - Tag every menu item with applicable allergens - Display icons next to the item name or in a detail view - Include a legend at the top of each menu section ## Arabic Allergen Terminology Critical for bilingual menus: - Gluten = غلوتين - Nuts = مكسرات - Dairy = ألبان - Eggs = بيض - Shellfish = محار / قشريات - Soy = صويا - Sesame = سمسم ## Why It Matters Beyond compliance, allergen labeling is a trust signal. International tourists and expatriates from markets with strict allergen laws (EU, Australia, US) expect it. A restaurant that proactively labels allergens signals professionalism and care. Qaima includes allergen tagging for all 14 major allergens, with bilingual labels and icons that appear automatically alongside each menu item.