How to display allergen information digital menu boards effectively—balancing compliance, customer safety, and screen real estate.
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A customer with a peanut allergy stands in your line. She looks at your stunning digital menu board with its slow-motion burger videos and elegant typography.
Can she safely order from it?
If your menu design "optimized" away the allergen information to make room for hero shots, the answer is no. And that decision—made by a designer trying to reduce visual clutter—just created a customer service bottleneck, a potential health risk, and possible legal liability.
This is the allergen display problem, and it's more serious than operators realize.
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What's At Stake
Allergen information isn't just a nice-to-have. It's a matter of:
Customer health: Food allergies can be life-threatening. Peanut, tree nut, shellfish, and other allergies can cause anaphylaxis within minutes.
Legal liability: Failure to provide adequate allergen information creates legal exposure. Lawsuits resulting from allergic reactions can be devastating.
Brand reputation: One social media post about an allergic reaction at your restaurant can spread instantly.
Operational efficiency: "Can you check if this has dairy?" slows your line more than displaying the information would.
The space you "save" by removing allergen info isn't free. You're just moving the cost somewhere else.
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The Legal Landscape
Allergen disclosure requirements vary by jurisdiction, but the trend is toward more transparency, not less.
Federal Requirements
The FDA requires calorie information on menu boards for chains with 20+ locations. While the specific allergen disclosure requirements are less prescriptive, the regulatory direction is clear: consumers have a right to know what's in their food.
State and Local Laws
Many states and municipalities have their own allergen disclosure requirements:
- Some require "major allergens" to be listed
- Some require staff training on allergen communication
- Some require written allergen information to be available on request
Litigation Risk
When a customer has an allergic reaction, the question becomes: did the restaurant provide reasonable opportunity for the customer to know?
A menu board that forces customers to ask staff—rather than displaying information directly—creates ambiguity about what was communicated and when.
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Why Allergen Info Gets Cut
If allergen info is so important, why do so many digital menus omit it?
Screen Real Estate Pressure
Digital screens have limited space. Every square inch devoted to allergen icons is space not available for:
- Promotional content
- High-margin item photos
- Brand messaging
Designers face constant requests to add more content, and allergen information is often seen as expendable.
Design Aesthetics
Small icons and text labels feel "cluttered" to designers focused on visual elegance. The clean, minimalist aesthetic many brands prefer doesn't easily accommodate allergen details.
"They Can Just Ask" Assumption
There's a common belief that allergy-sensitive customers will naturally ask staff. This assumption is problematic:
- It adds friction for the customer
- It slows the ordering line
- It depends on staff having accurate information
- It creates miscommunication risk
- It makes allergy customers feel like second-class patrons
CMS Limitations
Some digital signage systems simply don't support allergen data well:
- No allergen field in the menu database
- No icon templates designed for allergen display
- No integration with POS allergen data
- No QR code or overlay options
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The Customer Experience Failure
From the perspective of a customer with food allergies, many digital menus are failures.
Feeling Like a Second-Class Customer
When allergen information is hidden or absent, it sends a message: "You're not our priority customer."
The person with a dairy allergy watches other customers order confidently while they wait to speak with a manager. That experience matters.
The Inquiry Burden
A typical allergen inquiry at the counter: 1. Customer asks about allergens 2. Staff checks a binder or calls a manager 3. Wait time while information is located 4. Verbal communication of complex allergen data 5. Customer makes decision based on imperfect information
This process takes 2-5 minutes—far longer than displaying an icon would.
Risk of Miscommunication
Verbal allergen communication is error-prone:
- Staff may not know all ingredients
- Substitutions may change allergen content
- Loud environments cause mishearing
- "Modified" recipes may not be in staff training
A visible allergen icon is less ambiguous than a verbal confirmation.
Anxiety and Abandonment
Customers with severe allergies often experience genuine anxiety about ordering food. When information isn't visible, anxiety increases:
- "Did the staff really check?"
- "Did they understand which allergen I asked about?"
- "Is it safer to just leave?"
Some customers simply abandon the order. You'll never know you lost them.
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Best Practices for Allergen Display
The good news: there are multiple approaches to allergen information that don't require sacrificing your entire menu design.
Option 1: Always-On Icons
The most straightforward approach: small allergen icons displayed alongside each menu item.
How it works:
- Standard icon set (nut, dairy, gluten, shellfish, etc.)
- Icons appear next to relevant items
- Legend at bottom or side of screen explains icons
Best for:
- Menus with moderate item counts
- Locations with high regulatory scrutiny
- Brands prioritizing accessibility
Trade-offs:
- Some visual clutter
- Requires allergen data for every item
- Icons must be sized for menu board viewing distance
Option 2: QR Code to Detailed Information
Display a QR code that links to a mobile-friendly allergen page.
How it works:
- QR code visible on menu board (corner or footer)
- Scanning opens detailed allergen information on customer's phone
- Mobile page can be very detailed without screen space limits
Best for:
- Menus with limited screen real estate
- Tech-comfortable customer base
- Locations wanting to keep boards "clean"
Trade-offs:
- Not all customers will scan
- Requires maintained mobile landing page
- Feels like extra step for allergy customers
Option 3: Staff-Triggered Overlay
Staff can trigger an allergen overlay mode when a customer asks.
How it works:
- Normal menu displays without prominence allergen info
- Staff presses button or command to show allergen overlay
- Full allergen information appears temporarily
Best for:
- Low-frequency allergen inquiries
- Locations with well-trained staff
- Integration with kiosk or counter systems
Trade-offs:
- Still requires customer to ask
- Depends on staff awareness
- May slow service during display mode
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Technical Implementation Considerations
Implementing any allergen display approach requires underlying data infrastructure.
Database Requirements
Your menu database (whether in CMS, POS, or separate system) must track:
- Which allergens each item contains
- Allergen status of modifiers and add-ons
- Cross-contamination warnings where applicable
Without this data, no display approach will work. This is often the real blocker—not the design decision, but the data work behind it.
POS Integration for Accuracy
If your POS system tracks allergen data, your digital signage CMS should integrate with it. This ensures:
- Single source of truth for allergen information
- Updates propagate automatically when recipes change
- No manual sync required
For operators with existing POS allergen data, middleware integration is often the fastest path to accurate digital display.
Staff Training
Even with perfect digital display, staff should be trained on:
- Where to find additional allergen information
- How to handle cross-contamination questions
- When to escalate to management
- Company policy on allergen liability
Digital display reduces but doesn't eliminate the need for staff knowledge.
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How SeenLabs Helps
Allergen display requires integration between menu data and CMS. SeenLabs contributes through:
Icon-Based Templates Pre-designed layouts with allergen icon zones—tested for visibility at menu board distances, without overwhelming your design.
POS/Menu Database Integration Middleware that pulls allergen data from your existing systems, ensuring accuracy and reducing manual work.
QR Code Overlays Easy implementation of QR codes linking to mobile allergen pages, with templates that integrate naturally into menu designs.
Dynamic Content Updates When your allergen data changes (recipe modifications, supplier changes), menu displays update automatically.
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Conclusion: Transparency Is Non-Negotiable
In 2025, hiding allergen information to save screen space is a false economy.
The costs of omission:
- Legal liability exposure
- Customer experience failures
- Operational slowdowns
- Brand reputation risk
The costs of inclusion:
- Some design adjustment
- Data infrastructure work
- Staff awareness training
The second list is shorter and more manageable than the first.
Key Takeaways
1. Allergen display is a safety issue — Not just a design preference 2. Legal requirements are increasing — Get ahead of the trend 3. Multiple display options exist — Icons, QR codes, overlays—choose what fits 4. Data accuracy is the real work — Integration with POS or menu database is key 5. Inclusive design benefits everyone — Clear allergen info helps all customers understand your menu
Customers with allergies deserve to order confidently. Your digital menus can make that possible.
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Ready to Improve Your Allergen Display?
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About SeenLabs
SeenLabs builds digital signage solutions with integration at the core. Our platform connects with your existing menu and POS systems to display accurate, real-time information—including allergen data.