Dietary Requirements on Digital Menus

Vegan, vegetarian, halal, gluten-free and other dietary descriptions can help customers choose, but they are claims that need defined standards and evidence. They do not replace mandatory allergen information or a conversation about serious food allergy.

Separate preference, belief and medical risk

Create a written claim standard

For every dietary badge, record the definition, evidence required, permitted wording, approver and review trigger. A supplier description is not enough if the restaurant adds sauces, cooks in shared oil or uses common utensils. Claims should be item-specific and removed immediately when evidence becomes uncertain.

Design filters conservatively

A dietary filter should return only items that meet the approved rule, including default modifiers. It must not hide important allergen information. Test whether optional sauces, toppings and substitutions change the result. Provide a clear “information last reviewed” process internally, but do not rely on a date stamp to excuse stale data.

Explain cross-contact honestly

Generic disclaimers do not correct inaccurate claims. Describe shared equipment or preparation only where relevant and avoid wording that places the entire burden on the customer. If the operation cannot substantiate a strong claim, use more precise language and invite the customer to contact trained staff before ordering.

Control changes across channels

• Link every badge to the approved recipe and supplier specification.
• Review claims after ingredient, oil, sauce, garnish or equipment changes.
• Synchronise website, app, marketplace, printed menu and staff reference.
• Prevent unapproved local edits by branches or agencies.
• Record emergency substitutions and remove affected filters before sale.
• Test delivery-stage information for orders involving regulated allergens.

Support customers without collecting unnecessary sensitive data

Do not build customer profiles that infer religion or health conditions merely from menu choices. A one-off dietary selection may be used to fulfil the order, but long-term profiling or marketing requires a separate purpose and privacy assessment. Keep free-text notes factual and limit access.

Practical next step

Audit one dietary filter from customer screen to kitchen ticket. Select five items, test every default and optional modifier, verify supplier evidence and record whether the claim remains true after preparation. Remove the badge until the evidence is complete.

Test the complete customer journey

Check search results, category pages, item pages, modifiers, basket, checkout and order confirmation. A badge that is correct on the menu may become misleading if the basket silently adds a default sauce or if a bundle includes an incompatible side. Test keyboard use, screen-reader labels and mobile zoom so the information is not technically present but practically inaccessible.

Govern external certifications and supplier claims

Where a claim depends on certification or a supplier statement, keep the current document, scope and expiry date. Confirm whether it applies to the ingredient, the finished item or the whole preparation process. Remove the claim if the source changes or if the kitchen process no longer matches the approved standard.

Customer-support scripts should distinguish a dietary preference from a medically serious allergy. Staff must not infer that a customer is safe because an item appears in a vegan, halal or gluten-free category.

Related guides

• Online Ordering — the main guide for the wider topic.
• Online Compliance and Food Safety — the broader guide that frames this implementation.
• How to Handle Allergens Online — a closely related operational control to review alongside this page.
• Food Hygiene Ratings and Online Ordering — a closely related operational control to review alongside this page.

Sources and date checked

Guidance checked: 24 July 2026. Recheck official guidance, local requirements and supplier documentation before changing a live operation.

• FSA: allergen guidance for food businesses
• FSA: allergen information for non-prepacked food
• ICO: data minimisation