Marking Allergens

Learn how to set allergen status on your menu items accurately and efficiently.

Accessing Allergen Controls

On Individual Items

1. Navigate to Menus > Items
2. Click on any item row
3. Go to the Allergens tab
4. Set status for each allergen

During Item Creation

1. Click New Item
2. Fill in basic details
3. Scroll to the Allergens section
4. Mark allergens before saving

Setting Allergen Status

The Three States

Click an allergen to cycle through states:

Quick Marking

For faster marking:

• Click - Cycle through states
• Shift+Click - Jump to Safe
• Ctrl/Cmd+Click - Jump to Unconfirmed

Bulk Marking

Mark multiple allergens at once:

1. Hold Shift and click two allergens
2. All allergens between are selected
3. Choose a state to apply to all

Mark as Contains

Select Contains when:

• Item has this allergen in the recipe
• Cross-contamination is likely
• Shared cooking equipment with allergen
• Supplier cannot guarantee allergen-free

Examples

Cross-Contamination

Mark Contains if there’s risk from:

• Shared fryers
• Shared prep surfaces
• Shared cooking utensils
• Same production facility

Rule: When in doubt, mark Contains.

Mark as Safe

Select Safe when:

• Recipe verified to exclude allergen
• No cross-contamination risk
• Supplier confirms allergen-free
• Dedicated cooking equipment

Verification Steps

Before marking Safe:

1. Review recipe - Check all ingredients
2. Check suppliers - Request allergen statements
3. Assess kitchen - Identify contamination risks
4. Document - Record your verification

Examples

When NOT to Mark Safe

Don’t mark Safe if:

• You haven’t verified
• Recipe might vary
• Kitchen practices change
• Any doubt exists

Leave as Unconfirmed instead.

Leave as Unconfirmed

Keep Unconfirmed when:

• You haven’t reviewed this allergen
• Recipe information is incomplete
• Supplier info is pending
• You’re unsure

Implications

Unconfirmed items:

• Won’t show as safe to diners
• Appear in verification queue
• Display with caution messaging
• Should be verified eventually

Temporary Unconfirmed

Some items stay Unconfirmed temporarily:

• New menu items pending review
• Imported items not yet verified
• Items during supplier change

Working with Ingredients

Automatic Suggestions

When you add ingredients, Atlee suggests allergens:

Added: "parmesan cheese"
Suggestion: Contains Milk

[Accept] [Dismiss]

Reviewing Suggestions

1. Review each suggestion
2. Click Accept to apply
3. Click Dismiss if incorrect
4. Add a note explaining dismissal

Common Ingredient Mappings

The system recognizes:

• Dairy terms → Milk
• Grain terms → Wheat/Gluten
• Nut names → Tree Nuts/Peanuts
• Seafood terms → Fish/Shellfish

Verification Workflow

New Item Process

1. Create item with basic info
2. Add ingredient list
3. Review allergen suggestions
4. Mark known allergens as Contains
5. Mark verified allergens as Safe
6. Leave uncertain ones Unconfirmed
7. Add to verification queue for follow-up

Existing Item Review

1. Open item from verification queue
2. Review current allergen status
3. Check against recipe documentation
4. Update any incorrect statuses
5. Add verification notes
6. Save changes

Best Practices

Documentation

Keep records of:

• Source of allergen information
• Date of verification
• Who performed verification
• Any special notes

Regular Review

• New items: Verify within 48 hours
• All items: Quarterly audit
• After changes: Immediate review

Team Training

Ensure staff know:

• How to mark allergens
• When to escalate uncertainty
• Documentation requirements
• Importance of accuracy

Common Mistakes

Avoid these errors:

• Marking Safe without verification
• Forgetting cross-contamination
• Not updating after recipe changes
• Ignoring supplier changes