Many restaurateurs think very carefully about what should be on the menu and spend a lot of time designing the menu, but forget an important obligation: since 2014, catering establishments must not only specify additives, but also provide information about allergens in their products. But what must be on the menu? And how can long columns of numbers behind individual dishes on the menu be avoided?
When creating your menu, you should take into account the indication of additives in the layout. The 1998 revision of the Zusatzstoff-Zulassungsverordnung (ZZulV) (Additive Approval Ordinance) mandates that colorants, preservatives, flavor enhancers, sweeteners and many other additives must be indicated when loose foods are sold. The Federal Center for Nutrition always provides an up-to-date list of the relevant additives. In addition, the Federal Center prescribes what wording the labeling must have: Olives, which get their dark color from the dye E585, must be marked as "blackened" in the menu. If a lemon is served with the schnitzel, indicate on the menu whether it has been "waxed."
Since the label must be clearly visible, legible and indelible on the menu, we advise menu covers, which protect the paper of the card from moisture and dirt.
More and more people suffer from allergies and food intolerances. For this reason, the Food Information Regulation (LMIV) ensures the safe choice of food and foodstuffs for all consumers. Ingredients that have been scientifically proven to trigger allergies or intolerances include nuts, cereals, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, milk and celery. The Federal Center for Nutrition continually updates the list of allergenic foods.
Guests often only tolerate a certain type of food: label the ingredients as precisely as possible so that a walnut allergy sufferer does not have to exclude all dishes that are marked "contains nuts" on your menu.
Have you reviewed your menu and labeled all additives, allergens and possible triggers for intolerances? Would you also like to draw your customers' attention to vegan dishes and thus create a selection for guests who completely forgo animal protein? Do you source your meat from a regional butcher? Or do you pay special attention to organic cultivation and fair trade when purchasing exotic ingredients? These details enrich your menu and sharpen your profile as a restaurateur. However, displaying official seals involves some effort and bureaucracy. It is easier to design and structure your menu so that special ingredients and preparation methods are noticed separately. A separate category "Vegan Cuisine" in your menu shows your vegan guests at a glance from which dishes they can choose. A short paragraph on the origin of the meat before the list of beef dishes informs your guests about the quality of your cuisine.