Nut Allergies in Restaurants

When it comes to a well-known allergy, nuts might be the first food that comes up. Handling nut allergies in restaurants doesn’t have to be complicated when you stay informed and have safety protocols in place. Follow our guide below that is full of helpful allergy safety tips, information on high risk equipment and more to get your restaurant prepared and knowledgeable about nut allergies. 

Different Nut Allergies

When it comes to nut allergies, this is a generic term that is used for people that are allergic to either a specific nut or a variety of them. Nut allergies come in different severities, from mild to life-threatening. Someone can be allergic to specifically peanuts, which are legumes and not an actual nut. There is also the term “tree nut allergy” which means someone is allergic to the seeds of certain trees like walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, brazil nuts and cashews. Nut allergies can be different in each individual, so asking questions and getting an in-depth understanding of a person’s allergy can be beneficial while serving food. 

Common Ingredients and Foods

Nuts can be found in easy to spot ingredients and foods, but can also be added or topped onto dishes as well. Always check labels to see if any foods are listed with nuts in the ingredients or even are a risk for cross-contamination when made in a factory. Below is a list of some common nuts and foods to watch out for in commercial kitchens:

• Baked goods


• Pesto


• Barbeque sauce


• Mole sauce


• Hazelnut spread


• Nut butters


• Hummus


• Granola


• Ice cream/gelato


• Chocolate


• Gluten-free breads/crackers


• Meat substitutes


• Salads


• Cooking oils

High-Risk Equipment

A lot of cross-contamination in restaurants happens in the kitchen with some equipment. High-risk equipment depends on the allergy and also the type of dish that is being served. When dealing with a nut allergy, some high-risk equipment to watch out for might be:

• Blenders/food processors – Making peanut butter based smoothies or processing pesto sauce means blenders and food processors are a risk for nut allergies. Even if they weren’t used for nut-based sauces or foods, make sure to have these cleaned and sanitized if prepping nut-free foods to prevent any leftover residue from contaminating the food. 


• Cutting boards/knives – Chopping and slicing means that crumbs and small food particles can be left behind on cutting boards and knives. Since this equipment is smaller and more accessible, it might even be a great idea to have a separate set that are for food prep that is allergen free. 


• Mixers – Baked goods and bakery equipment are high-risk equipment when it comes to nut allergies. Cookies with peanut butter in them or brownies with walnuts added to the batter can leave residue and crumbs behind, meaning cross-contamination. 


• Food storage – Food storage and bins can be high-risk when it comes to allergies and cross-contamination. Using the wrong scoop or incorrectly sealing items can be potential risks. It’s important to have food in separate containers and properly labeled to minimize risks. 


• Ice cream machines – Certain flavors can contaminate ice cream machines and make them high-risk equipment. If the machine has any nut flavor or mixture with nuts included, the unit has to be cleaned and sanitized before putting a new flavor in. It also needs to be away from any other ingredients or foods that are nut-free.  


• Prep stations – Countertops at the prep stations are notorious and risky unless they are properly cleaned and maintained. Keeping these areas free of allergens or sanitizing before and after working with an allergy-free meal means safer practices overall. 

Food Allergy Safety Tips

So how do you keep everyone safe when it comes to nut allergies in restaurants? This starts with some food safety tips that can help you prevent cross-contamination and provide safer kitchen environments. Some safety steps you could take include:

• Training – Having staff prepared and knowing what to do with allergy orders is the first step in food safety. Make sure staff are aware of protocols for spreading information and are properly trained and certified as needed. The more people are aware and know how to handle situations, the safer everyone is overall. 


• Labels and organization – Organizing ingredients and having them separated is a great way to keep kitchens safer. Clearly identifiable labels help everyone see at a glance where each food is and marked scoops will help to prevent using the wrong ones. Lids are also essential to keep everything sealed, not only to prevent cross-contamination but to help extend shelf-life. 


• Hand washing – Hand washing is all over our safety guides, and for very important reasons. The more you wash your hands, the more you reduce risks for cross-contamination. Whether changing gloves or just working with different ingredients, washing hands is the best safety step you can implement in commercial kitchens. 


• Allergy-free menus – Menus are a great way to help staff and customers know what’s in the food they order. Having either separate menus that are tailored for avoiding specific allergies or even a menu that highlights the allergens in each dish. 


• Nut-free stations/equipment – Nut allergies are quite common and it might be beneficial to commercial kitchens to have a separate station meant for cooking orders that need to remain nut-free. Even if you can’t have a whole separate station, having nut-free equipment or utensils can also make a huge difference. Just make sure that anything meant to stay nut-free is properly labeled. 

Symptoms of a Food Allergy

Before you can have an action plan in place, you need to be aware of what an allergic reaction can look like? Anaphylaxis isn’t always the end result of allergic reactions, they can look like a lot of different symptoms. The FDA says to watch out for any of the following: 

• Dizziness


• Hives/red splotches on the face


• Flushed skin or rash


• Face, tongue, or lip swelling


• Vomiting


• Abdominal cramping


• Coughing or wheezing


• Throat swelling


• Difficulty breathing


• Loss of consciousness

Staying Prepared

Part of being prepared is having a checklist in place. You’ve implemented our safety tips, made everyone aware of protocols and have made sure training and certification is performed. Just be sure that all of these are done on a routine basis and you have recurring check-ins to make sure that everyone stays up-to-date. All staff should have access to a plan of action whenever they need a refresh.

For more help with food allergies and safety in restaurants, check out our guide on maintaining food safety in a commercial kitchen.