While looking for other stuff, I stumbled across this useful and detailed report about food allergen legislation in Europe. Useful information includes: * People with special dietary needs prefer written to verbal information. * Most people with special dietary needs prefer to meet those needs discreetly and dislike having to draw attention to themselves by making requests. * A balance between detail and efficiency is needed. Complete information is needed by some users, but won't all fit on a menu and too much can be overwhelming. Supplementary guides and menu symbols are helpful. Diners often appreciate a separate section or menu. * Information assists safety (avoiding dangerous foods) but not necessarily access (provision of edibles). "May contain" is particularly obnoxious because it show that foods which should naturally be safe have been rendered unsafe by a slovenly food industry. * Invitations to interact with staff may be received well or poorly, based on individual preference and on related factors indicating the inclusivity of a given facility. Possible uses of information: * If you plan to eat with people, exchange information about dietary needs and preferences. When you're not sure how to handle an unfamiliar requirement, ask the person to list safe foods rather than just foods to avoid. * When sharing food among large groups, such as picnics or potlucks, writing the ingredients of each dish on a card is likely to be welcome. This printable card lists allergens and ingredients . There are some " I am free of " versions but I couldn't find a good printable. You can also use individual labels to identify safe foods . I do NOT recommend putting both on the same card , which makes it too easy to confuse the safe and dangerous lists. * Single-ingredient offerings are the safest and easiest for people to mix and match whether their concern is an allergy, flavor, texture, or other aspect. Then let people dress them as desired. You can put bare-naked potatoes on the table and offer butter, margarine, sour cream, halva, salt, pepper, bacon bits, chives, etc. to make them exciting. * Unless you know that people don't have special dietary needs, try to include at least one main dish and side dish that are hypoallergenic . Notice that many historic foods are less allergenic than modern ones, wheat being the most glaring example. Some people who cannot tolerate modern higher-gluten wheat are fine with lower-gluten emmer or einkorn . Pastured or wild animal products are less allergenic than those raised on wheat , soy , corn , or other commercial feeds. * Stock some allergy-friendly items in your pantry . If you always have some on hand, you won't be left scrambling if someone has a brand-new food issue. * It helps to know substitutions for common allergens . * If you are in a restaurant and overhear them hassling someone else about dietary needs, don't go back there. * If you spot a restaurant doing an exceptional job of accommodating special needs, spread the word. * Watch for cultural opportunities. For example, consider that most Indian restaurants have a Vegetarian section, and if you find a place run by Jainists it will be allium-free ! I have seen more restaurants that either say nothing about allergens or do so in offensive ways. "May contains" = "We don't promise not to poison you." >_< I've also seen a few with particularly appealing presentations. A couple of places decorate their walls with big beautiful posters of colorful fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices with a bit of nutritional information underneath. That's appetizing and informative. Then there's a sign near the counter that says, not just ask the staff about special dietary needs, but that they have staff trained in that topic who will be happy to assist.