Restaurant allergen statistics show a persistent gap between the need for accurate information and the consistency of restaurant controls. Older U.S. estimates describe substantial food-allergy harm, while newer England, Wales, and Northern Ireland surveys show how businesses and consumers handle allergen information in practice. These figures cover different populations, countries, and periods, so they should be read as context rather than one unified trend line.
Contents: Scale of food-allergy harm · New York City hospital and emergency data · Age differences · Restaurant staff training · Consumer access and confidence · Business communication practices
Scale of food-allergy harm
The CDC reported that food allergies were estimated to affect 15 million people in the United States in a 2014 estimate. The same source associated food allergies with approximately 30,000 emergency-department visits each year and approximately 150–200 deaths per year. These are historical U.S. estimates, not current 2026 counts. (Restaurant Food Allergy Practices — Six Selected Sites, United States, 2014)
Restaurant and other food-service settings were also prominent in the fatal-reaction evidence summarized by the CDC: nearly half of reported fatal food-allergy reactions over a 13-year period were caused by food from a restaurant or another food-service establishment. The statistic describes reported fatal reactions during the period discussed in the 2014 publication; it does not estimate the share of all allergy reactions that happen in restaurants. (Restaurant Food Allergy Practices — Six Selected Sites, United States, 2014)
The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, or FALCPA, recorded different estimated prevalence levels by age. Its findings placed food allergies at about 2% of U.S. adults and about 5% of U.S. infants and young children. The same findings identified eight major foods or food groups as accounting for 90% of food allergies. These are the act’s 2004 statutory findings and should not be mistaken for a newly measured prevalence estimate. (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004)
New York City hospital and emergency data
A CDC-supported analysis of New York City provides a more geographically specific view of food-related anaphylaxis. From 2000–2014, New York City recorded 3,049 food-related-anaphylaxis hospitalizations, at an age-adjusted rate of 26.2 per 1 million person-years. For the separate 2005–2014 emergency-department period, the city recorded 4,013 visits, at an age-adjusted rate of 50.9 per 1 million person-years. Because the periods differ, the hospitalization and emergency-department figures should not be treated as directly matching measures from the same years. (Deaths, Hospitalizations, and Emergency Department Visits From Food-Related Anaphylaxis, New York City, 2000–2014: Implications for Fatality Prevention)
The emergency-department data show how rates varied by reported allergen category during 2005–2014:
| Allergen category | Emergency-department visits | Rate per 1 million person-years |
|---|---|---|
| Peanuts | 812 | 10.6 |
| Fish | 541 | 6.5 |
| Tree nuts and seeds | 427 | 5.4 |
| Fruits and vegetables | 267 | 3.3 |
| Crustaceans | 181 | 2.2 |
| Milk products | 166 | 2.1 |
| Eggs | 87 | 1.1 |
Peanuts therefore had the largest count and rate among the listed categories in this New York City emergency-department analysis. Fish ranked second by both measures, followed by tree nuts and seeds. The categories and rates belong to the study’s 2005–2014 emergency-department series; they are not a national ranking or a current restaurant-specific risk ranking. (Deaths, Hospitalizations, and Emergency Department Visits From Food-Related Anaphylaxis, New York City, 2000–2014: Implications for Fatality Prevention)
Age differences in New York City
The New York City study found higher food-related-anaphylaxis rates among younger age groups than among adults. For hospitalizations in 2000–2014, children aged 0–4 had 557 cases at 69.6 per 1 million person-years. Children aged 5–17 had 980 cases at 50.6 per 1 million person-years, while adults aged 18 and older had 1,512 cases at 15.9 per 1 million person-years.
The emergency-department series for 2005–2014 showed the same broad age pattern. Children aged 0–4 had 809 visits at 151.7 per 1 million person-years. Children aged 5–17 had 1,234 visits at 98.3 per 1 million person-years, and adults aged 18 and older had 1,970 visits at 30.6 per 1 million person-years. Counts are larger for adults because the adult population is broader, whereas the rates show the age-adjusted comparison used in the study. (Deaths, Hospitalizations, and Emergency Department Visits From Food-Related Anaphylaxis, New York City, 2000–2014: Implications for Fatality Prevention)
Peanut-related hospitalization rates also differed by age in 2000–2014. The rate was 22.9 per 1 million person-years among children aged 0–4, 10.8 among children aged 5–17, and 2.2 among adults aged 18 and older. These figures describe New York City hospitalizations and should not be generalized to every age group or restaurant population. (Deaths, Hospitalizations, and Emergency Department Visits From Food-Related Anaphylaxis, New York City, 2000–2014: Implications for Fatality Prevention)
Restaurant staff training and kitchen controls
In a CDC survey conducted from January 2014 through February 2015, food-allergy training was reported by 44.4% of restaurant managers, 40.8% of food workers, and 33.3% of servers. Among those who had been trained, the content was not uniform across roles. Managers reported training on preventing cross-contact at 96.7%, on the major food allergens at 92.7%, and on what to do when a customer has a food allergy at 80.5%.
Among trained food workers, 98.8% reported training on preventing cross-contact and 90.7% reported training on what to do when a customer has a food allergy. Among trained servers, 94.2% reported training on what to do during a customer allergy situation and 86.5% reported training on the major food allergens. The denominator matters: these percentages describe trained respondents, not all restaurant staff.
Training topics also varied in coverage:
- Menu items containing allergens were covered for 69.1% of managers, 76.7% of food workers, and 78.8% of servers.
- Allergic-reaction symptoms were covered for 67.5% of managers, 62.8% of food workers, and 61.5% of servers.
- What to do during a serious allergic reaction was covered for 64.2% of managers, 69.8% of food workers, and 73.1% of servers.
The same survey found that 55.2% of managers said their restaurant had ingredient lists or recipes for all or most menu items. Another 25.3% said their restaurant had no ingredient lists or recipes for menu items. Only 7.6% of managers reported a special kitchen area for preparing allergen-free food. Together, these figures describe reported practices at six selected U.S. sites during 2014–2015, rather than a current national restaurant census. (Restaurant Food Allergy Practices — Six Selected Sites, United States, 2014)
Consumer access and confidence
The Food Standards Agency’s consumer series tracks respondents with food hypersensitivity in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In Wave 2, covering November 2020–January 2021, respondents said allergen information was always readily available 13% of the time, at least occasionally available 61% of the time, never available 14% of the time, and unknown 13% of the time.
In Wave 4, covering October 2021–January 2022, the corresponding figures were 13% always, 68% at least occasionally, 9% never, and 11% unknown. In Wave 6, covering October 2022–January 2023, they were 14% always, 71% at least occasionally, 9% never, and 6% unknown. The series suggests reported occasional access increased across the measured waves, but “at least occasionally” is broader than consistently available information. (F&Y2 trends: Chapter 4: Eating out and takeaways)
Asking staff was not universal. In Wave 2, 18% always asked staff for allergen information and 29% never asked. In Wave 4, 20% always asked and 30% never asked. In Wave 6, 22% always asked and 22% never asked. The share who felt very or fairly comfortable asking staff was 71% in Wave 2 and 72% in both Waves 4 and 6.
Confidence differed by communication method. Confidence in written allergen information was 83% in Waves 2 and 4 and 89% in Wave 6. Confidence in verbal information from staff was 71% in Wave 2, 69% in Wave 4, and 68% in Wave 6. These are consumer-reported confidence measures, not tests of whether a menu statement or verbal answer was factually correct. (F&Y2 trends: Chapter 4: Eating out and takeaways)
Business communication practices
The FSA Wave 5 business survey, reported for 2025, covered small and micro food businesses selling food as a meal, takeaway, or packaging it at the point of sale. In that survey, 98% of businesses selling meals or takeaways reported providing written or verbal allergen information. Among those businesses, 67% used both written and verbal channels, 25% used written information only, and 7% used verbal information only.
The way information was presented varied. Among businesses providing written allergen information, 45% displayed it proactively, 43% provided it only on request, and 11% varied their approach. Among businesses providing allergen information, 86% said they covered all relevant major allergens present in menu items, while 60% offered full ingredient lists for each menu item. The survey’s business scope is narrower than every restaurant and takeaway business in every market, so these results should not be read as a universal restaurant benchmark. (Small and Micro Food Business Operator (FBO) Tracking Survey: Wave 5)
Customer questions and service checks were also measured. When ordering food, 81% of businesses asked customers about allergies at least occasionally, including 38% that asked every time; 18% said they never asked. At service, 87% reconfirmed allergen information in some form, including 79% that did so verbally, while 12% did not reconfirm it.
The survey also recorded use of FSA non-prepacked-food tools. Sixty-six percent of businesses had used at least one such tool. Posters were used by 47%, matrices by 33%, and icons by 24%. These tools can support communication, but the percentages measure reported use during the 2025 survey rather than the accuracy or completeness of each business’s allergen controls. (Small and Micro Food Business Operator (FBO) Tracking Survey: Wave 5)