Food Allergy Labeling and Disclosure Practices on Restaurants’ Online Menus in Toronto, Canada

• Online menus of non-chain restaurants in Toronto had low food allergy accommodation. • One in ten restaurants used allergen symbols and 16% included allergen statements. • Vegan/vegetarian restaurants were the most likely cuisine to have allergen symbols. • Southeast Asian restaurants were the most likely to have an allergen statement. • Relative restaurant menu costs were associated with food allergy accommodation. Restaurants have a responsibility to mitigate food-allergic reactions by non-verbally disclosing allergens on their menus and websites. In Canada, there are no laws requiring allergen labelling on non-pre-packaged food, leaving it up to restaurant managers to decide how to accommodate allergic customers. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess allergen disclosure and labelling on online menus in Toronto, Canada. A random sample of 1,000 nonchain restaurants was sourced from DineSafe, Toronto’s food inspection system. The online menus of each restaurant were accessed and assessed using a checklist in 2023-2024 to determine the presence of allergen menus, statements, or symbols. Mixed-effect logistic regression models were developed to assess the relationship between restaurant characteristics (cuisine type, Google review rating, cost indicator, and number of locations) and two outcomes: 1) presence of at least one allergen symbol on the menu, and 2) presence of an allergen statement on the menu. Only 16% (n=159) of restaurants included allergen statements and only 10% (n=100) used allergen symbols. Regression models predicted that vegan and vegetarian restaurants were the most likely cuisine type to have at least one allergen symbol on their menu (19%, 95% CI: 13-24%) and Southeast Asian restaurants were the most likely to have an allergen statement (28%, 95% CI: 20-36%). Additionally, higher restaurant costs and multiple locations were linked to more allergen disclosures. This study highlights the need for improved allergen labelling in non-chain restaurants. Policies requiring allergen disclosures can improve menu transparency and encourage proactive customer-waiter interactions, preventing allergic reactions in restaurants.