Guide · Allergens
The major food allergens, in English and Spanish
Written by a hotel banquet operations manager ·
The FDA recognizes nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame. Below, each one is in English and Spanish with the exact words Hotelwright's labels print, so your banquet team says the same thing on the label, the sheet and at line-up, plus what to do when a guest asks.
14-day trial, no cardEnglish · Español
| English | Spanish | Common examples on a banquet menu |
|---|---|---|
| milk | leche | Butter, cream, cheese, white sauces |
| eggs | huevos | Mayonnaise, creamy dressings, fresh pasta, desserts, batters |
| fish | pescado | Salmon, tuna, anchovies |
| crustacean shellfish | mariscos crustáceos | Shrimp, lobster, crab |
| tree nuts | frutos secos | Walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans |
| peanuts | cacahuetes | Peanut butter, some Asian sauces |
| wheat | trigo | Bread, pasta, flour for thickening, batters, croutons |
| soy | soja | Soy sauce, tofu, edamame |
| sesame | sésamo | Sesame seeds, tahini, sesame buns |
Where the list comes from
The list is the FDA's nine major food allergens. Sesame is the most recent: it became the ninth on January 1, 2023. The Spanish words are from Hotelwright's fixed dictionary, not from machine translation.
Two words to watch
On the floor, many Spanish speakers say cacahuate for peanuts and ajonjolí for sesame. Hotelwright's labels always print cacahuetes and sésamo, the same every time, so the label and the legend never say two different things. And frutos secos on a Spanish label means tree nuts; peanuts are a separate allergen with their own word.
One list, with one word per language, keeps the cook, the captain and the server talking about the same thing.
How a Contains line reads
On a buffet label, the allergens go on a line that starts with "Contains:" ("Contiene:" in Spanish). For example:
Wild mushroom risotto · V, GF
Contains: milk
That line lists only which of the nine are in the dish. If a confirmed dish has none, the line reads "Contains: none declared by the hotel", so a blank is never mistaken for a missing check. Neither line is a promise about the kitchen: the legend closes by asking guests to ask their banquet captain, and the label style has a switch for the sentence "Our kitchen handles all major allergens." ahead of it.
The dietary codes
Codes go next to the dish name. V, VG, GF, DF, PN, TN, SE and H are on by default in Hotelwright, with the same fixed words in English and Spanish; K and SP can be switched on. The printable allergen label legend has the default codes and the nine allergens in both languages.
GF deliberately doesn't say "gluten-free": it describes the recipe, not the kitchen, and a banquet kitchen that handles wheat all day can't promise more. Menu dietary codes explains each one.
What to say when a guest asks
The rule on the floor is one: never guess. Even if you have served that dish a hundred times, the recipe may have changed. Go to your captain, and the captain goes to the kitchen. If the guest has an allergy, also say which table they are at, so their plate comes out separately and marked. Phrases that help:
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Do you have any food allergies? | ¿Tiene alguna alergia a algún alimento? |
| Let me check with the kitchen. | Déjeme confirmarlo con la cocina. |
| I'll ask my captain. | Le pregunto a mi capitán. |
| Your meal is coming separately. | Su plato viene aparte. |
Who confirms the allergens
Neither the server nor the captain decides what is in a dish: the kitchen knows. In Hotelwright, allergens read from the event order start unconfirmed, and the Contains line doesn't print until a person at the hotel confirms them with the kitchen. Who confirmed, and when, is recorded. Hotelwright doesn't know your recipes and never decides what is in a dish: it prints what your team confirmed. See buffet labels with allergens.
Not legal advice
What must be declared, and where, is set by law and your local food code. The FDA Food Code is a model code that states and localities may adopt; its 2022 edition, section 3-602.12, addresses written notice of major food allergens in unpackaged food. Check with your health department, and see buffet label requirements.
Sources
FAQ
What banquet managers ask.
What are the 9 major food allergens according to the FDA?
Milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame.
Is sesame a major food allergen?
Yes. The FDA has recognized sesame as the ninth major food allergen since January 1, 2023.
How do you say the major allergens in Spanish?
Leche, huevos, pescado, mariscos crustáceos, frutos secos, cacahuetes, trigo, soja and sésamo: the words Hotelwright's labels print.
Are peanuts tree nuts?
Not on the FDA's list: peanuts and tree nuts are two separate major allergens, and each has its own code on Hotelwright's labels (PN and TN).
What should I do if a guest asks about an allergen and I don't know?
Don't answer from memory. Tell the guest you will check with the kitchen, and go to your captain.
Is this list legal advice?
No. It is a vocabulary list for your team. What your operation must declare is decided by your local food code.