Allergen and Nutrition Label Guide for the United States

On this page

• How nutrition labels work
• Allergens at restaurant chains
• What each brand publishes
• Dietary needs beyond allergens
• Checklist before you order
• Sources

How nutrition labels work in the United States

In the United States, restaurant chains with 20 or more locations must show calories on menus and menu boards and give other nutrition information on request. US allergen rules focus on nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.

Calories are shown per item, and some brands also publish fat, sodium, sugars and protein. Nutrition figures normally describe a standard recipe and a standard portion, so the item you receive can differ slightly because of ingredients, portioning and customisation. Several brands say this themselves in their official guides.

Allergens at restaurant chains

Allergen information tells you which allergens a recipe contains. It does not guarantee that a kitchen is free of cross-contact. Many chains say clearly that food is prepared in shared kitchens and that they cannot guarantee any item is completely free of an allergen. If you have an allergy, treat the published information as a starting point and tell staff about your allergy when you order.

Recipes and suppliers also change, which is why every Menu Chains brand page shows a “Last verified” date and links to the brand’s own allergen source.

What each brand publishes

This table summarises what the official sources behind our verified brand pages provide.

Restaurant	What the official source publishes
Starbucks	Calories, fat, sodium, sugars and protein for every size, plus ingredients and allergens on product pages
McDonald’s	A nutrition summary per item, with allergen information and a nutrition calculator linked
Chick-fil-A	A full per-serving nutrition table and an allergens section
Taco Bell	Calories on menu pages, with a full nutrition label linked from each product
Subway	Nutrition data tables and separate allergy and ingredient PDFs

Checklist before you order

• Open the brand’s own allergen or nutrition page and check the date or version.
• Look up each item you plan to order, including sauces and sides.
• Tell staff about your allergy when you order, and ask how the item is prepared.
• Be careful with shared fryers, grills and utensils, which can cause cross-contact.
• If the brand’s information is unclear or missing, ask the restaurant or the brand directly.
• Remember that recipes can change, so recheck if it has been a while.

Our brand pages link directly to each official source. Start from the United States hub to find them.

Dietary needs beyond allergens

Allergies are not the only reason people read menu information. Some people avoid certain ingredients for religious, ethical or health reasons, and some brands mark items as vegetarian or vegan. Where a brand publishes these flags, our pages show them, but read the brand’s wording carefully, because “suitable for vegetarians” does not always mean an item is prepared separately from meat. If you follow a gluten-free diet, ask specifically about shared cooking oil and surfaces. If you watch sodium or sugar, look at those columns in the nutrition tables rather than relying on calories alone.

Why published numbers can differ from your meal

Official nutrition figures are calculated from standard recipes and average portions. Your own meal can differ because staff portion by hand, suppliers change ingredients, seasonal or regional recipes vary, and customisations such as extra sauce or a different size change the totals. Treat the numbers as a reliable guide rather than an exact measurement, and use the brand’s own tools when you build a customised order.