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Food Allergen Awareness Course (EU) 2026

This course is for people who prepare, serve or sell food in the EU, such as kitchen, café, bar, shop and catering staff. It covers the 14 allergens in EU law, allergen labels on packaged food, allergen information in restaurants and cafés, avoiding cross-contact and what to do if a customer has a reaction. Each topic has a short lesson and an untimed quiz, followed by a timed 30-question final assessment; score 80% or more to earn a Certificate of Completion.

  • Course
  • European Union
  • 91 questions
  • Checked October 13, 2026
  • Fact-checked October 13, 2026

Quick answer

This free course has about 150 minutes of lessons, 6 untimed topic quizzes (91 questions in all) and a timed final assessment of 30 questions drawn at random. Score 80% or more on the final assessment to download a certificate of completion (private, not accredited). Checked against official sources on October 13, 2026.

Start with the lessonsFood Allergen Awareness Course (EU): Lessons: about 150 minutes of reading. Every test question is covered in the lessons.

What you will learn

  • Explain the difference between a food allergy, a food intolerance and coeliac disease
  • Name the 14 allergens listed in EU law and spot where they hide in recipes
  • Read how allergens are emphasised on prepacked food labels
  • Explain the EU rule on allergen information for non-prepacked food and why national rules differ
  • Use storage, cleaning and planning to avoid allergen cross-contact
  • Answer a customer's allergy question honestly and pass the order on clearly
  • Recognise anaphylaxis and call 112

Score 80% or more to download your certificate.

Your study plan

Read each lesson, take its topic quiz (untimed, with explanations), then the timed final assessment. A new mix of questions is drawn every time. Your progress is saved in this browser.

  1. Read the lessons6 lessons, about 150 min
  2. Topic quiz 1: Food allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease15 questions
  3. Topic quiz 2: The 14 allergens and where they hide15 questions
  4. Topic quiz 3: Allergen labelling on prepacked food16 questions
  5. Topic quiz 4: Allergen information for non-prepacked food15 questions
  6. Topic quiz 5: Avoiding cross-contact in the kitchen15 questions
  7. Topic quiz 6: Allergy questions and emergencies15 questions
  8. Final exam30 questions, 35 min · Score 80% or more

Topic quiz 1: Food allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease

  1. Question 1 of 15

    What happens in the body during a food allergy?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The immune system wrongly treats a protein in a food as a threat

    In a food allergy, the immune system reacts to a food because it mistakes a protein in it for a threat.

  2. Question 2 of 15

    Which statement about a food intolerance is correct?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. It is not an allergy and is never life-threatening

    A food intolerance means difficulty digesting a substance. No allergic reaction happens, and it is never life-threatening.

  3. Question 3 of 15

    What is anaphylaxis?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. A severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening

    Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that is life-threatening. Food is one possible trigger.

  4. Question 4 of 15

    Which of these is a warning sign of anaphylaxis?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Swelling of the throat and tongue

    Signs of anaphylaxis include swelling of the throat and tongue and difficulty breathing or breathing very fast.

  5. Question 5 of 15

    Which symptoms can a food allergy cause?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. An itchy mouth, hives, a swollen face or vomiting

    Common food allergy symptoms include an itchy mouth, throat or ears, hives, facial swelling and vomiting. They can affect several parts of the body at once.

  6. Question 6 of 15

    How quickly can anaphylaxis develop?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Within minutes, or over up to two hours

    Anaphylaxis can develop within minutes or over up to two hours.

  7. Question 7 of 15

    Gluten is found in which grains, according to the HSE?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Wheat, barley and rye

    Gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye. EU law also lists oats under "cereals containing gluten".

  8. Question 8 of 15

    What is coeliac disease?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. An autoimmune condition where the immune system reacts to gluten

    Coeliac disease is not an allergy or an intolerance. The immune system reacts to gluten and damages the small intestine.

  9. Question 9 of 15

    What is the main treatment for coeliac disease?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. A gluten-free diet

    There is no cure for coeliac disease. The main treatment is a gluten-free diet.

  10. Question 10 of 15

    With an IgE-mediated food allergy, when do symptoms usually start?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. A few seconds or minutes after eating

    With an IgE-mediated allergy, symptoms develop a few seconds or minutes after eating. Non-IgE-mediated reactions can take up to several hours.

  11. Question 11 of 15

    A customer is allergic to a food that is not one of the 14 EU allergens. What is true?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Almost any food can cause an allergy, so the request needs the same care

    Almost any food can cause an allergic reaction. The 14 are the ones EU law requires businesses to declare.

  12. Question 12 of 15

    Which reactions did EFSA's 2014 scientific opinion on food allergens cover?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Food allergies, coeliac disease and adverse reactions to sulphites

    EFSA's opinion covered IgE- and non-IgE-mediated food allergy, coeliac disease and adverse reactions to sulphites, but not reactions that do not involve the immune system.

  13. Question 13 of 15

    Under Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, who has the primary responsibility for food safety?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. The food business operator

    Regulation 852/2004 says the primary responsibility for food safety rests with the food business operator.

  14. Question 14 of 15

    Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information has applied since which date?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. 13 December 2014

    The regulation applies from 13 December 2014. The nutrition declaration became mandatory later, from 13 December 2016.

  15. Question 15 of 15

    Under EU law, does "food information" include what staff tell customers out loud?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Yes, it includes information given by verbal communication

    Regulation 1169/2011 defines food information as information made available by a label, other material or any other means, including verbal communication.

What to know before the test

  • Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 lists 14 allergens that food businesses must declare, from cereals containing gluten to molluscs.
  • On prepacked food, allergens must be named in the ingredients list and emphasised, for example by font, style or background colour.
  • Allergen information is mandatory for non-prepacked food, such as meals in restaurants and cafés; Member States may set national rules on how it is given.
  • Where a country has no national measures, the Commission says allergen information cannot be given only when a customer asks for it.
  • Since 2021, EU hygiene rules say equipment used for an allergen must be cleaned and checked before it is used for food without that allergen.
  • 112 is the European emergency number: free of charge from fixed and mobile phones everywhere in the EU.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an official or legally required allergen training certificate?

No. When you pass the final assessment you get a PassEveryTest Certificate of Completion, which shows you finished this general awareness course. It is not an accredited qualification or a legally required training certificate, and it does not replace your employer's training or national requirements.

What are the 14 allergens in EU law?

Cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites (above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre), lupin and molluscs.

Do restaurants and cafés have to give allergen information?

Yes. EU law makes allergen information mandatory for non-prepacked food. Each EU country may set its own rules on how it is given, for example in writing on the menu, so check your national food authority and your employer's procedures.

How does the final assessment work?

It has 30 questions drawn at random from the course question bank, with a 35-minute time limit. You need 80% to pass, and each attempt gives you a new mix of questions.

What should I do if a customer has a severe allergic reaction?

Call 112 and say you think the person is having anaphylaxis. Help them use their adrenaline auto-injector if they have one, and keep them lying down or sitting, not standing or walking. This follows the advice of Ireland's health service (HSE); also follow your workplace first-aid training.

Is the certificate accredited or officially recognised?

No. It is a private certificate of completion for knowledge only. It is not recognised, accredited or approved by any government, licensing body, regulator or educational institution, and it does not replace any licence, certification or training required by law.

Sources

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