Why this matters more on a charter than in a restaurant
A charter is a closed environment. There is no kitchen porter to dispatch to a third pharmacy at midnight if a guest has an unmanaged tree-nut reaction in international waters. Allergen management on board is a safety-critical workflow, not a regulatory checkbox.
The 14 allergens under EU 1169/2011
- Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut)
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Milk (including lactose)
- Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan, Brazil, pistachio, macadamia)
- Celery
- Mustard
- Sesame seeds
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (>10 mg/kg or 10 mg/L)
- Lupin
- Molluscs
What changes outside the EU
- UK FSA — same 14 allergens, same labelling regime; "Natasha's Law" requires PPDS labelling, which charter chefs adopt as a matter of practice.
- US FDA "Big 9" — wheat, milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, sesame (added 2023). No celery, mustard, sulphites, lupin, molluscs.
For a multi-flag guest list, default to the EU 14 — it is the strictest and covers all three regimes.
How we brief on board
When our allergen engine [blocked] detects a conflict between a guest's declared allergens and a product on the order, the cart blocks the line and surfaces the conflict to the captain. We never let a flagged item ship without an explicit override and a printed acknowledgement.
Cross-contamination on board
- Dedicated chopping boards for the flagged allergen
- Sealed-bag handling in the fridge (no open ramekins)
- Tongs and gloves not shared between stations
- Final plate plated by the chef, not the stew
The pre-charter conversation
Ninety percent of allergen incidents are preventable with a pre-charter call. We send the broker a structured form at T-72 that captures:
- Allergen list (with severity)
- Dietary preferences (kosher, halal, vegan, low-FODMAP, etc.)
- Special preparations (no raw fish, only filtered water, etc.)
- EpiPen / antihistamine declarations
That form rides with the manifest into the central kitchen and onto the boat. It is the spine of safe charter catering.
