Food Allergens in Indian Cooking: Hidden Sources and Safe Handling
Common allergens, where they hide in Indian dishes, and how kitchen and service teams should handle a customer's allergy request.
5 min read · Updated 8 November 2026
For a customer with a food allergy, a trace of the wrong ingredient can cause a serious reaction. Indian cooking uses many allergenic ingredients in ways that are not obvious from the dish name.
Common allergen groups
Labelling rules in India name allergen groups such as cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, milk, eggs, fish, peanuts and tree nuts, soybeans and sulphites - check the current FSSAI list. Sesame and mustard are also common in Indian food.
Where allergens hide
- Cashew, almond or melon-seed paste in rich gravies.
- Ghee, butter, cream, khoya, paneer and curd (milk).
- Hing (asafoetida) compounded with wheat flour (gluten).
- Peanuts in chutneys, poha and chaats; sesame on breads.
- Soy sauce and fish sauce in Indo-Chinese dishes.
- Egg in mayonnaise, some batters and breads.
Handling a request
- Take it seriously and listen carefully.
- Check the allergen matrix - never guess.
- Tell the chef directly and mark the order clearly.
- Prepare with clean hands, utensils and pans; skip habitual garnishes.
- If safety cannot be assured, say so honestly.
Tip: Keep an allergen matrix for every dish and update it whenever a recipe or ingredient brand changes. Cooking does not destroy allergens.
In an emergency
Signs such as difficulty breathing, swelling or collapse need immediate help: call emergency services (112), inform the manager, stay with the person and help them use their own adrenaline auto-injector if they carry one.
This guide is general information to help food businesses improve their practices. It is not legal advice. Always check the current FSSAI requirements that apply to your licence or registration.