Standardized symbols for marking food allergies / warnings? I was reading a blog posting about someone who visited Google's cafeteria and noticed the picture of a sign labeled 'Menu Labeling Symbols'.

As I occassionaly participate in pot lucks and similar, and end up bringing index cards or post-it notes &amp; a sharpie so that I can mark whatever it is that people bring, I've often thought about need some standards for marking things.

There are some things that have been around for years, such as a capcicum (chilie pepper) to mark spicy, or a the various markings for Kosher food (in which most of the letters only are claims by the manufacturer/packager, unless there's also a certification group mark as well).

But are there standard symbols out there for 'contains dairy' or 'doesn't contain dairy' or any of the other items on this list? 

I'm thinking that the assertion of 'this is safe' for a given group is generally more useful for potlucks and such than more controlled food sources (catered events, cafeterias), as you always have those unknown items where you can't make an assertion if it's safe or not.  (or it's put out without getting labeled).

So, the question is -- is anyone aware of any symbol standards for this sort of labeling, other than spelling it out (I'd like to avoid the "may contain nuts" and "processed in a facility that processes nuts" ... it's either safe, or it isn't) or the Kosher markings which may not be sufficient for allergies and intollerances?

update : okay, the question's a bit rambling ... take a look at this picture, and it'll hopefully make sense.
The only true specifications for allergies that I know of are medical ICD-9 diagnosis codes used for medical bracelets and billing at hospitals. However, these codes are not easy to understand, and therefore many people who have food sensitivities or allergies may not actually be aware of them. I would use a listing of common allergens and "-free" after them. (Ex: "gluten free"/GF, "dairy-free"/DF, "peanut-free"/PF, "nut free"/NF, "egg free"/EF, etc). As someone with severe food allergies, I would be able to comprehend this or any obvious images or icons. As long as you make it explicitly clear, you should be okay.

You can find the ICD-9 &amp; 10 codes here:

Specific ICD-10 Codes for Allergies

Specific ICD-9 Codes for Allergies