Food allergens

About food allergens

​​​​​Allergic reactions to certain types of food known as allergens can be life-threatening.

The law

Businesses are legally required to provide information about the food allergens used in the food they sell or provide. This includes pre-packed and unpackaged food.

They're not allowed to say they don't know if a food contains a major allergen. Businesses that regularly fail to provide the right information can face a fine of up to £5,000.

Major food allergens

There are 14 major allergens:

  • Cereals containing gluten, such as wheat, spelt, Khorasan wheat, barley, rye and oats
  • Crustaceans, such as prawns, crabs, lobster and crayfish
  • Eggs
  • Fish
  • Peanuts
  • Soybeans
  • Milk
  • Nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachio, cashew, macadamia or Queensland nut
  • Celery
  • Mustard
  • Sesame
  • Sulphur dioxide or sulphites, often used in dried fruit and wine, meat products, soft drinks, if it's at a concentration of more than 10 parts per million
  • Lupin, such as seeds and flour
  • Molluscs, such as clams, scallops, squid, mussels, oysters and snails