Notifiable Food Allergens
There are 14 notifiable food allergens
which have to, by law, appear on food labels to tell the consumer what the food
they are buying or eating contains. This information is printed on the food
ingredients label and the item is printed in bold. In restaurants, foods containing allergens
are marked on the menu or other documentation. The substances that have to be identified are
cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, including almonds,
hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts, soya
beans, although there are some exceptions, milk and milk products including lactose, and
again, with some exceptions, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxides, and sulphites,
concentrations of more than 10 milligrams per kilos, lupins and the final substances are
products containing any form of molluscs. If these items are not identified clearly,
then the business owner may face prosecution.
Notifiable Food Allergens - Important Information
What are Notifiable Food Allergens?
There are 14 food allergens that must, by law, be clearly labelled on food products:
- Cereals containing gluten
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.)
- Soya beans
- Milk and milk products (including lactose, with exceptions)
- Celery (with exceptions)
- Mustard
- Sesame seeds
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (concentration > 10 mg/kg)
- Lupin
- Molluscs
Labelling Requirements
These allergens must be clearly indicated on food labels:
- Information printed in bold on the ingredients label.
- In restaurants, allergen-containing foods are marked on the menu or documented clearly.
- Non-compliance can lead to legal prosecution for business owners.
