Reference · The 14 allergens
The 14 allergens every UK food business must declare
These are the 14 allergens regulated under UK food law. You must be able to tell customers which of them are in any food you sell — and emphasise them on labels for PPDS food.
| Allergen | Watch out for |
|---|---|
| 1. Celery | Stalks, leaves, seeds and celeriac; celery salt, stock cubes, soups, spice mixes. |
| 2. Cereals containing gluten | Wheat, rye, barley and oats — in flour, batter, breadcrumbs, couscous, pasta, sauces thickened with flour, soy sauce, beer. |
| 3. Crustaceans | Prawns, crabs, lobster, crayfish; shrimp paste in Thai curries and fish sauces. |
| 4. Eggs | Cakes, mayonnaise, mousses, pasta, quiche, some glazes on pastry; sometimes in wine fining. |
| 5. Fish | Fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce (anchovies), Caesar dressing, some stock and gravy. |
| 6. Lupin | Lupin flour and seeds — found in some continental breads, pastries and pasta. |
| 7. Milk | Butter, cheese, cream, yoghurt, milk powder; foods glazed or brushed with milk; ghee. |
| 8. Molluscs | Mussels, oysters, squid, snails; oyster sauce in stir-fries. |
| 9. Mustard | Mustard paste, seeds, powder and leaves; salad dressings, marinades, curries, sausages. |
| 10. Tree nuts | Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, brazils, pistachios, macadamias; in pesto, sauces, desserts, nut oils. |
| 11. Peanuts | Groundnut oil, peanut flour, satay sauce; common in Asian dishes and baked goods. |
| 12. Sesame | Seeds on buns and breadsticks, tahini, houmous, sesame oil, halva. |
| 13. Soya | Tofu, edamame, soy sauce, miso; soya flour and lecithin in baked goods and desserts. |
| 14. Sulphur dioxide & sulphites | Above 10mg/kg or 10mg/litre — dried fruit, wine, beer, cider, some sausages and burgers, pickled foods. |
Why "may contain" matters too
Beyond deliberate ingredients, assess cross-contact from shared fryers, slicers, flour dust and other handling. If a real risk remains after controls, consider a specific "may contain" statement. The free matrix builder can record that assessed risk separately from an allergen used as an ingredient.
How to emphasise allergens on labels
On ingredient labels (including PPDS labels), the allergen must stand out within the ingredients list, for example with bold type. Name and emphasise the specific cereal, rather than just “gluten”. For example: "Wheat flour, butter (milk), free-range egg, sugar…" See the FSA technical guidance on naming allergens.
Put this into practice in 10 minutes
Build a dated, print-ready allergen matrix for your whole menu with the free AllergenKit matrix builder — no signup, covers all 14 allergens, and the draft saves in your browser. You can also print a free allergy poster for your counter, or a blank allergen chart to fill in by hand.