Check the ingredient list for emphasised allergens

Read the label, not a guess

For prepacked foods in the European Union, allergens from Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 that are used as ingredients and remain in the finished food must stand out in the ingredient list. Manufacturers can use a different typeface, style, or background colour to make that information visible. Read the entire ingredient list, because the precise product wording matters more than a familiar logo or a remembered recipe.

The Annex II list includes cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites above the stated threshold, lupin, and molluscs. The regulation contains the exact legal list and exceptions. A label may name an ingredient directly, such as milk powder or mustard, or it may identify an allergen within a more complex ingredient. Bracketed sub-ingredients in fillings, sauces, and toppings deserve the same careful read.

An ingredient declaration and a precautionary statement are different things. “Contains milk” or highlighted milk in the ingredient list tells you that milk is an ingredient. Wording such as “may contain nuts” addresses possible unintended presence and should be read separately. Do not treat either statement as interchangeable with the other, and do not rely on an ingredient list from an earlier pack.

Information for non-prepacked foods must also be available under EU rules, although the way a business provides it can follow national arrangements. Ask the seller or check the information displayed for that specific food. Buffet dishes, bakery counters, restaurant meals, and unpackaged goods may not present the facts in the same visual format as a supermarket packet.

Recipes, suppliers, and production sites can change. Check each purchase when allergen information matters, including when buying a product you have used before. Retailer websites, delivery substitutions, and product photos can lag behind the current package. The physical label and information supplied with the food are the relevant records.

This is a guide to locating label information, not a replacement for the instructions attached to a particular food. Keep the package available until you have checked it, read storage and use directions where relevant, and use the food-specific information when making decisions.

Keep the label readable until the food is used. Decanting flour, snacks, or leftovers into identical containers can separate a food from the information needed to identify it later. If you do transfer a product, retain the original package or its full label. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 is the primary legal source for Annex II allergen emphasis and related food-information requirements. It is more reliable than an assumption drawn from a similar product, a menu description, or an ingredient list copied to a third-party site.

Keep the label readable until the food is used. Decanting flour, snacks, or leftovers into identical containers can separate a food from the information needed to identify it later. If you do transfer a product, retain the original package or its full label. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 is the primary legal source for Annex II allergen emphasis and related food-information requirements. It is more reliable than an assumption drawn from a similar product, a menu description, or an ingredient list copied to a third-party site.

Keep the label readable until the food is used. Decanting flour, snacks, or leftovers into identical containers can separate a food from the information needed to identify it later. If you do transfer a product, retain the original package or its full label. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 is the primary legal source for Annex II allergen emphasis and related food-information requirements. It is more reliable than an assumption drawn from a similar product, a menu description, or an ingredient list copied to a third-party site.