How To Read Food Labels For Allergies

Welcome to your guide on how to read food labels when you have a food allergy.

Whether you're newly diagnosed or have been managing allergies for a while, understanding food labels is crucial to staying safe and healthy.

In this post, I will help you understand food labels so you can make informed choices when shopping for food. I'll cover UK food labelling laws, key components of food labels, precautionary labelling, hidden allergens and more.

 By the end, you'll feel more confident identifying allergens so you can be assured that the food you buy is safe for you or your loved ones.

 🥜 Understanding UK Food Labelling Laws

In the UK, food labelling laws are there to help you easily identify allergens in your food. 

There are different rules on how the allergy information has to be presented, depending on whether the food is pre-packaged or not.

⚡ Pre-packed Foods 

 E.g Labelled Food Sold In Shops/Supermarkets

The 14 allergens must be emphasised within the ingredients list of pre-packed food or drink.

This can be done, for example, by using bold, italic or coloured type, to help you spot the allergens more easily. 

⚡ Pre-packed For Direct Sale (PPDS)

E.g Sandwiches prepared and wrapped on-site in a cafe before the customer has selected them, like in Pret-a-Manger.

New legislation known as “Natasha’s Law” came into effect on 1 October 2021, following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who died from an anaphylactic reaction to sesame seeds after eating a baguette from Pret-a-Manger.

The new law requires businesses to label all PPDS (pre-packed for direct sale) food with a full list of ingredients.

These ingredients must also be highlighted in bold to make them stand out. 

⚡ Non-prepacked (Loose) Food

E.g Loose items in an in-store bakery/deli counter, burger vans, school canteens, restaurants, takeaways, pick ’n’ mix.

The FIC Regulation applies to all food sold in places like the ones listed above, where food is not pre-packaged until after the customer has chosen it. For example, pick ’n’ mix or ordering food at a burger van. 

This law allows flexibility in how allergen information is provided to the consumer. 

Businesses don't have to list every ingredient, but they can if they want to. 

If they don't, they must have clear signs telling customers where they can find allergen information, such as asking a member of staff. 

They can provide you with the allergen information in either written or verbal form.

🥜 The 14 Major Allergens

Below you will find the 14 Major allergens in the UK. These are the ones that need to be declared on all food packaging.

• Celery
• Cereals containing gluten (wheat, barley, rye, oats)
• Crustaceans (e.g., prawns, crabs, lobsters)
• Eggs
• Fish
• Lupin
• Milk
• Molluscs (e.g., mussels, oysters, snails)
• Mustard
• Nuts (e.g., almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts)
• Peanuts
• Sesame seeds
• Soya
• Sulphur dioxide/sulphites

🥜 Key Components of Food Labels

Understanding food labels is so important when you are living with a food allergy. 

Here are the key things to look for.

⚡The Ingredient List

• This is where you'll find all the ingredients used to make the product. The ingredients list is normally found on the back of the packaging.
• Any allergens listed in the ingredients like nuts, eggs, or gluten, will be highlighted in bold, italics, or a different colour. 

⚡ Allergen Information Box

• Some products may have a separate box which summarises any allergens present in the product. You can check this box for a quick overview of allergens in it.
• Not all products will have this box, so you may need to look through the full ingredient list.

⚡ May Contain Statements

These are precautionary statements that warn about possible cross-contact. You may see statements such as:

• “May contain” 
• “Not suitable for X allergy sufferers due to manufacturing methods” 
• “Made in a factory that produces X”

These could mean that a product doesn’t contain a certain allergen but may be made in the same factory as a product that contains that certain allergen. 

Currently (2024), there is no specific law to say when these cautionary statements should be used on food items.

Snacks and dry foods like cereals, cereal bars, chocolate, biscuits, and nuts often have a higher risk of containing allergens due to possible cross-contamination. 

Some people with food allergies may need to steer clear of products with these warning labels especially those with a severe nut allergy.

 If you're unsure, it's best to seek advice from a healthcare professional about which foods to avoid.

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🥜 Tips for Reading Food Labels

🥜 Hidden Allergens

Sometimes, the ingredients listed on labels might be in a different form, making it less obvious that they’re one of the common allergens. These are known as hidden allergens.

According to the law, if an ingredient is one of the 14 main allergens, it must be highlighted on the label, even if it's listed under a different name. 

For instance, if an ingredient list mentions whey powder, it means it's from milk. I have shown this in the example below.

Knowing these alternative names can make reading food labels easier.

I have listed the most common alternative names in the infographic below.