Allergen Labelling Saves Lives
Allergen mislabelling is not just a regulatory issue — it is a life-threatening safety matter. In the UK, an estimated 2 million people live with diagnosed food allergies, and severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) can be fatal within minutes. Correct allergen labelling is the primary defence against accidental exposure.
The 14 Declarable Allergens
UK food law requires the following 14 allergens to be declared whenever present as an ingredient:
- Celery (including celeriac)
- Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut)
- Crustaceans (crab, lobster, prawns, scampi)
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lupin
- Milk (including lactose)
- Molluscs (mussels, oysters, squid)
- Mustard
- Tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, brazils, pistachios, macadamia)
- Peanuts
- Sesame
- Soybeans
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (above 10mg/kg or 10mg/litre)
How to Declare Allergens
Allergens must be emphasised within the ingredients list — most commonly by printing them in bold. Some businesses also use underlining, italics, or CAPITALS, but bold is the clearest and most widely understood method.
Example: Wheat Flour, Sugar, Butter (Milk), Eggs, Vanilla Extract, Salt.
Natashas Law (October 2021)
Named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who died from an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette, Natashas Law requires food that is prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) to carry a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised. This applies to:
- Sandwiches wrapped in a bakery/cafe and sold from the same premises
- Salads packed on-site for the deli counter
- Cakes and pastries wrapped for display
- Any food item packed before a customer selects it, on the same premises where it is sold
This was a significant change — previously, PPDS food only needed verbal allergen information.
Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL)
Statements like May contain traces of nuts should only be used where there is a genuine, assessed risk of cross-contamination through shared equipment or facilities. They must not be used as a blanket disclaimer to avoid proper allergen management. The Food Standards Agency recommends using May contain X due to manufacturing methods as the clearest phrasing.
Label Design for Allergen Compliance
- Ingredients list must be legible: Minimum 1.2mm x-height (approximately 6-7pt font)
- Allergens must be visually distinct: Bold is standard and recommended
- Consider a separate allergen box: In addition to emphasising in the ingredients list, a summary box (Contains: Milk, Eggs, Wheat) improves clarity
- Use waterproof labels: Food labels must remain legible throughout the product life, including refrigeration
- Leave space for date stamps: Use by dates are often applied post-labelling
Common Mistakes
- Failing to declare allergens in compound ingredients (e.g. not declaring milk in chocolate)
- Using blanket May contain warnings instead of proper risk assessment
- Allergen text too small or not sufficiently emphasised
- Using paper labels that become illegible from moisture
- Not updating labels when recipes change
Ordering Allergen Labels
StickerNation prints food labels on waterproof vinyl at up to 1440 DPI — ensuring allergen text is sharp and legible at required sizes. Our online designer supports bold text formatting for allergen emphasis. No minimum order — perfect for small food businesses with multiple products.