Overview
You could be allergic to certain food ingredients, so restaurants, sandwich bars and takeaways must give you correct information if you ask about food contents.
Food labelling is important, especially to a person with a food allergy, as there can be fatal consequences from eating food containing allergens.
You could be allergic to things like:
- celery
- cereals containing gluten – for example, wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt and kamut
- eggs
- fish and crustaceans – for example, crabs, lobsters, shrimps and prawns
- lupin
- milk
- molluscs – for example, squid, cuttlefish, snails
- mustard
- peanuts and nuts – for example, almonds, pine nuts, cashews, hazelnuts
- sesame
- soya
- sulphites
You can sign-up to be sent up-to-date food and allergy alerts at Food Standards Agency (FSA) news and alerts.
Allergen labelling on wrapped food
All pre-packed foods must say if there are any of the above allergens in its food.
This applies to packed foods including products where no ingredients lists are required, such as alcoholic drinks or small packages.
The allergenic ingredient should be clearly identified in the name of the food – for example, 'cod fish fingers' – or in the list of ingredients – for example, 'fish gelatine' or 'vegetable oil (with soya)'.
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