There are 14 allergens recognized as the most common and potent causes of food allergies and intolerances across Europe.
The allergens, as listed in EU FIC’s Annex II, are:

  • Cereals containing gluten: namely wheat (including specific varieties like spelt and Khorasan), rye, barley, oats and their hybridised strains) and products thereof
  • Crustaceans and products thereof (for example prawns, lobster, crabs and crayfish)
  • Egg and products thereof
  • Fish and products thereof
  • Peanut and products thereof
  • Soybeans and products thereof
  • Milk and products thereof (including lactose)
  • Nuts: namely almond, hazelnut, walnut, cashew, pecan nut, Brazil nut, pistachio nut and Macadamia nut (Queensland nut) and products thereof
  • Celery and products thereof
  • Mustard and products thereof
  • Sesame seeds and products thereof
  • Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (at concentrations of more than 10mg/kg or 10mg/L in terms of the total SO2 which are to be calculated for products as proposed ready for consumption or as reconstituted according to the instructions of the manufacturers)
  • Lupin and products thereof
  • Molluscs and products thereof (for example clams, oysters, scallops, snails and squid)

Technical guidance: food allergen labeling information (EU Regulation 1169/2011)
[April 2015 PDF, 859.01 KB]
Q & A on the EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation Allergen Provisions
[December 2014 PDF, 383.39 KB]