European Union - Food Allergens

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]