For some people, a tiny amount of a food can cause a serious reaction. Anyone who cooks and serves food must know which allergens are in each dish. European law sets a list of substances that must always be declared.
The list
Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers lists 14 groups of substances or products that cause allergies or intolerances:
- Cereals containing gluten: wheat (including spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats and their hybridised strains.
- Crustaceans: prawns, king prawns, crabs, lobsters, langoustines.
- Eggs.
- Fish.
- Peanuts.
- Soya.
- Milk (including lactose).
- Tree nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios and macadamia nuts.
- Celery.
- Mustard.
- Sesame seeds.
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/l.
- Lupin.
- Molluscs: mussels, clams, squid, octopus, snails.
Derivatives of these products count as well: wheat flour, butter, casein, whey, soy sauce, tahini (sesame paste), stocks containing celery, and so on.
Where they hide
Often the allergen cannot be seen in the dish. Some examples:
- Gluten: breadcrumbs, breaded and battered foods, sauces thickened with flour, croquettes, packet soup, beer, some sausages.
- Milk: butter in mash and sautéed dishes, cream, cheese, béchamel, sliced bread, milk chocolate.
- Egg: mayonnaise, alioli, batters, fresh pasta, meringues, fined wines.
- Fish: Worcestershire sauce, fish stock, fumet, pâté, some Caesar dressings.
- Crustaceans and molluscs: fumet, stocks, seafood sauces, paella, prawn paste.
- Tree nuts and peanuts: romesco sauce, pesto, turrón, marzipan, oils, sweets, ice cream.
- Celery: stocks, sofrito, salads, celery salt, sauce bases.
- Mustard: vinaigrettes, sauces, marinades, cured meats.
- Sesame: breads, burgers, hummus, tahini, Asian dishes.
- Sulphites: wine, vinegar, dried fruit and nuts, tinned and preserved foods, processed potatoes.
- Lupin: lupin flour in breads and pastries, snacks.
- Soya: soy sauce, tofu, soya protein in cured meats, unrefined oils.
Golden rules
- Allergens do not disappear when you cook, fry, boil or wash.
- A person with an allergy can react to traces (very small amounts).
- Ingredients change. A supplier can change a product's recipe. Check the label every time you buy.
- The allergens in a dish are not only those in the recipe: you must also count those in the sauce, the coating, the side dish, the oil and the garnish.
How to find out what is in a dish
- Use your workplace's recipe sheets listing the allergens in each dish.
- Keep the labels or specification sheets of the packaged products you use.
- If you cook from scratch, write down every ingredient of each preparation, including those of compound products (for example, ready-made stock or sauce).
Key points
- There are 14 groups of allergens that must be declared (Annex II of Regulation 1169/2011).
- Derivatives are included too.
- Cooking or washing does not remove an allergen.
- Check labels every time and use recipe sheets listing all the ingredients.