The 14 Allergens: What Food Businesses Need to Know

For anyone working in foodservice, understanding allergens isn’t just about ticking a box on a menu. Providing clear and accurate allergen information is an important part of keeping customers safe.

Whether you run a restaurant, café, care home, school, hotel or catering operation, you need to know which allergens are present in the food you serve and make sure the relevant information is available to your customers.

What are the 14 allergens?

There are 14 allergens that are recognised in UK food allergen legislation. If one of these allergens is deliberately used as an ingredient or processing aid in a food, it must be declared.

The 14 allergens are:

1. Cereals containing gluten

This includes wheat, rye, barley and oats, as well as products made from them. Examples include bread, pasta, flour, breadcrumbs, cereals and some sauces.

2. Crustaceans

This includes crabs, lobsters, prawns, crayfish and other crustaceans. They can be found in dishes such as seafood salads, soups and some Asian-style sauces.

3. Eggs

Eggs can be found in products including mayonnaise, cakes, pasta, desserts, sauces and some processed foods.

4. Fish

This includes fish and products made from fish. Fish can be present in obvious dishes such as fish pie, but can also appear in ingredients such as fish sauce.

5. Peanuts

Peanuts and peanut products can be found in sauces, desserts, confectionery and many Asian-style dishes.

6. Soybeans

Soy can be found in products such as tofu, soy sauce, some meat alternatives, chocolate and a wide range of processed foods.

7. Milk

This includes milk and products made from milk, such as cream, butter, cheese and yoghurt. It is important to remember that lactose itself is not the allergen that must be declared – the allergen is milk.

8. Nuts

This includes almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios and macadamia nuts, as well as products made from these nuts.

9. Celery

Celery can be found in fresh produce but also in ingredients such as stocks, soups, sauces and seasoning mixes.

10. Mustard

Mustard can be used in sauces, dressings, marinades, mayonnaise and prepared foods, as well as being served as a condiment.

11. Sesame

Sesame can be found in products such as bread, burger buns, hummus, tahini and some Asian and Middle Eastern dishes.

12. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites

These must be declared when present above the relevant legal threshold. They can be found in products including some dried fruit, wine, cider and processed foods.

13. Lupin

Lupin is less familiar to many people but can be found in some breads, pastries, pasta and other products. Lupin flour is sometimes used as an alternative to wheat flour.

14. Molluscs

This includes mussels, oysters, squid, octopus, snails and other molluscs.

Why is accurate allergen information so important?

For someone with a food allergy or intolerance, knowing what is in their food can be critical.

Allergen information needs to be accurate, accessible and kept up to date. This can become more challenging when using a large number of ingredients and products, particularly when recipes, formulations or suppliers change.

It is therefore important that food businesses don’t rely solely on information gathered when a product was first purchased. Product specifications and allergen information should be checked regularly.

How can Trevors help?

At Trevors, we know that keeping track of allergen information across hundreds or even thousands of products can be a challenge.

That’s why we make allergen information readily available through Coldweb, our online ordering system.

When you view a product on Coldweb, allergens are clearly displayed, helping you identify products that contain one or more of the 14 allergens.

Red highlights indicate that an allergen is contained in the product, while yellow highlights indicate a main contain.

This gives you an easy way to check allergen information while ordering and when planning menus.

What happens if a product recipe changes?

Food manufacturers sometimes change recipes or formulations. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including changes to ingredients, suppliers or manufacturing processes.

We understand that a recipe change can have an impact on the menus and dishes our customers prepare.

If a producer changes a product you regularly purchase from us and an allergen is newly introduced, we will contact you directly by email.

This gives you the opportunity to review the product, check any affected dishes or menus and make suitable adjustments where necessary.

Remember: allergen information needs to stay up to date

Allergen management isn’t something that should only be considered when a menu is created.

When you introduce a new product, change an ingredient or receive notification of a recipe change, allergen information should be reviewed as part of your normal food safety processes.

Trevors can help by making allergen information accessible through Coldweb and by notifying customers when we are made aware of relevant allergen changes to products they purchase.

However, it remains the responsibility of each food business to make sure the allergen information they provide to their customers is accurate and up to date.

Working with the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation

We also recognise that understanding food allergies goes beyond knowing which ingredients need to be declared. That’s why Trevors is proud to work with the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, supporting its work to improve awareness, understanding and safety around food allergies. Our partnership is part of a three-year commitment supporting the Foundation’s objectives, including its clinical trial and wider work to help make food allergy history.

The Foundation also provides resources to help businesses better understand food allergies and supports education around allergies in schools. Its dedicated resources for children and young people are designed to help make understanding allergies more accessible and encourage greater awareness and inclusion in school environments.

For food businesses, schools and caterers, these resources can be a useful addition to the practical allergen information provided through Trevors. You can find out more about our work with the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, allergen guidance and additional resources on our Allergen & Nutrition page.

If you have questions about allergen information for a product you purchase from Trevors, our team is here to help.