There are 14 major allergens which need to be declared when used as ingredients . The following list tells you what these allergens are and provides some examples of foods where they may be found:
Celery
This includes celery stalks, leaves and seeds and celeriac. It is often found in celery salt, salads, some meat products, soups and stock cubes.
Cereals containing gluten
This includes wheat (such as spelt and Khorasan wheat / Kamut), rye, barley and oats . It is often found in foods containing flour, such as some baking powders, batter, breadcrumbs, bread, cakes, couscous, meat products, pasta, pastry, sauces, soups and foods dusted with flour. The cereal will need to be declared . However, it is up to you if you want to declare the presence of gluten with this.
Crustaceans
This includes crabs, lobster, prawns and scampi . It is often in shrimp paste used in Thai, Chinese curries or salads.
Eggs
This is often found in cakes, some meat products, mayonnaise, mousses, pasta, quiche, sauces and foods brushed or glazed with egg .
Fish
This is often found in some fish sauces, pizzas, relishes, salad dressings, stock cubes and in Worcestershire sauce .
Lupin
This includes lupin seeds and flour, and can be found in some types of bread, pastries and pasta .
Milk
This is found in butter, cheese, cream, milk powders and yoghurt . It is often used in foods glazed with milk, powdered soups and sauces .
Molluscs
This includes mussels, land snails, squid and whelks . It is often found in oyster sauce or as an ingredient in fish stews .
Mustard
This includes liquid mustard, mustard powder and mustard seeds . It is often found in breads, curries, marinades, meat products, salad dressing, sauces and soups .
Nuts
This includes almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia or Queensland nuts . These can be found in breads, biscuits, crackers, desserts, ice cream, marzipan (almond paste), nut oils and sauces . Ground, crushed or flaked almonds are often used in Asian dishes such as curries or stir fries .
Peanuts
This can be found in biscuits, cakes, curries, desserts and sauces such as for satay . It is also found in groundnut oil and peanut flour .
Sesame seeds
This can be found in bread, breadsticks, houmous, sesame
oil and tahini (sesame paste) .
Soya
This can be found in beancurd, edamame beans, miso paste, textured soya protein, soya flour or tofu . It is often used in some desserts, ice cream, meat products, sauces and vegetarian products .
Sulphur dioxide
This is often used as a preservative in dried fruit, meat products, soft drinks and vegetables as well as in wine and beer .
Read more from Food Standards Agency