UK Food Standards Agency Releases Updated Allergen Guidance for Food Businesses

On July 17, 2026, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) updated and released its guidance on allergen management for food businesses. Under these guidelines, food businesses need to tell customers if any food they provide contains any of the listed allergens as an ingredient.

Consumers may be allergic or have intolerance to other ingredients, but only the 14 allergens are required to be declared as allergens by food law.

14 Allergens

• celery
• cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats)
• crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobsters)
• eggs
• fish
• lupin - milk - molluscs (such as mussels and oysters) - mustard
• peanuts - sesame - soybeans - sulphur dioxide and sulphites (if the sulphur dioxide and sulphites are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million (10ppm))
• tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts)

This also applies to additives, processing aids and any other substances that are present in the final product.

Specific Labeling Requirements

All food products exported to the UK must adhere to specific labeling requirements:

• Prepacked food must have an ingredients list present on the packaging. Allergens present in the product must be emphasised each time they appear in the ingredients list;
• Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) foods need to have a label with a full ingredients list with allergenic ingredients emphasised within it.
• Non-prepacked (loose) foods need written allergen information, supported by a conversation, which works best for consumers.

The guidance mandates that enterprises maintain comprehensive allergen records and ensure consistency between product specifications and finished product labels regarding allergen information. If a product is labeled allergen-free, the enterprise must retain a complete set of verification documents covering raw material traceability, production area segregation, and end-to-end process controls. Furthermore, production facilities must implement strict cross-contamination controls. This involves including allergen information when menu planning and having good food preparation and hygiene practices in place to avoid cross-contamination in your kitchen.

Key Takeaways for Food Exporters

• Update labels to clearly highlight the 14 major allergens;
• Ensuring supplier allergen qualification documentation and production area segregation records are complete and up-to-date; and
• Preparing standardized allergen disclosure materials for UK distributors.

What CIRS Can Do for You

Established in 2007, the CIRS Group is a leading product safety and regulatory consulting firm. CIRS has branch offices in the Republic of Ireland, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. CIRS Group utilizes its technical expertise, various resources, and international network to provide one-stop compliance services from regulatory compliance, laboratory testing, and R&D to data services across multiple industries. This includes chemicals, cosmetics, food and food beverages, medical devices, agrochemical products, disinfectants, and consumer goods. It helps clients gain a competitive advantage by reducing business risks associated with regulatory affairs.

The vast majority of members in CIRS Food Business Division have over 10 years of professional experience in food compliance, with more than 80% holding Master’s or Doctoral degrees in food-related disciplines. The CIRS toxicology expert team consists of 24 Chinese Certified Toxicologists (DCST), 2 American Board Certified Toxicologists (DABT), and 2 European Registered Toxicologists (ERT). CIRS has provided one-stop food compliance services to over 1,000 domestic and international food and related enterprises. Leveraging its technical expertise, diverse resources, and global network, the CIRS Food Business Division offers global food compliance services, including but not limited to:

• Health food registration and filing in China;
• Application for “Three New Foods (new food additives, new food raw materials and new food-related products” in China;
• U.S. GRAS, NDI, and CAP notifications;
• EU Novel Food, food additives, and food enzymes applications; and
• Application for new feed ingredients and feed additives in China, the U.S., and the EU.

If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.