Food Types

In the EU, if any of 14 major food allergens have been added as deliberate ingredients to pre-packed food products, they must be displayed on the product label. Of these, peanuts, fish, shellfish, egg, tree nuts, milk and gluten are most relevant for the island of Ireland.

Select an allergen for more information:

Other ‘unlabelled’ food allergens

Of course there are many other food allergens that cause problems for people in the EU. However, they are not as common as the 14 food allergens listed in the legislation and consequently they are not covered by allergen labelling requirements. Nonetheless, the information on the packaging should indicate their presence if they are used as an ingredient in a food product. In Ireland and the UK, allergies to the following foods have also been recorded: 
 

• Fruits such as kiwi and strawberry
• Tropical fruits such as mango, papaya
• Other legumes e.g. beans and lentils