Allergen Declaration & PEAL Format Rules

How Must Allergens Be Declared on Packaged Food in Australia? Under Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL), every declared allergen must appear in bold in the ingredient list using its plain English name, and again in a separate "Contains" statement placed immediately after the ingredient list. These requirements sit in Standard 1.2.3 of the Food Standards Code. PEAL requirements commenced on 25 February 2024, and a two-year stock-in-trade transition period runs until 25 February 2026, after which all packaged food on sale must comply. This guide explains where and how to declare, the format rules, and how to handle precautionary "may contain" statements. What Is PEAL and Why Did It Change? Plain English Allergen Labelling was introduced to make allergen information clearer and more consistent. Before PEAL, allergens could be listed using technical or collective names that a consumer with an allergy might not recognise. PEAL requires specific, plain-English terms — "milk" rather than a technical dairy derivative, "wheat" named explicitly — and mandates a consistent bold format so the information is easy to find fast. For anaphylactic consumers, that clarity can be the difference between a safe choice and a medical emergency. The requirements are set by Food Standards Australia New Zealand and enforced by state and territory food regulators. They apply to packaged food that requires a label. Where Must Allergens Be Declared? PEAL requires the same allergen information in two places on the label so it cannot be missed. In the ingredient list — each allergen shown in bold and by its required plain English name (for example "wheat", "peanut", "milk", "egg"). In a separate "Contains" statement — placed immediately after the ingredient list, summarising every allergen present in the product. Certain declarations, such as gluten and specific tree nuts, have prescribed names and grouping rules. Always work from the current requirements for the allergen in question rather than assuming a general term is acceptable. Format and Layout Rules The format is prescriptive because consistency is the point. The following rules apply to the mandatory declarations. Allergen names in the ingredient list must be in bold so they stand out from other ingredients. Use the required plain English names, not scientific synonyms or collective terms. Font size and colour contrast must make the declaration legible and conspicuous. The "Contains" statement must directly follow the ingredient list. Required allergen cross-references must use consistent wording across the label. What About "May Contain" Statements? "May contain" and similar precautionary allergen labelling is voluntary and separate from the mandatory declarations. It should communicate a genuine, documented risk of cross-contact — not act as a blanket disclaimer. Base any precautionary statement on a documented allergen risk assessment of your ingredients, equipment and process. Overusing "may contain" erodes trust and can needlessly exclude allergic customers, while omitting it where cross-contact is real exposes them to danger. Managing this well starts with knowing exactly which allergens are in every ingredient you buy, which is why supplier declarations and an allergen matrix matter so much. Applying This in a Food Business Even businesses that mostly sell unpackaged food often pack some items — grab-and-go sandwiches, retail packs, catering trays — and those need compliant labels. Keep current allergen declarations from every supplier, maintain a product-by-allergen matrix, and update labels whenever a recipe or supplier changes. Store these records centrally so any staff member can answer an allergen question accurately. Our PEAL compliance tools keep the matrix, supplier declarations and menu information in one place, and staff training records show your team understands allergen handling. How to Build a Compliant Allergen Matrix An allergen matrix is the foundation of accurate declarations. It is a simple grid listing your products or menu items down one side and the declarable allergens across the top, with each cell marked to show whether that allergen is present. Building and maintaining one properly is what lets you label packaged goods correctly and answer customer questions with confidence. Collect supplier declarations for every ingredient, stating exactly which allergens each contains. Map ingredients to products , recording every allergen that each recipe includes. Account for cross-contact from shared equipment, utensils and preparation areas. Review the matrix whenever a recipe changes, a new product launches, or a supplier is swapped. Make it accessible to all staff so anyone can answer an allergen query accurately. The most common failure point is a silent ingredient change by a supplier — a new bulking agent or a "may contain" note added to a product you have used for years. Reviewing supplier declarations regularly, not just at onboarding, is what catches these changes before they reach a customer. Why Allergen Accuracy Matters So Much For most people a mislabelled allergen is an inconvenience; for someone with a severe allergy it can trigger anaphylaxis, a rapid and potentially fatal reaction. That is the reason PEAL is prescriptive about bold text and a separate "Contains" statement — the information has to be found in seconds, by a stressed shopper reading a label, without ambiguity. Undeclared allergens are also one of the leading causes of food product recalls in Australia, which are costly and damaging to a brand. Getting allergens right is therefore both a legal duty and a trust exercise. Consistent, accurate declarations backed by good records protect your customers and protect your business from recalls, penalties and reputational harm. Training every staff member — kitchen and front-of-house — to take allergen questions seriously and to give accurate answers is as important as the label itself. Frequently Asked Question