PEAL allergen management software: manage allergen matrices, verify labels at receival and enforce substitution rules. Aligned with FSANZ Standard 1.2.3.
PEAL, or Plain English Allergen Labelling, is the common name for the allergen declaration requirements in Standard 1.2.3 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, administered by FSANZ. It requires declared allergens to be named using specified plain-English terms, shown in bold, and set out in a consistent format and location — both in the ingredient list and in a separate allergen summary statement — so consumers can reliably identify allergens on packaged food.
Under Standard 1.2.3, the declared allergens include cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley and oats), crustacea, egg, fish, milk, tree nuts, peanut, sesame, soy, lupin and mollusc. Added sulphites must also be declared when present at 10 mg/kg or more. PEAL also standardises how these are named — for example, tree nuts are declared using their specific nut names. Always confirm the current list and wording with FSANZ.
Standard 1.2.3 of the Food Standards Code covers information requirements for the declaration of certain foods and substances, including mandatory allergen declarations. The PEAL amendments to this standard set out which allergens must be declared and the plain-English wording and format used to declare them. It works alongside other parts of the Code, including the Chapter 3 food safety standards that apply to food businesses.
As at the transition ending in February 2024, businesses were expected to comply with the updated PEAL labelling requirements, with a two-year stock-in-trade period allowing product labelled before 25 February 2024 to be sold through until 25 February 2026. Because dates and details can change, you should confirm the current requirements directly with FSANZ or your state or territory enforcement agency.
An allergen matrix is a structured grid that maps each menu item against every declared allergen, recording whether the dish contains it, may contain it through cross-contact, or is free from it. It gives your team one reliable reference during service instead of scattered labels and memory. FoodSafety HQ keeps this matrix digital and current, so when an ingredient's allergen profile changes, every affected menu item and customer-facing view updates too.
Cross-contact is the unintended transfer of an allergen from one food to another via shared equipment, utensils, surfaces, gloves or oil. Because allergen proteins are not destroyed by cooking, the main controls are thorough cleaning between tasks, separating allergen-containing and allergen-free preparation, sequencing production, and storing ingredients to avoid spills. FoodSafety HQ lets you document these controls with timestamped cleaning and check records so they are verifiable.
Staff should follow a standardised response script: acknowledge the allergy, check the allergen matrix and the product label, escalate to a manager or chef where required, and never guess. If the answer cannot be verified, the safe response is to say so rather than assume. FoodSafety HQ lets you store venue-specific scripts alongside the matrix and rehearse them in pre-service briefings so the process is consistent.
You can provide allergen information verbally through trained staff and digitally through menus, signage or a QR code that links to an up-to-date allergen view. FoodSafety HQ can generate a QR code per venue that draws from your live allergen matrix, so customers can check the contains, may-contain and free-from status of menu items on their phone while staff handle the specific, higher-risk conversations.
Your allergen matrix, receival checks, substitution rules, cross-contact controls and staff scripts all create timestamped records. These records help demonstrate that safety-critical controls are being performed and documented, supporting the food safety management obligations under Chapter 3 of the Code, including Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.2A where they apply to your business. Confirm exactly which requirements apply to you with your local regulator.
No software can guarantee compliance by itself — compliance depends on your processes, your staff and the accuracy of the information you enter. FoodSafety HQ is a tool that helps you build, document and maintain sound allergen management practices aligned with PEAL and the Food Standards Code. This page and the platform provide general guidance, not legal advice; confirm your specific obligations with FSANZ or your enforcement agency.