The Contains statement required under Plain English Allergen Labelling that gathers a food's declared allergens together in one place using set plain-English…
The Contains statement required under Plain English Allergen Labelling that gathers a food's declared allergens together in one place using set plain-English names. An allergen summary statement is the part of a food label, introduced by the word Contains, that brings all of a product's declared allergens together in one clear place. It is a requirement of Plain English Allergen Labelling in Standard 1.2.3 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Rather than making a consumer hunt through a long ingredient list, the summary statement lists the declared allergens present using set, plain-English names. The summary statement works alongside the bolding of declared allergens within the statement of ingredients: each declared allergen must appear in bold wherever it occurs in the ingredient list, and then be gathered into the Contains summary statement. Voluntary precautionary statements, such as may be present, must be kept separate from the mandatory Contains statement so consumers do not confuse a deliberate ingredient with a possible trace. For an Australian manufacturer or packer, creating a compliant allergen summary statement means identifying every declared allergen in the product, using the required plain-English names, and listing them in a Contains statement in the mandated format. Allergens such as added sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more, lupin, sesame and tree nuts must be captured here just as much as the more familiar ones like milk and egg. The summary statement must be consistent with the bolded allergens in the ingredient list, so a good check is to confirm that everything bolded in the ingredients also appears in the Contains line and vice versa. Whenever an ingredient or supplier changes, the summary statement should be reviewed and updated, and any precautionary may be present wording should be kept clearly separate from it. A packaged muesli bar contains almond, milk and dried apricot preserved with sulphites above the threshold. Its label bolds almond and milk in the ingredient list and adds a summary line reading Contains: tree nuts (almond), milk, sulphites. A separate precautionary line notes may be present: peanut. A shopper checking for allergens can read the Contains statement at a glance rather than scanning every ingredient.
Frequently asked questions
What is an allergen summary statement?
It is the Contains statement on a food label that gathers all the declared allergens in a product together in one place, using set plain-English names. It is required under Plain English Allergen Labelling in Standard 1.2.3 of the Food Standards Code.
How does the summary statement relate to the ingredient list?
Declared allergens must appear in bold wherever they occur in the statement of ingredients and also be brought together in the Contains summary statement. The two should be consistent, so everything bolded in the ingredients also appears in the Contains line.
Which allergens go in the summary statement?
All declared allergens present in the food, including less familiar ones such as added sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more, lupin, sesame and tree nuts, as well as milk, egg and others, using the required plain-English names.
Can a may be present statement go in the Contains line?
No. Voluntary precautionary statements such as may be present must be kept separate from the mandatory Contains summary statement, so consumers do not confuse a possible unintended trace with a deliberate ingredient.
When should the summary statement be reviewed?
Whenever an ingredient, sub-ingredient or supplier changes, the summary statement should be reviewed and updated so it still accurately captures every declared allergen present in the product using the required plain-English names.
