Allergen summary statement — Food Safety Glossary

The Contains statement required under Plain English Allergen Labelling that gathers a food's declared allergens together in one place using set plain-English…

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.

Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) Declared allergens Allergen Precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) Food labelling Food safety glossary Food safety guides
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