The specific allergens the Food Standards Code requires to be declared on food, including gluten-containing cereals, crustacea, egg, fish, milk, peanuts, tree…
The specific allergens the Food Standards Code requires to be declared on food, including gluten-containing cereals, crustacea, egg, fish, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soy, lupin, added sulphites and molluscs. Declared allergens, sometimes called the major or mandatory allergens, are the foods and substances that the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code says must always be declared when present. The list covers cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt, and their hybrids), crustacea, egg, fish, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soy, lupin, added sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more, and molluscs. These items are on the list because they are the most common causes of serious food-allergic reactions, or in the case of added sulphites can trigger sensitivities such as asthma-like symptoms. Because the list is fixed by the Code, a business does not decide for itself what counts as a declarable allergen; if one of these is present, it must be declared, regardless of how small the amount is when it is a deliberate ingredient. For a food business the declared allergen list is the checklist against which every ingredient is assessed. When you receive a product specification or ingredient label from a supplier, you check it against these categories and flag any that apply. This feeds into label declarations for packaged food and into the allergen information you provide for unpackaged food such as menu items. It helps to remember the less obvious members of the list: lupin (found in some flours and legume products) and added sulphites (common in dried fruit, some wines and processed products) are frequently overlooked, and tree nuts are declared by the specific nut. Keeping supplier specifications current is essential, because a reformulated ingredient can introduce a declared allergen that was not there before. A caterer building a set menu reviews each component against the declared allergen list. The dried apricots in a tagine carry added sulphites above the threshold, and the couscous contains wheat. Both must be declared, so the caterer notes Contains gluten and sulphites for that dish, ensuring guests with those sensitivities are informed rather than assuming a fruit-and-grain dish is low risk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the full list of declared allergens in Australia?
Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt and their hybrids), crustacea, egg, fish, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soy, lupin, added sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more, and molluscs. All must be declared when present in food.
At what level do added sulphites have to be declared?
Added sulphites must be declared when present at a concentration of 10 mg/kg or more in the food. Below that level declaration is not required, but sulphites are still a common cause of adverse reactions.
Are all tree nuts treated as one allergen?
Tree nuts are a declared allergen category, but the specific tree nut present should be named (for example almond, cashew or walnut) so consumers with a specific tree nut allergy can identify the risk accurately.
Is lupin really a declared allergen?
Yes. Lupin is one of the declared allergens under the Food Standards Code. It is a legume sometimes used in flours and meat alternatives, and it can cause allergic reactions, including in some people allergic to peanut.
Do these allergens have to be declared even in tiny amounts?
When a declared allergen is a deliberate ingredient it must be declared no matter how small the amount. The situation is different for unintended trace presence from cross-contact, which is handled through voluntary precautionary labelling rather than a mandatory Contains declaration.
