Learn what PEAL means under FSANZ Standard 1.2.3, which allergens Australian venues must declare, and how FoodSafety HQ manages allergen compliance end to end.
What is PEAL? PEAL stands for Plain English Allergen Labelling. It is the labelling approach set out in Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Standard 1.2.3 , which requires food businesses to declare allergens using clear, everyday words in a consistent, prominent place, rather than technical names or wording buried in an ingredient list. In practical terms: if a dish or packaged food contains a declared allergen, that allergen must be named plainly so customers and staff can find it fast. FoodSafety HQ gives you one place to record, maintain and share this information for every venue you run. The PEAL Compliance area brings your allergen matrix, substitution rules, staff scripts and public QR code together. Which allergens must be declared in Australia? Under FSANZ Standard 1.2.3, the allergens that must be declared are: Gluten-containing cereals (wheat, rye, barley, oats and their hybrids) Crustacea (such as prawns, crab and lobster) Egg Fish Milk Tree nuts (such as almond, cashew and walnut) Peanuts Sesame Soy Lupin Molluscs (such as oysters, mussels and squid) Added sulphites in concentrations of 10 mg/kg or more Note: this article is general guidance, not legal advice. This is the Australian declared-allergen list and it differs from overseas rules. Always check the current text of FSANZ Standard 1.2.3 and confirm requirements with your local food authority. How FoodSafety HQ helps you stay compliant FoodSafety HQ turns PEAL from a paperwork burden into a simple, repeatable routine. Open PEAL Compliance from the sidebar and select a venue, and you get four connected tools: 1. Allergen matrix A tap-to-update grid that maps every menu item against each declared allergen, with a Contains , May Contain or Free status. This is the single source of truth that feeds everything else. See Managing the Allergen Matrix . 2. Substitution rules Record approved ingredient swaps and flag which ones need manager approval, so a brand or ingredient change never slips through without an allergen check. See Substitution Rules and Staff Scripts . 3. Staff response scripts Standard, tested wording for common allergen questions, so every team member answers the same safe way. The PEAL principle is simple: verify, don't guess . 4. Public allergen page and QR code A customer-facing page and printable QR code that always reflects your current matrix. See Sharing Your Public Allergen Page . Getting started in five steps Select the venue you want to manage using the venue switcher in the sidebar. Open PEAL Compliance and go to the Allergen Matrix tab. Add your menu items and set each allergen status from your product labels and recipes. Add substitution rules and staff scripts so your team knows what to do under pressure. Generate your QR code and display it where customers order. Tip: your matrix is only as accurate as the labels you check at delivery. Review it whenever an ingredient, recipe or supplier changes. Want the full feature tour? Explore our PEAL compliance features , or contact our team if you would like a hand setting up your first venue.