Food allergens: the 14 allergens
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK words and measures (hob, grams, gas marks); the US version uses stove, cups and °F. · US version of this page
The main food allergens, where they hide, how to read a label and how to cook safely for someone with an allergy.
What is a food allergy?
A food allergy is when the body reacts to a food as if it were harmful. Reactions can be mild (an itchy mouth or a rash) or very serious (difficulty breathing). In the UK, food businesses must tell you if their food contains any of 14 main allergens.
Reading a label
Allergens are shown in bold in the ingredients list on UK food labels. "May contain" means the food could have traces of an allergen from the factory. If someone has that allergy, do not give it to them.
The 14 allergens
| Allergen | Also one of the US major 9? |
|---|---|
| Celery | No |
| Cereals containing gluten | Yes |
| Crustaceans | Yes |
| Eggs | Yes |
| Fish | Yes |
| Lupin | No |
| Milk | Yes |
| Molluscs | No |
| Mustard | No |
| Tree nuts | Yes |
| Peanuts | Yes |
| Sesame | Yes |
| Soya | Yes |
| Sulphur dioxide and sulphites | No |
Lesson and quiz
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions marked by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.
Put it into practice
- Rainbow fruit cupsA no-cook pudding of fruit in rainbow layers with yoghurt – perfect for first knife skills.
- Overnight oatsA no-cook breakfast you make the night before: weigh, measure, grate and mix.
- Fresh tomato salsaA bright, no-cook dip that teaches dicing, the bridge hold and the claw grip.
- HummusA smooth chickpea dip – and a real example of an allergen (sesame in tahini).