The 14 food allergens and allergen alerts in Ireland
What the 14 declarable allergens are, what a food allergen alert means, and how to check whether a product you bought is affected.
Under EU and Irish food law, 14 allergens must always be declared when they are used as ingredients. When a food contains one of them but the label doesn't say so, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) issues an allergen alert. You can see the latest ones on our food allergen alerts page.
The 14 declarable allergens
- Cereals containing gluten. Wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt and kamut.
- Crustaceans. Crabs, prawns, lobster and similar shellfish.
- Eggs. In many baked goods, sauces and processed foods.
- Fish. Including fish sauce, stock and some gelatines.
- Peanuts. A legume, and one of the most common serious allergens.
- Soybeans. Soya, common in processed and vegetarian foods.
- Milk. Including lactose, butter, cheese, cream and milk powders.
- Nuts (tree nuts). Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, macadamia and Brazil nuts.
- Celery. Including celeriac, and celery in stock and spice mixes.
- Mustard. Including mustard powder and seeds.
- Sesame seeds. In breads, tahini, hummus and many snacks.
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites. Preservatives in dried fruit, wine and some meats (above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre).
- Lupin. A legume flour used in some breads and pastries.
- Molluscs. Mussels, oysters, squid, snails and similar.
How to check a product
Allergen alerts almost always affect only specific batches. Find the batch code and the best-before or use-by date on your pack and compare them against the affected codes listed in the notice. See our guide on how to check if a product has been recalled.
What to do if a product is affected
If you have the allergy named in the alert, don't eat the product; return it to the shop for a refund. If you don't have that allergy, the food is generally safe to eat. Always follow the advice in the official FSAI notice, which each alert links to.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
- What are the 14 allergens?
- The 14 allergens that must be declared on food in Ireland and across the EU are: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin, and molluscs.
- What is a food allergen alert?
- A food allergen alert is a notice issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) when a food on sale contains one of the 14 declarable allergens that is not stated on the label. The food is otherwise safe to eat, but it is a risk to anyone with that allergy.
- How do I check if a product has an allergen alert?
- Search recalls.ie for the product or brand, or browse the food allergen alerts page. Allergen alerts almost always affect specific batches, so check the batch code and best-before or use-by date on your pack against the affected codes in the notice.
- What should I do if I have an affected product?
- If you have the allergy named in the alert, do not eat the product. Return it to the shop for a refund, which supermarkets give at customer service, typically without a receipt. If you don't have that allergy, the food is generally safe to eat.