Food allergens are substances present in certain foods or ingredients that may cause adverse reactions in sensitive individuals, commonly known as food allergies.

According to EU Regulation No. 1169/2011, there are 14 allergen categories that must be clearly declared:

• Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut), except for:
  • Wheat-based glucose syrups (including dextrose)
  • Wheat-based maltodextrins
  • Barley-based glucose syrups
  • Cereals used for alcoholic distillates
• Crustaceans and derived products
• Eggs and egg products
• Fish and fish products
• Peanuts and peanut products
• Soybeans and soy products
• Milk and lactose (including lactose)
• Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, Queensland nuts), except those used for distillates
• Celery and celery products
• Mustard and mustard products
• Sesame seeds and sesame products
• Sulphur dioxide/sulphites (>10 mg/kg or 10 mg/L expressed as SO₂)
• Lupin and lupin products
• Molluscs and mollusc products

Obligations for Food Businesses

In the food sector, it is essential to manage allergens correctly to prevent health risks for customers.

Allergen management is part of the HACCP manual and must be carefully planned in the self-control plan. The following steps are required:

• Analyze the entire production process, from formulation to final use
• Pay attention to cross-contamination
• Request detailed technical data sheets from suppliers
• Assess risks related to product traceability

Equipment must ensure optimal hygienic conditions, be easy to sanitize, and have no hard-to-clean areas.