A resource for young adults living with severe allergy

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Food Allergy and Packaged Foods

Top Tips

  1. Read packaged food labels every time, as lists of ingredients and food processing can change.
  2. Check and respect ‘may contain’ statements.
  3. When buying unlabelled food, always tell them about your food allergy and ask about food allergen content.

Always read the label

Food in Australia is required by law under the Food Standards Code, to display the most common allergens on its packaging.

These allergens must be declared if they are included as:

  • An ingredient
  • Part of a compound ingredient
  • A food additive
  • A processing aid

The Food Standards Code also requires that sulphites in concentrations of 10mg/kg or more must also be declared on food labels of packaged foods. Sulphites are listed because sulphites in food can trigger asthma symptoms in people with asthma.

LABELLING LAWS IN AUSTRALIA

The Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) law means that the common names of food allergens must be listed on a food label. (for example the word egg rather than just the protein in egg which is albumin). Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia has Food Allergen Cards for the common allergens and foods the allergens may be in.

How to read food labels

Ingredients must be listed with the plain English name alongside the actual ingredient name.

In the statement of ingredients, declarations must:

  • Be in bold font.
  • Have bold font contrasting distinctly with other text.
  • Have the same size font as other text.

The allergens must also be listed in a summary statement beginning with the word ‘contains’ next to, but separate from the ingredient list. This could be above, below or on either side of the ingredient list.

In addition:

  • The name of the specific tree nut (almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio and walnut) to be included in the ingredients list and summary statement.
  • The specific name of the cereal to be stated in the ingredients list and summary statement as either wheat, barley, oats or rye. Where wheat is present, it must also be included in the summary statement.
  • ‘Gluten’ must appear in the summary statements whenever gluten from wheat, rye, oats or barley (or their hybrids) is present. The term ‘Cereals containing gluten’ cannot be used.
  • Mollusc and crustacea are separate categories.

More information about the Food Standards Code is available from the FSANZ website: Food Standards Code.

Confused about wheat and gluten?

  • Some people find labelling about gluten and wheat confusing.
  • Customers with wheat allergy need to avoid all wheat proteins, including gluten. They need to check if wheat is an ingredient rather than just gluten.
  • People with coeliac disease need to avoid gluten. Gluten is found in wheat and several other grains including rye, barley, oats, spelt or their hybridised strains.

What about ‘may contain’ statements?

  • Statements such as “May contain…” and “Made on equipment that also produces products containing…” are examples of precautionary allergen labelling statements.
  • These statements are voluntary and not regulated by the Food Standards Code.
  • They are often used to explain that during growing, storing and making the food, the product may have been unintentionally contaminated with an allergen and the product may be a risk to the person with food allergy because even small amounts of an allergen can trigger an allergic reaction.
  • You should talk to your allergist about whether foods containing precautionary allergen statements should be eaten.
  • If you would like more information about the level of risk, contact the manufacturer of the product for more information.

Watch videos about Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL) statements.

Reporting a reaction to packaged food

If you have an allergic reaction to a food after checking the ingredients list, it’s important to report your reaction to protect others.

Once you have managed your allergic reaction and recovered, you should report the reaction to the health department.

Information about who to contact and what to do is available from the Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia website:
Reporting an allergic reaction