The 14 allergens every UK home cook must declare

If you sell food in the UK, you're legally required to provide accurate information about 14 major allergens. Getting this right isn't just compliance — it keeps your customers safe and your reputation intact.

The 14 allergens

• Celery
• Cereals containing gluten (wheat, barley, rye, oats)
• Crustaceans (e.g. prawns, crab)
• Eggs
• Fish
• Lupin
• Milk
• Molluscs (e.g. mussels, squid)
• Mustard
• Tree nuts (e.g. almonds, cashews)
• Peanuts
• Sesame
• Soya
• Sulphur dioxide / sulphites

How to declare them

List the allergens present in each dish clearly and accurately. On Simmr you declare allergens per dish, and tiffin boxes automatically inherit the allergens of the items inside them — so you don't have to track it twice.

Watch out for cross-contamination

Home kitchens handle many ingredients, so be honest with customers about the risk of cross-contact. If a customer tells you about a serious allergy, take it seriously and don't guess.

The bottom line

Accurate allergen information is non-negotiable. Take a free Level 2 Food Hygiene course, keep your dish information up to date, and you'll build the trust that turns first-time buyers into regulars.