Make sure you look carefully at the label on any pre-packed food you buy if you have a food allergy or intolerance, or if you're buying food for someone who does. Even if you have bought the product before, you should still check the label, because the recipe might have changed.
All pre-packed foods must give a list of ingredients. Always check the ingredients on a food product to see if it contains the food you need to avoid.
Check for allergy statements or boxes
As well as the ingredients list, many food products have a statement or an allergy advice box on the label saying they contain a certain food, for example nuts, milk or eggs. Some manufacturers use symbols to show this.
But it isn't compulsory for food labels to give this type of statement. So if there isn't an allergy statement on the label, don't assume the product is free from the food you are sensitive to. Always check the ingredients.
When the allergy information on food labels is missing or incorrect, or if there is another allergy risk, the affected foods need to be withdrawn from sale. When this happens, the Food Standards Agency will let people know by issuing an allergy alert.
If you want to know when a food has been withdrawn because of a food allergy risk, you can sign up for a free SMS text message or email service.
Most of the major supermarket chains produce lists of the products they sell that don't deliberately contain particular foods (such as nuts, milk, eggs and gluten), and are produced in a way that prevents these ingredients getting into the products accidentally. Contact the supermarket for more information.
Sometimes these lists can go out-of-date as products are launched or discontinued, or recipes change. So always check the label on every food product you buy, even if it's on one of these lists.
Many supermarkets and health food shops sell special ranges of products that don't contain foods such as wheat, gluten or dairy products, but these can be expensive. Bear in mind foods that are not specifically marketed for people with a food allergy or intolerance could still be free from the food you are sensitive to. Always check the ingredients.
Buying food online
Most websites selling food give information about their products. This will help you choose products that don't contain the food you need to avoid. But sometimes this information might not be up-to-date, so always check the label every time you have food delivered.
Foods that aren't pre-packed
Foods that aren't pre-packed don't need to be labelled with the same information as pre-packed foods, so you might not be able to check the ingredients. Foods that aren't pre-packed include foods sold from a restaurant, bakery, deli counter or salad bar, sandwiches sold to be eaten straight away, and foods weighed and sold loose.
It's possible that small amounts of the food you need to avoid could have got into one of these products, for example from being next to another food, from a knife or spoon, or from being wrapped in paper or a bag that has touched another food. If you have a severe allergy it's generally safer to avoid these foods.
Every pre-packed food and drink sold in the UK or the rest of the European Union (EU) must show clearly on the label if it contains one of the following as an ingredient (or if one of its ingredients contains, or is made from, one of these):
celery
cereals containing gluten (including wheat, rye, barley and oats)
crustaceans (including prawns, crabs and lobsters)
eggs
fish
lupin
milk
molluscs (including mussels and oysters)
mustard
nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts
peanuts
sesame seeds
soybeans
sulphur dioxide and sulphites (preservatives used in some foods and drinks) at levels above 10mg per kg or per litre
Some people are sensitive to foods that are not on this list, so always check the ingredients carefully.
Some food labels say 'may contain nuts' or 'may contain seeds'. This means that even though nuts or seeds aren't deliberately included in the food, the manufacturer can't be sure that the product doesn't accidentally contain small amounts of them. If you have a nut or seed allergy you should avoid these food products.
If you think a food product has been labelled incorrectly, report this to the trading standards service at your local authority.
It's important for everyone to eat a healthy balanced diet. Sometimes people with a food allergy or intolerance worry that not being able to eat a particular food will harm their health. But it's the overall balance of your diet that matters.
So if you can't eat certain foods it's a good idea to choose other foods you can eat to give you the nutrients you need. If you're concerned about your diet, talk to a dietitian who will be able to advise you about avoiding the foods you are sensitive to and still eating a healthy diet.
You can contact a dietitian through your local hospital or GP surgery. You can also search online for a dietitian at Dietitians Unlimited, which is run by the Freelance Dietitians Group of the British Dietetic Association. The HPC publishes its register online, so you can check on its website to see if a dietitian is registered.
Remember, don't cut food groups out of your diet without medical advice.
Find out more about allergy alerts