Guide
Allergens in shrimp paste
Shrimp paste is crustaceans. It is fermented shrimp, also sold as belacan, terasi or kapi. A small amount in a curry paste, sambal or marinade must be emphasised. It is not the same allergen as fish sauce.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The usual pattern
The paste is shrimp and salt. Dishes that taste vegetarian can still start with it. If you use a paste labelled without shrimp, that is a different ingredient.
What to check in shrimp paste
| What you see | What it means on a PPDS label |
|---|---|
| Shrimp | Crustaceans |
| Fish sauce used as well | Fish — a second allergen |
| Thai curry pastes | Usually contain this paste |
| Sambal | Often shrimp paste, sometimes fish |
How to write it on the label
PPDS food needs the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with the 14 allergens emphasised every time they appear. The Food Standards Agency’s PPDS guidance is the practical reference. A typical ingredients fragment looks like this — yours must follow the specification of the product you actually use.
Example fragment
Shrimp (crustaceans), salt.
Where it shows up
Curry pastes, noodle dishes, marinades and some chilli oils.
A vegetable curry with a standard paste
The vegetables are not the issue. The paste is. Say crustaceans on the label or use a paste that does not contain them and update the list.
Prawn, shrimp and crayfish are all crustaceans. Name the one in the ingredient clearly.
Specification first
Brands differ. Treat this page as the usual pattern, then match the label to the tub, bag or recipe in front of you.
Questions
Is shrimp paste fish?
Do I declare a teaspoon in a large pot?
Official sources
Everything on this page traces back to these. Where they and we disagree, they are right — tell us and we'll fix it.
- Introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS foodFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
- Labelling guidance for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food productsFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
- Food allergen labelling and information requirements technical guidanceFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK