Guide
Do I need to declare mustard in mayonnaise?
Yes when mustard is an ingredient of the mayonnaise. Emphasise mustard in the finished food’s ingredients list, even if the amount is small.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Yes when mustard is an ingredient of the mayonnaise. Emphasise mustard in the finished food’s ingredients list, even if the amount is small.
Emphasise Annex II allergens inside the ingredients list — bold, capitals, colour or underline — as set out in FSA allergen labelling guidance.
How to apply it
Yes when mustard is an ingredient of the mayonnaise. Emphasise mustard in the finished food’s ingredients list, even if the amount is small. Emphasise Annex II allergens inside the ingredients list — bold, capitals, colour or underline — as set out in FSA allergen labelling guidance. Walk the product in front of you against the checklist below before you print. The mistake to refuse is: It is still an intentional allergen ingredient.
- Most UK mayonnaise contains mustard
- Emphasise mustard and egg
- Light and flavoured mayos can add milk
- Vegan mayo is a different allergen profile
Worked example
Worked example for “Do I need to declare mustard in mayonnaise?”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — most UK mayonnaise contains mustard. Then contrast it with emphasise mustard and egg. Write the name of the food and the full ingredients list from today’s recipe and supplier specs, emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears, and only then print. If the pack in your hand does not match that list, it is not ready for sale. (Yes when mustard is an ingredient of the mayonnaise.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Most UK mayonnaise contains mustard | For “Do I need to declare mustard in mayonnaise?”, “Most UK mayonnaise contains mustard” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Emphasise mustard and egg | For “Do I need to declare mustard in mayonnaise?”, “Emphasise mustard and egg” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Light and flavoured mayos can add milk | For “Do I need to declare mustard in mayonnaise?”, “Light and flavoured mayos can add milk” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Vegan mayo is a different allergen profile | For “Do I need to declare mustard in mayonnaise?”, “Vegan mayo is a different allergen profile” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Treating mustard as optional small print
It is still an intentional allergen ingredient.
Go deeper
Next: Allergens in mayonnaise. Egg and mustard. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Does Dijon in a dressing count?
Can I say “mayo” without a breakdown?
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
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