Guide
How to label crustacean garnishes
Prawns, crab, lobster and crayfish used as ingredients — including garnishes on a sealed PPDS pack — must appear in the ingredients list with crustaceans emphasised. A sprinkle still counts.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Prawns, crab, lobster and crayfish used as ingredients — including garnishes on a sealed PPDS pack — must appear in the ingredients list with crustaceans emphasised. A sprinkle still counts.
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
Prawns, crab, lobster and crayfish used as ingredients — including garnishes on a sealed PPDS pack — must appear in the ingredients list with crustaceans emphasised. A sprinkle still counts. 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: If they are on the packed food, they are ingredients.
- Declare the garnish
- Emphasise crustaceans
- Watch prawn crackers and shrimp paste
- Keep fish and crustaceans distinct
Worked example
Worked example for “How to label crustacean garnishes”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — declare the garnish. Then contrast it with emphasise crustaceans. 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. (Prawns, crab, lobster and crayfish used as ingredients — including garnishes on a sealed PPDS pack — must appear in the ingredients list with crustaceans emphasised.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Declare the garnish | For “How to label crustacean garnishes”, “Declare the garnish” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Emphasise crustaceans | For “How to label crustacean garnishes”, “Emphasise crustaceans” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Watch prawn crackers and shrimp paste | For “How to label crustacean garnishes”, “Watch prawn crackers and shrimp paste” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Keep fish and crustaceans distinct | For “How to label crustacean garnishes”, “Keep fish and crustaceans distinct” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Leaving garnishes off the label because they are “optional”
If they are on the packed food, they are ingredients.
Go deeper
Next: Crustaceans on food labels. Prawns, crab, lobster. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Is scampi always crustacean?
What about seafood sticks?
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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