Guide
How to label meat marinades
Marinades often hide mustard, soya, gluten cereals, celery and fish (from Worcestershire). On PPDS marinated meats, break the marinade out so those allergens are emphasised.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Marinades often hide mustard, soya, gluten cereals, celery and fish (from Worcestershire). On PPDS marinated meats, break the marinade out so those allergens are emphasised.
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
Marinades often hide mustard, soya, gluten cereals, celery and fish (from Worcestershire). On PPDS marinated meats, break the marinade out so those allergens are emphasised. 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: Allergens inside still count.
- Get the marinade recipe or brand spec
- Emphasise mustard, soya, wheat, fish, celery as present
- Do not list only “marinade”
- Update when the tub changes
Worked example
Worked example for “How to label meat marinades”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — get the marinade recipe or brand spec. Then contrast it with emphasise mustard, soya, wheat, fish, celery as present. 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. (Marinades often hide mustard, soya, gluten cereals, celery and fish (from Worcestershire).)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Get the marinade recipe or brand spec | For “How to label meat marinades”, “Get the marinade recipe or brand spec” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Emphasise mustard, soya, wheat, fish, celery as present | For “How to label meat marinades”, “Emphasise mustard, soya, wheat, fish, celery as present” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Do not list only “marinade” | For “How to label meat marinades”, “Do not list only “marinade”” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Update when the tub changes | For “How to label meat marinades”, “Update when the tub changes” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Calling it “spiced” without a breakdown
Allergens inside still count.
Go deeper
Next: Butchers guide. Marinades and counter packs. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Does yoghurt marinade mean milk?
What about dry rubs?
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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