Guide
How to label mollusc ingredients
Mussels, clams, oysters, squid, octopus and snail ingredients are molluscs — a separate allergen from crustaceans. Emphasise molluscs (or the specific name in context of the rules) when they are ingredients.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Mussels, clams, oysters, squid, octopus and snail ingredients are molluscs — a separate allergen from crustaceans. Emphasise molluscs (or the specific name in context of the rules) when they are ingredients.
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
Mussels, clams, oysters, squid, octopus and snail ingredients are molluscs — a separate allergen from crustaceans. Emphasise molluscs (or the specific name in context of the rules) when they are ingredients. 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: Crustaceans and molluscs are different Annex II items.
- Keep molluscs separate from crustaceans
- Watch oyster sauce and shellfish mixes
- Emphasise when present as ingredients
- Do not write only “shellfish” if clarity suffers
Worked example
Worked example for “How to label mollusc ingredients”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — keep molluscs separate from crustaceans. Then contrast it with watch oyster sauce and shellfish mixes. 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. (Mussels, clams, oysters, squid, octopus and snail ingredients are molluscs — a separate allergen from crustaceans.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Keep molluscs separate from crustaceans | For “How to label mollusc ingredients”, “Keep molluscs separate from crustaceans” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Watch oyster sauce and shellfish mixes | For “How to label mollusc ingredients”, “Watch oyster sauce and shellfish mixes” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Emphasise when present as ingredients | For “How to label mollusc ingredients”, “Emphasise when present as ingredients” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Do not write only “shellfish” if clarity suffers | For “How to label mollusc ingredients”, “Do not write only “shellfish” if clarity suffers” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Lumping prawns and mussels as one allergen
Crustaceans and molluscs are different Annex II items.
Go deeper
Next: Molluscs on food labels. Vs crustaceans. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Does oyster sauce always mean molluscs?
What about periwinkle garnishes?
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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