Guide
How to label spice blends
Break out spice blends when needed so allergens such as celery, mustard, sesame or cereals are visible. “Spices” as a single word is not enough if Annex II allergens sit inside the blend.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Break out spice blends when needed so allergens such as celery, mustard, sesame or cereals are visible. “Spices” as a single word is not enough if Annex II allergens sit inside the blend.
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
Break out spice blends when needed so allergens such as celery, mustard, sesame or cereals are visible. “Spices” as a single word is not enough if Annex II allergens sit inside the blend. 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: Many are not.
- Get the blend specification
- Emphasise celery, mustard, sesame, cereals when present
- Watch barbecue and fajita mixes
- Update when you switch brands
Worked example
Worked example for “How to label spice blends”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — get the blend specification. Then contrast it with emphasise celery, mustard, sesame, cereals when 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. (Break out spice blends when needed so allergens such as celery, mustard, sesame or cereals are visible.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Get the blend specification | For “How to label spice blends”, “Get the blend specification” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Emphasise celery, mustard, sesame, cereals when present | For “How to label spice blends”, “Emphasise celery, mustard, sesame, cereals when present” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Watch barbecue and fajita mixes | For “How to label spice blends”, “Watch barbecue and fajita mixes” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Update when you switch brands | For “How to label spice blends”, “Update when you switch brands” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Assuming all spice blends are allergen-free
Many are not.
Go deeper
Next: Compound ingredients. When to break blends out. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do I list every spice?
What about pure single spices?
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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