Guide
How to write an ingredients list from a recipe
Convert the recipe to ingredients in descending order of weight at manufacture, break out compound ingredients so allergens stay visible, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
Convert the recipe to ingredients in descending order of weight at manufacture, break out compound ingredients so allergens stay visible, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears.
Write the ingredients list from the recipe and supplier specs, in descending order of weight, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears.
How to apply it
Convert the recipe to ingredients in descending order of weight at manufacture, break out compound ingredients so allergens stay visible, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears. Write the ingredients list from the recipe and supplier specs, in descending order of weight, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears. Walk the product in front of you against the checklist below before you print. The mistake to refuse is: Break it out so wheat, milk or egg inside cannot hide.
- Weigh as made, not as plated guesses
- Order by weight
- Expand chocolate, sauces and mixes
- Apply emphasis consistently
Worked example
Worked example for “How to write an ingredients list from a recipe”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — weigh as made, not as plated guesses. Then contrast it with order by weight. 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. (Convert the recipe to ingredients in descending order of weight at manufacture, break out compound ingredients so allergens stay visible, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Weigh as made, not as plated guesses | For “How to write an ingredients list from a recipe”, “Weigh as made, not as plated guesses” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Order by weight | For “How to write an ingredients list from a recipe”, “Order by weight” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Expand chocolate, sauces and mixes | For “How to write an ingredients list from a recipe”, “Expand chocolate, sauces and mixes” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Apply emphasis consistently | For “How to write an ingredients list from a recipe”, “Apply emphasis consistently” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Listing “cake mix” as one word
Break it out so wheat, milk or egg inside cannot hide.
Go deeper
Next: Ingredients list order. Descending weight explained. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Do water and salt go on the list?
What if I cook by eye?
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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