Allergens on the label
Emphasis in the ingredient list, keywords, "contains", "may contain" and custom names (Article 21 and Annex II).
Ο οδηγός διατίθεται στα ιταλικά και στα αγγλικά: εδώ παρουσιάζεται η αγγλική έκδοση.
Emphasis in the ingredient list
The 14 allergens of Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 must be emphasised in the ingredient list with a typeface that sets them apart (Article 21). Etichettalo emphasises the allergen word inside the ingredient text: "wheat flour".
In Settings › Labels choose:
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Allergen emphasis | Bold, upper case, or bold upper case |
| Allergen granularity | Generic ("nuts"), full ("nuts (almonds, hazelnuts)") or specific ("almonds, hazelnuts") |
Some derivatives are excluded from Annex II, such as wheat-based glucose syrups or distillates for spirits. The program does not recognise them on its own yet: for these ingredients do not declare the allergen, or add an exception among the keywords.
How allergens are recognised
You declare an ingredient's allergen on the ingredient page. The text tells the program where to emphasise it: it looks for the allergen's keywords in the text ("wheat", "milk", "butter"…).
- If the text has no keyword, the allergen is added in brackets: "syrup (wheat)", and Completeness tells you.
- If the text names an allergen the ingredient does not declare, Completeness asks you to check.
In Settings › Allergens add the words typical of your ingredients (names of cheeses, flours) and the exceptions: words that cancel an allergen, such as "cocoa butter", which is not milk. The Try it box shows what is recognised in a sample text.
Contains
If you turn it on in Settings › Labels, the ingredient list is followed by a "Contains:" statement with the allergens present. When a product has no ingredient list, the "Contains" statement is how allergens are given.
May contain
"May contain" is voluntary information about cross-contamination. It appears separate from the ingredient list and never repeats an allergen already present. It combines the cross-contacts of suppliers, site and product (see Ingredient allergens). The text before it is set per language.
Allergen names
In Settings › Allergens you can change the name printed in the "Contains" and "May contain" statements, catalogs and spec sheet. The name must identify the Annex II substance: for example "tree nuts" for "nuts". Leave it empty to use the official name.
Non-prepacked food
For food sold loose, allergens must be given in writing. A catalog with the allergen matrix, printed or shown at the counter with a QR code, does exactly that.