Fish in the European Union: label rules and introduction guidance

Is fish on the EU's list of 14 allergens?

Annex II lists 'fish and products thereof' as item 4. Two exemptions apply: fish gelatine used as a carrier for vitamin or carotenoid preparations, and fish gelatine or isinglass used as a fining agent in beer and wine. Crustaceans (item 2) and molluscs (item 14) are separate entries, so fish emphasised in an ingredient list tells you nothing about prawns or mussels. The EU rule does not require the species to be named for allergen purposes the way US law does, although the ingredient list normally names it anyway.

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers lists 14 substances or products in Annex II. Article 21 requires each one to be emphasised in the list of ingredients through a typeset that clearly distinguishes it, for example by font, style or background colour. Where a food has no ingredient list, the label uses the word 'contains' followed by the allergen's name.

• EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II (consolidated text)

What EFSA guidance says about introducing fish

Fish is one of the four foods EFSA names in its conclusion. The 2019 opinion reviewed studies on fish specifically and found that allergenic foods such as fish can be introduced when other complementary foods are introduced, with no difference in allergy risk from delaying them. EFSA's summary adds that any food offered should be nutritionally adequate, age-appropriate in texture and prepared according to good hygiene practices, so preparation is worth talking through for a first taste of fish. Ask your paediatrician about the first taste if there is a history of fish allergy in the family.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed about 300 scientific publications for its 2019 opinion on when complementary foods can be introduced. EFSA's opinion is scientific advice to EU risk managers; recommendations to the public are issued by the health authorities of each Member State, so the plan your paediatrician follows may come from a national guideline.

• EFSA: Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's diet (2019)
• EFSA: Age to start complementary feeding of infants (plain-language summary)

Logging fish in the app

Set your region to the European Union and the app's allergen schedule follows the 14 Annex II allergens. In the schedule, fish appears as Fish. Each allergen entry moves from not started to introduced, cleared or reaction, and the 14-day window keeps new foods spaced out so a delayed reaction is easier to match to a food. Log the species, salmon or cod rather than 'fish', since reactions and labels are both specific. If you see a symptom, log it with its severity; the paediatrician report gathers the dates into one PDF for your next appointment. It is a record for you and your doctor, not a diagnosis.