Peanut in the European Union: label rules and introduction guidance

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

Annex II lists 'peanuts and products thereof' as item 5, with no exemptions attached. Nuts are item 8, a different entry, so a product that emphasises hazelnut has told you nothing about peanut. On a prepacked food, peanut must be emphasised within the ingredient list itself, usually in bold, rather than only in a separate box. Unlike the soybean, milk and cereal entries, the peanut entry carries no carve-out for refined oils or processing uses, so peanut ingredients in any form fall under it.

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 peanut

Peanut is one of the four foods EFSA names in its conclusion. The 2019 opinion found no evidence that introducing complementary foods before 6 months is harmful or beneficial, and it concluded that allergenic foods such as egg, cereals, fish and peanut can be introduced when other complementary foods are introduced; delaying them makes no difference to the risk of developing allergies. EFSA's plain-language summary also stresses an age-appropriate texture to avoid choking, which for peanut means a smooth or finely ground form rather than whole nuts. Ask your paediatrician how peanut fits your baby's first foods, especially if there is eczema or an existing allergy.

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 peanut 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, peanut appears as Peanuts. 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. Note the form you offered, such as thinned smooth peanut butter or peanut powder, so later offerings are easy to compare. 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.