Peanut in the United Kingdom: label rules and introduction guidance

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

Peanuts are one of the FSA's 14 allergens and sit on their own entry, separate from tree nuts, just as in the EU list the UK retained. On a jar of peanut butter or a cereal bar, peanut has to be emphasised in the ingredient list. The rule reaches further since Natasha's Law: a flapjack or satay sandwich made and wrapped in the café that sells it now needs a full ingredient list with peanut emphasised, where before October 2021 it could be sold without one. For unwrapped food, such as an item on a bakery counter, the business must still be able to tell you whether peanut is in it.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) lists the same 14 allergens as the EU; the EU rules were kept when the UK left and are now assimilated law. On prepacked food, an allergen must be emphasised each time it appears in the ingredient list. Food prepacked for direct sale, packed on the same premises that sell it, needs a full ingredient list with allergens emphasised, the rule known as Natasha's Law since October 2021. Loose food still needs allergen information, given in writing or verbally with a clear written notice.

• Food Standards Agency: Allergen guidance for food businesses

What NHS guidance says about introducing peanut

The NHS lists nuts and peanuts among the foods that can trigger allergic reactions and advises serving them finely ground or as nut butters. It also states that delaying the introduction of peanut and hen's eggs beyond 6 to 12 months may increase the risk of developing an allergy to these foods, which is why UK advice does not suggest holding peanut back. The one-at-a-time approach means peanut is the only new allergen in that meal, so a reaction would be easier to trace. If your baby has eczema or another food allergy, speak to your GP or health visitor before the first taste.

In the UK, the NHS advises introducing the foods that can trigger allergic reactions one at a time from around 6 months, so that you can spot any reaction. If your baby has eczema or there is a family history of allergy, the NHS suggests talking to your GP or health visitor first.

• NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children

Logging peanut in the app

The UK and EU lists match, so UK families get the same 14-allergen schedule as the EU. 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.