Sesame in the European Union: label rules and introduction guidance

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

Annex II lists 'sesame seeds and products thereof' as item 11 with no exemptions, so sesame oil, tahini and seeds on bread all have to be emphasised in the ingredient list. Where a food has no ingredient list, the regulation's fallback is the word 'contains' followed by the allergen. Sesame has been in Annex II since the regulation was adopted in 2011, whereas the US only made sesame a major allergen from 1 January 2023, so families moving between the two will find EU labels have named sesame for longer.

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 sesame

EFSA's 2019 opinion does not mention sesame. It evaluated foods containing egg, cereals, fish, soy and peanut, and its broader conclusion is that allergenic foods can be introduced when other complementary foods are introduced. Sources were thin here: we found no EU-level infant guidance written for sesame, so timing and form are questions for your national health authority's advice and your paediatrician. A smooth form such as tahini is a common way families first offer it.

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 sesame 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, sesame appears as Sesame. 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, such as tahini stirred into a purée, so you can repeat the same food later. 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.