Tree nuts in Australia and New Zealand: label rules and introduction guidance

Are tree nuts on the FSANZ allergen list?

PEAL ended the generic 'tree nuts' declaration. FSANZ now requires each nut to be named using its required name: almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, pine nut and walnut. So a label shows 'cashew' and 'pistachio' in bold, in both the ingredient list and the 'Contains' statement, and a parent avoiding one nut does not have to guess about the others. Pine nut is on this list but not on the EU's; coconut is on none of the required names.

Standard 1.2.3 and Schedule 9 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code require allergens to be declared using set 'required names'. Under the Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) rules in force since 25 February 2024, each allergen appears in bold in the statement of ingredients and again in a bold summary statement beginning with 'Contains', placed next to the ingredients. Food labelled before that date under the old rules could stay on sale until 25 February 2026. 'May contain' statements are voluntary and not regulated by the Code.

• FSANZ: Allergen labelling for food businesses

What ASCIA guidance says about introducing tree nuts

ASCIA's Recommendation 5 says parents should introduce other common food allergens in the first year of life, prioritising foods in the family's usual diet, and it names tree nuts such as cashew and walnut. ASCIA rates the evidence behind that recommendation as very low, which it states openly. Its safe food practices say whole nuts or pieces should be avoided for children under 4, with smooth nut butter or paste, powder or finely ground nuts offered instead, mixed with foods already introduced, breastmilk or formula. Once a nut is in, Recommendation 9 says to keep offering it at least once a week unless there has been a reaction.

ASCIA, the peak professional body of clinical immunology and allergy specialists in Australia and New Zealand, published its updated Guideline: Infant Feeding for Food Allergy Prevention in 2026. It recommends starting solids when your baby shows signs of developmental readiness, usually around 6 months and not before 4 months, introducing only one new common allergen at a meal, and continuing to offer each allergen at least once a week once it is in, unless there has been an allergic reaction.

• ASCIA Guideline: Infant Feeding for Food Allergy Prevention (2026), summary of recommendations

Logging tree nuts in the app

Set your region to Australia / New Zealand and the app's allergen schedule follows the FSANZ list. In the schedule, tree nuts appears as Tree Nut. 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 each nut by name, almond or cashew rather than 'nuts', so your record matches the way labels name them. 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.