Tree nuts in the European Union: label rules and introduction guidance

Are tree nuts on the EU's list of 14 allergens?

Item 8 of Annex II is 'nuts, namely' almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts and macadamia or Queensland nuts, each identified by its botanical name. That closed list is narrower than the US, Canadian or Australian and New Zealand lists, none of which leave out pine nut. The only exemption is for nuts used to make alcoholic distillates, including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin. Each named nut must be emphasised in the ingredient list, so a label shows 'hazelnuts' in bold rather than a generic 'nuts'.

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 tree nuts

EFSA's 2019 opinion does not single out tree nuts. Its review looked specifically at foods containing egg, cereals, fish, soy and peanut, and its general conclusion is that allergenic foods can be introduced when other complementary foods are introduced. For tree nuts, that leaves the detail to national health authorities and your paediatrician. EFSA's summary does note that any food offered should have an age-appropriate texture to avoid choking, which is why nut butters or finely ground nuts are the usual form for babies rather than whole nuts. Sources were thin here: we found no EU-level guidance written for tree nuts on their own.

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 tree nuts 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, tree nuts appears as Nuts. 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.