Tool · Australia & New Zealand
Allergen checker — Schedule 9 names
Paste an ingredients list. The checker marks the allergens it finds and then shows what a declaration under Standard 1.2.3 would say, with the Schedule 9 names — including the ones that have to be given by species, and the two European allergens that have no place on an Australian label. Free, no sign-up, everything stays in your browser.
A first pass based on word patterns, not a legally binding declaration. An empty result is no guarantee that a product is free from allergens. Before you print a label, have the list verified against the actual recipe by a qualified person.
Two European allergens that do not belong here
The default text above contains celery salt and mustard powder on purpose. Both are allergens in the European Union; neither appears in the table to section S9—3. A label translated from a European one declares them without need — and, worse, suggests that the list it comes from is the right list.
| Allergen | Australia / NZ | European Union |
|---|---|---|
| Milk, egg, fish, crustacea, peanut, soy, sesame, lupin, molluscs, sulphites | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cereals containing gluten | ✅ by cereal | ✅ by cereal |
| Tree nuts | ✅ nine, by species | ✅ by species |
| Celery | — | ✅ |
| Mustard | — | ✅ |
Plain English is the rule, not a style choice
The reason Schedule 9 exists as a table of names is that the required word is the everyday one. “Milk”, not “casein”; “wheat”, not a botanical name. And the declaration has to appear in two places — in the ingredient list, in the name of the ingredient, and in the summary statement. That is the difference from the United States, where § 343(w) lets you choose one of two routes.
Nine tree nuts are named individually, which is why the box above puts them in square brackets rather than guessing: the declaration names the nut you used.
What the checker cannot see
- A carrier inside a flavouring — the word in your text does not say what is in it.
- A processing aid, which may not be in the ingredient list at all.
- Cross-contact — nothing in a text reveals what else runs on the line.
- Whether sulphites reach 10 mg/kg, the threshold at which they have to be declared.
Frequently asked questions
Which allergens does an Australian label declare?
The ones in the table to S9—3. Celery and mustard are in the European list and not in it.
Do I have to name the species of tree nut?
Yes — Schedule 9 lists nine named tree nuts individually.
Does it have to say “Contains”?
The declaration goes in a summary statement and in the ingredient list — both, not either.
Is a plain-English name required?
Yes. That is what Schedule 9 is: a table of everyday names.
Can I use the checker output as my label?
No. It is a first pass and has to be verified against the recipe.
Why does it show the EU allergens at all?
Because the difference is the useful part — celery and mustard are what a translation carries over.
Names and requirements from the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code: Schedule 9 (F2015L00479, authorised version F2021C00195) and Standard 1.2.3 (F2015L00397, authorised version F2024C00916). The detection works on word patterns in the text you paste and makes no statement about your product. This page is information, not legal advice — the responsibility for a label stays with the business that puts the food on the market.