Guide · Allergens

Mustard — allergen no. 10 under the FIC Regulation

· about 5 min read

You often taste mustard but rarely see it: as a seasoning it sits in dressings, sausage and curry sauces — and it is one of the 14 allergens that must be declared (number 10). Here is where mustard turns up and how to label it correctly.

What is the mustard allergen?

Annex II of the FIC Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011) lists as number 10: “Mustard and products thereof” — with no exceptions attached. That covers every form: mustard seeds, mustard powder, mustard sprouts and prepared table mustard.

Where mustard hides

  • Sauces & dressings — mayonnaise, remoulade, salad dressings, vinaigrettes.
  • Sausage and cured meats — many frying and scalded sausages, cold cuts, meat salads.
  • Spices — curry powder, spice blends, marinades, BBQ and grill sauces.
  • Bakery — some breads, lye pastries, savoury snacks.

How to label mustard correctly

In the list of ingredients on prepacked food, the ingredient has to be named (“mustard”, “mustard seeds”, “mustard powder”) and the Annex II name has to be emphasised. Article 21(1)(b) puts it like this: the name “shall be emphasised through a typeset that clearly distinguishes it from the rest of the list of ingredients, for example by means of the font, style or background colour”. In practice that is almost always bold type.

As with celery, the usual source of error is the compound ingredient — a dressing, a marinade, a sausage mix. For food sold without prepackaging, Article 44(1)(a) makes the allergen particulars mandatory, while Article 44(2) leaves it to each Member State to decide “the means through which the particulars … are to be made available”. In Germany that national measure is § 4 LMIDV; see allergen labelling in restaurants and how to write a menu.

This article is general information and does not replace legal advice. What counts is the wording of the regulation as it applies at the time (Annex II no. 10 of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011). The English text of the Regulation is quoted from the consolidated version of 1 January 2018 on EUR-Lex.