Allergens -- Category List

Allergens are substances that, even present in low concentrations, cause allergic reactions for certain people and can be life-threatening. Food allergens are proteins that are taken in via the digestive system. Allergens that are particularly problematic are those hidden in end products or those that occur due to unintended contamination during storage or manufacture. In order to protect the consumer, the EU-Guideline (2003/89/EG) was issued on 11-25-2005 whereby the manufacturer is obliged to label products with all ingredients capable of causing an allergic reaction. Attachment III a of this guideline includes a list of food ingredients classified as being possible allergens or possibly intolerant, e.g. peanuts, hazelnuts, eggs, gluten/gliadin, almonds, soya, sulphite, milk and lactose.