In the EU and UK, mustard and celery are among the 14 listed allergens. If your blend contains them, you name them in the ingredient list and emphasise them, for example in bold. In the US, mustard and celery are not among the major food allergens, but sesame, wheat and others are, and they must be declared.
The harder part is knowing every allergen in the blend, including those hidden in minor ingredients or picked up from the factory line.
Allergens commonly found in spice blends
- Mustard: seeds and powder in curry powders, pickling blends and some masalas.
- Celery: celery seed and celery salt in some seasonings and soup blends.
- Cereals containing gluten: wheat flour is often used in compounded asafoetida (hing), and wheat or other flours can be used as carriers.
- Sesame: in some seasonings and blends.
- Peanuts and tree nuts: in some regional masalas and seasoning mixes.
- Sulphites: possible in some dried ingredients, declared above a threshold in the EU and UK.
How to declare them
- EU and UK: name the allergen in the ingredient list and emphasise it, for example "mustard seed" in bold. If there is no ingredient list, use a "contains" statement.
- US: declare major allergens either in the ingredient list with the source named, or in a "Contains" statement after the ingredients.
- Name the source clearly. "Asafoetida (wheat flour, gum resin)" tells the customer more than "asafoetida".
- Check the rules in every country you sell to. Other markets have their own allergen lists.
Cross-contact on the factory line
Most Indian grinders run many products on the same mills and mixers. A blend with no mustard can still pick up traces if it is made after a mustard-containing blend without full cleaning. Ask the factory which allergens it handles, how it schedules production, and how it cleans and checks the line between products.
Precautionary statements such as "may contain mustard" are voluntary in the EU, UK and US, but they should be based on a real risk assessment. They are not a substitute for good allergen control. See what to look for in an audit of a spice grinding factory.
Get the facts from the supplier
Your label is only as accurate as the supplier's information. Ask for the items below, then check your artwork against the labelling rules for spice blends and have it signed off by a food law adviser.
- A full ingredient breakdown, including carriers, anti-caking agents and processing aids.
- An allergen declaration for each ingredient and for the site.
- Notice in writing before any change to ingredients or raw material sources.
- Testing for gluten or other allergens where your claim depends on it, such as a gluten-free label.
How we help
We collect full ingredient and allergen declarations from the grinder and check allergen handling and line cleaning during our audit. We can arrange allergen testing at a NABL-accredited lab where your label claim needs it. Ask for a free sourcing review to review your blends.