It is estimated that 3.5 - 4% of adults and 6 - 9% of children have a food intolerance or allergy of some form. These can range from mild symptoms such as rashes to anaphylactic shock, and death.
Labelling Requirements
Compulsory allergen labelling on food products was introduced in 2014 in the UK and was already a requirement in the EU and other global regions. The latest allergen regulation identifies fourteen main allergens which must be highlighted on the food product label.
Eurofins allergen testing offers comprehensive analysis for all 14 main allergens, including:
| Cereals containing gluten |
Nuts, e.g. almonds, hazelnuts |
| Crustaceans, e.g. prawns, crabs |
Celery (and celeriac) |
| Eggs |
Mustard |
| Fish |
Sesame |
| Peanuts |
Sulphur dioxide, preservative found in some dried fruit |
| Soybeans |
Lupin |
| Milk |
Molluscs, e.g. clams, mussels |
Testing for the presence of certain food allergens helps to assure a manufacturer that an undeclared allergen has not found its way into a product. For this reason, testing can also protect a company's reputation, minimising the chance of costly product recalls and adverse publicity.
Testing of final product, swabs from equipment after sanitation and/or rinse water can be used to verify the efficacy of a cleaning procedure, and can identify sources of cross contamination.
Comprehensive Range of Allergen Testing
Our UK-laboratory based allergen testing uses ELISA and PCR testing, and is supported by additional highly specialised Eurofins Competence Centres across Europe where additional confirmations can be carried out, including by mass spectrometry.
UK-based test methods available
| Method |
Allergen test |
TAT* |
| ELISA |
Almond (tree nuts), hazelnut (tree nuts), walnut (tree nuts) |
3 days |
| Beta-lactoglobulin, casein, beta-lactoglobulin + casein combined (milk proteins) |
| Whole egg protein, soya protein |
| Gluten |
| Peanut, sesame, mustard, crustaceans |
| PCR |
Celery, mustard, soya |
5 days |
| Distillation & titration |
Sulphur dioxide (SO2) |
5 days |
Allergen management support
Our expert food consultancy team can help you interpret results, assess ingredient risks, advise on product
labelling, and ensure your allergen control plans align with UK regulatory requirements.
For small batches, order our most routine testing from Eurofins Testing Direct.
For other requirements and more information, please Contact us.
