How to read a food label for allergens (UAE, Saudi, UK, US)

The short answer

Look in three places: the ingredient list (allergens are emphasised in bold, capitals or a different colour), a “Contains” statement under it, and any “May contain” line. If the product is sold in the Gulf, the label is usually in Arabic and English, and both versions must say the same thing.

Rules differ by country, so the same brand can be labelled differently in Dubai, London and New York. The pack in your hand is always the final word.

Which allergens must be declared? It depends where you shop

Each region keeps its own list of allergens that must always be named, whatever form they take.

Where to look on the pack

• Ingredient list: allergens are named and emphasised, for example “wheat flour”, “milk powder”, “soy lecithin”.
• “Contains” statement: a summary line under the ingredients. It repeats the allergens; it doesn’t replace the list.
• “May contain” or “made in a facility that also handles…”: a precautionary warning about cross-contact during production.
• Front of pack claims such as “gluten-free” or “dairy-free” are regulated claims in the EU, UK and US, but they still sit next to the ingredient list, not instead of it.

What “may contain” really means

Precautionary allergen labelling is voluntary. In the EU, UK and US there is no legal threshold that triggers it, so one factory may print it while another with the same risk does not. The UK Food Standards Agency asks businesses to use it only after a real risk assessment, never as a blanket disclaimer.

For someone with a severe allergy, “may contain” deserves the same respect as “contains”. For someone avoiding an ingredient by choice, it is a judgement call. This is why Bravoora keeps the two apart in its answer: “Not for you” when the ingredient is listed, “Heads up” when only a warning mentions it.

The hidden names to know

Allergens are often listed under technical or trade names. The law says the source must be clear, but the wording still varies from pack to pack.

Arabic labels: the words to look for

• يحتوي على: contains.
• قد يحتوي على: may contain.
• مسبّبات الحساسية: allergens.
• الغلوتين (القمح، الشعير، الجاودار): gluten (wheat, barley, rye).
• مصل اللبن، الكازين، اللاكتوز: whey, casein, lactose (all milk).
• الفول السوداني: peanuts. المكسّرات: tree nuts. السمسم: sesame. الصويا: soy. البيض: eggs. الكبريتيت: sulphites.

A 30-second label routine

1. Find the ingredient list and read it to the end. Allergens can be near the bottom.
2. Check the “Contains” line, then the “May contain” line.
3. Translate the hidden names using the table above, or paste the list into the free label highlighter.
4. If the label is unclear, or the language you read isn’t on the pack, treat the product as unverified.
5. Recipes change. Re-read a familiar product when the packaging changes.

How Bravoora helps

Bravoora reads the same ingredient list and allergen statements, matches every hidden name to its allergen, and compares the result with the profile you choose. The answer always points to the ingredient or the warning it is based on, so you can check it on the pack yourself.

Sources

1. EU Regulation 1169/2011 on food information to consumers (Annex II)
2. US FDA: Food Allergies and the FASTER Act
3. UK Food Standards Agency: Allergen labelling for food manufacturers
4. UK Food Standards Agency: Precautionary allergen labelling guidance
5. Codex Alimentarius: General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CXS 1-1985)
6. GSO 9: Labelling of prepackaged foodstuffs (Gulf Standardization Organization)