Allergen 14 of 14 · Tn

Tree nuts: the eight on the list, and the ones that aren't

UK law names eight tree nuts. Coconut, pine nuts, chestnuts and peanuts are not among them. On a label you name the nut; on the matrix they share one column.

Checked against the official guidance on 18 September 2026

What the law covers

Annex II lists “nuts, namely: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia or Queensland nuts, and products thereof”.

Exempt from declaration (Annex II):

• Nuts used for making alcoholic distillates, including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin

Where it hides in a UK kitchen

In the free matrix builder, typing any of these ticks tree nuts automatically: Hazelnut spread, Marzipan, Frangipane, Praline, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Cashews, Pecans, Brazil nuts, Pistachios, Macadamia nuts, Mixed nuts, Almond milk latte, Korma, Bakewell tart. These prompt a label check instead, because it depends on the recipe or the brand: Naan, Cake, Pesto, Vegan cheese, Bombay mix, Chicken tikka masala, Carrot cake, Brownie, Crumble, Mince pie.

Cross-contact to think about

• Nut toppings sprinkled at a dessert station.
• Bakeries: nut dust from frangipane and praline work.
• Shared ice cream scoops.

Where your risk assessment finds a risk you cannot control, mark the dish “may contain” on the matrix. Don't use it as a blanket statement: when “may contain” is justified.

On a PPDS label

Name each nut. The FSA also asks for the nut to be named in a precautionary statement: “may contain hazelnut”, not “may contain nuts”.

Make a PPDS label with allergens emphasised automatically →

Mistakes we see on matrices

• Writing “nuts” without saying which.
• Ticking tree nuts for coconut or pine nuts.
• Forgetting the almonds in a korma.

Not on the list

Not tree nuts under UK law: coconut, pine nuts (seeds), chestnuts, nutmeg (a spice) and peanuts (a legume with its own column). Customers may still avoid them; you can say so, but they are not on the matrix.