Allergen

Sesame seeds on UK food labels

Sesame seeds is one of the 14 allergens that must be declared when it is an ingredient of PPDS food. On the label, emphasise it every time it appears in the ingredients list — and use the wording customers and inspectors recognise.

Reviewed 22 September 2026 against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.

How to name it on the label

Official wording: Sesame seeds. On the pack, use: Sesame.

Watch for

Seeds on a bun are an ingredient of that bun — check the supplier declaration.

Where it hides

Burger buns and seeded breads
Hummus and tahini
Halva and some sweets
Sesame oil in dressings

Traps

The kitchen trap

Seeds on a bun are an ingredient of that bun — check the supplier declaration.

Compound ingredients

If sesame seeds arrives inside chocolate, sauce, stock or a mix, break that compound ingredient out so the allergen still appears in the list.

How to label it

Confirm whether sesame seeds is an intentional ingredient (including inside mixes).
Use the label name: Sesame.
Emphasise it every time it appears — bold or capitals survive thermal printers.
Do not replace the ingredients list with a symbol or a separate allergen box alone.

Questions

Do I declare sesame seeds if it is only a trace?

Declare it when it is an ingredient. Unintended cross-contamination is different — precautionary “may contain” wording is not a substitute for listing ingredients that are actually used.

Is a symbol enough for sesame seeds?

No. On PPDS food the legal requirement is emphasis within the written ingredients list.

Official sources

Everything on this page traces back to these. Where they and we disagree, they are right — tell us and we'll fix it.

Labelling guidance for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food productsFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
Food allergen labelling and information requirements technical guidanceFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
Food labelling: giving food information to consumersGOV.UK