What are facility allergens? Facility allergens are allergens that aren't necessarily in the product itself via the ingredients, but nonetheless may be present in some small amount through cross-contamination.

They're presented as optional allergen statements that say something like "Manufactured in a facility that also processes.." or "Processed on equipment that also processes..." or "May contain...".

It's a way of saying "if you really need to avoid this allergen, steer clear".

From Second Class to Core Feature

Facility allergens are generally optional, but it's a good idea to list them because your customers have come to expect them and it shows that you're looking out for them by being transparent.

We've had them on ReciPal's nutrition label maker for a while, but since it wasn't a requirement but more a "nice to have" option, it wasn't totally set up for Canadian labels. No more!

Facility Allergens for Canada

So what does that all mean for our Canadian users and their labels?

• Canadian allergen options are included in facility allergen options (mustard, sulfites, sesame, gluten, and French option for "Other" allergens) when using a Canadian label.
• Facility allergens are shown in the sectioned off Canadian ingredients and allergens box.
• The facility allergen statement contains in bold "May Contain:" or "Peut contenir:" before the facility allergens themselves.

Here's what it looks like on ReciPal. See the additional Canadian allergens and "May contain" statement in bold below the ingredients and standard allergens.

For more information on facility allergens in general you can check out our original facility allergens article from way back in the day when they were becoming more popular.

More on Canadian Facility Allergens

Here are a couple more resources on facility allergens from the Canadian regulations:

• Location of ingredients and allergens
• Allergens and cross-contamination statements

Let us know what you think and if you have any questions!