Hidden Names for Tree Nuts on UK Food Labels

Tree nuts hide in marzipan, praline, nougat, gianduja and nut oils. Here are the tree nuts UK law names and the words that can catch you out.

Tree nuts are one of the trickier groups to track on a label, partly because UK law names eight specific nuts and partly because they hide inside confectionery terms that do not contain the word “nut” at all. This guide sets out which tree nuts the rules cover and the names that most often slip past people.

The tree nuts UK law names

When the rules talk about nuts, they mean a specific list of tree nuts. Under UK labelling law the named tree nuts are:

• Almond
• Hazelnut
• Walnut
• Cashew
• Pecan
• Brazil nut
• Pistachio
• Macadamia, also called Queensland nut

Each of these must be declared by name when it is an ingredient in prepacked food. So a label should not just say “nuts”, it should tell you which nut, for example “hazelnuts” or “cashew nuts”. The allergen is then emphasised in the ingredients list, usually in bold, so it stands out.

Confectionery names that mean nuts

This is where tree nuts most often hide. Several traditional sweet and bakery ingredients are made from nuts but do not say so in their everyday name:

• Marzipan is traditionally made from almonds.
• Praline is usually made from caramelised nuts, often hazelnuts or almonds.
• Nougat commonly contains almonds, pistachios or other nuts.
• Gianduja is a chocolate and hazelnut paste, the basis of many chocolate spreads and fillings.
• Frangipane is an almond-based filling found in tarts and pastries.

If you see any of these on a label or a menu, treat the product as containing tree nuts unless the ingredients list clearly shows otherwise. The allergen rules still apply, so the underlying nut should appear emphasised in the ingredients, but it helps to recognise the term so nothing surprises you.

Nut oils and the “nut” ambiguity

Nut oils carry the name of their nut, for example walnut oil, almond oil or hazelnut oil. These are derived from tree nuts and should be treated accordingly. As with peanut oil, the way an oil is processed can affect how it behaves, so this is a point to raise with your allergy team rather than judge from the label alone.

The word “nut” on its own can be ambiguous. Some everyday foods include “nut” in their name without being tree nuts. Nutmeg, water chestnut and butternut squash are not tree nuts, despite the spelling. On the other side, coconut is botanically not a true tree nut, but UK labelling still treats it as a tree nut for allergen purposes, so it must be declared. The safest habit is to read the ingredients list and check what the named ingredient actually is, rather than guessing from a single syllable.

How the labelling protects you

UK law requires the 14 main allergens, including the tree nuts above, to be declared in prepacked food and emphasised in the ingredients list. A “may contain nuts” line is something different. That is voluntary precautionary labelling, used to warn of possible accidental traces from shared equipment or a shared site. It is not part of the recipe, but many people with a nut allergy treat it as important information.

For food that is prepacked for direct sale, such as a freshly made cake boxed on the premises, Natasha’s Law requires a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised, so these items are now easier to check than they once were.

The single most useful habit with tree nuts is to slow down on confectionery, baked goods and chocolate, where marzipan, praline, nougat and gianduja love to hide. Read every ingredients list carefully, every time, even on a familiar product. If you want a hand decoding an ingredients list, use The Food Allergy Lab to check before you buy.

Written and reviewed by the Food Allergy Lab editorial team.