Celery, Mustard, Lupin and Sesame — Do Any E-Numbers Contain Them?

Four of the 14 declared allergens — celery, mustard, lupin and sesame — do not appear anywhere in the E-number system. Here's where they actually hide in processed food instead.

No food additive is derived from celery, mustard, lupin or sesame, so E-numbers are not a risk for these allergies. In processed food, celery hides in stock cubes, soups and spice mixes (celery salt, celeriac); mustard in sauces, dressings, curry pastes and processed meats; lupin in some continental flours and gluten-free baking; and sesame in tahini, hummus, bread toppings and increasingly in 'seeded' products.

All four are declared allergens in the UK and EU, so they must be emphasised in the ingredients list — the checking habit that protects you is reading the bolded allergens, not decoding the E-numbers.

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Additive data sourced from Open Food Facts (ODbL licence) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). This page is for general information and does not provide medical or dietary advice.

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