Sesame on the menu: where it appears and how to label it

What it covers

Point 11 of Annex II of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, still in force in the UK, covers “Sesame seeds and products thereof”. There are no exceptions, so all of these count:

• the seeds, white, black or toasted;
• tahini, the sesame paste;
• sesame oil, including the toasted oil used in Asian cooking;
• sesame flour and blends such as gomasio and za’atar;
• sesame-based sweets such as halva and sesame snaps.

In most kitchens, sesame does not come in as loose seeds but inside a finished product: the bread, the tahini, an oil, a sauce. That makes the label or the supplier’s specification sheet your main source of information.

Where it appears

Bread and bakery

• Seeded burger buns: the most common case on any menu.
• Seeded loaves, multigrain bread, bagels and breadsticks.
• Crackers and some flatbreads, depending on the brand.

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking

• Hummus and baba ganoush, because of the tahini.
• Tahini sauces for falafel, shawarma and roasted vegetables.
• Za’atar, which contains sesame, on flatbreads and in dressings.

Asian and fusion cooking

• Sushi, especially inside-out rolls coated in seeds.
• Sesame-crusted tuna, sesame chicken, sesame prawn toast.
• Seaweed salad and poke bowls.
• Dressings with toasted sesame oil, gyoza dipping sauces and many Korean dishes.

Sweets and baking

• Halva, sesame snaps and seeded brittles.
• Tahini brownies and cookies, and some Middle Eastern pastries.

If you buy cakes or pastries from a local bakery, ask for the ingredients and allergen information in writing. You need it for your own matrix, and sesame cannot always be guessed from the name of the bake.

Bought-in products

• Crackers, cereal bars, granola, sauces and dressings.
• Bread and pastries from suppliers who change recipes or seed mixes without you noticing.

Breakfast and brunch, another hotspot

If you serve breakfast or brunch, review that part of the menu as well. Sesame appears in seeded bread for toast, bagels, granola and seed mixes for bowls, and in the tahini of some toasts, sauces and salad dressings. These products are bought ready-made and their recipes change easily.

How to find it on labels

On packaged food, sesame is emphasised in the ingredients list, including when it is part of another ingredient. Look for “sesame”, “sesame seeds”, “tahini” or “tahina”, “sesame oil” and “gingelly oil”. Watch the trace warnings on bread, biscuits and crackers too, and carry them across to the dish where you use them.

Cross-contamination

Sesame is a nuisance for one simple reason: the seeds come loose and end up everywhere.

• Bread baskets and bags where seeded and plain bread are mixed.
• The toaster and the grill where burger buns are toasted.
• Bread boards and knives.
• The wok, if you stir-fry with sesame oil.
• The bakery section, if you roll dough in seeds.

If you cannot keep seeded bread apart from the rest, mark traces of sesame on the bread and dishes that share those utensils.

Burger bars: the most common case

In a burger bar, sesame usually ends up on almost the whole menu because of the bun. A few decisions make life easier:

• Ask your supplier for the bun’s specification sheet and check it every time it changes.
• If you offer a seed-free bun as an alternative, store and toast it separately, or the swap achieves nothing.
• Check your house sauces: some use sesame oil or tahini.
• Remember the bun brings other allergens too, such as gluten, and often milk, egg or soya.

In the US

Sesame became the ninth major food allergen in the US on 1 January 2023, under the FASTER Act. Since then, US packaged food must declare it, including when it is part of a spice blend: “Contains sesame” or “spices (sesame)”. If you buy American products, expect to see it on the label.

How to mark it on your menu

Sesame is number 11 in Annex II. Mark it on the dish and on the bread that comes with it, including when the bread is served separately. If your menu includes dishes from several cuisines (sushi, hummus, burgers), review each section separately: it is easy to forget the sesame oil in a dressing or the tahini in a sauce.

With MenuDesign you just mark sesame on each dish: the app shows it in the format you choose and adds it to the allergen matrix, which gives your staff everything on one sheet. If you only need the symbols for a sign or a chalkboard, you can download the allergen icons for free.