Tree nuts: which ones count and where they hide in the kitchen

The list: eight, and closed

Point 8 of Annex II of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, still in force in the UK, names the nuts one by one:

All products made from them count too (flours, butters, oils, flavourings), with a single exception: nuts used to make alcoholic distillates, including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin.

The FSA’s technical guidance confirms these eight are the ones named. It also notes that other nuts, such as chestnuts, pine nuts and coconut, are known to cause allergy in some people even though they are not on the list.

Where they hide in the kitchen

Sauces and pastes

• Romesco, made with almonds and hazelnuts.
• Korma, passanda and many curry sauces thickened with ground almonds or cashew paste.
• Walnut sauces for pasta, and many bought pestos that use cashews instead of, or as well as, pine nuts.
• Dukkah and other nut-based dips and crusts.

Salads, cheese and charcuterie

• Waldorf salad, goat’s cheese and walnut salad.
• Walnut or fruit-and-nut bread on the cheeseboard.
• Mortadella with pistachios, and some terrines and pâté.

Desserts and baking

• Bakewell tart, frangipane, marzipan, macarons, amaretti, biscotti and florentines.
• Baklava, pecan pie, coffee and walnut cake, brownies with nuts.
• Praline, chocolate hazelnut spreads, and pistachio or hazelnut ice cream.

International dishes and alternatives

• Cashews and almonds in stir-fries, curries and chicken dishes at Asian restaurants.
• Almond flour in gluten-free baking.
• Almond, cashew and hazelnut drinks in the cafe.
• Walnut and hazelnut oils in dressings.

Cross-contamination

• The ice cream scoop that goes from pistachio to vanilla without being rinsed.
• The food processor or mortar used for pesto and romesco.
• Toppings sprinkled over several desserts with the same hand or spoon.
• The pastry section, if you work with almond flour.
• Products with a trace warning: lots of chocolates, biscuits and ice creams say “may contain nuts”. Carry it across to the dish.

Watch the Christmas menu

From November to January, tree nuts multiply on menus without the dish names changing: nut stuffings, Christmas cake with marzipan, Christmas pudding, stollen, panettone, nut-topped desserts, and boxes of chocolates or a bowl of nuts with the coffee. Many of these are bought in and contain several nuts at once, plus trace warnings.

Before you print the Christmas menu, check every pudding and stuffing with its label in front of you, and do not copy last year’s allergens without making sure the brand and the recipe have not changed.

What is not on the list

Pine nuts, coconut, chestnuts and tiger nuts are not part of allergen 8. Nor is nutmeg, which is a spice. You do not have to declare them as tree nuts, but it is wise to name them in the dish description. If a guest asks about them, your staff must be able to say with certainty whether the dish contains them. A classic pesto, for example, has pine nuts (not listed), while many bought pestos add cashews (allergen 8): both facts should be clear.

Peanuts are left out too, because they have their own number. We explain them on the peanuts page.

In the US

Tree nuts are one of the FDA’s nine major food allergens, and labels must name the specific nut. The US list is different, though. Since its January 2025 guidance, the FDA counts twelve: almond, black walnut, Brazil nut, California walnut, cashew, hazelnut (filbert), heartnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio and English (Persian) walnut. Coconut, chestnut and shea nut are no longer on it. So pine nuts are a major allergen in the US but not in the UK.

How to mark it on your menu

Tree nuts are number 8 in Annex II. As well as the icon or number, naming the specific nut in the description helps a lot: “with toasted almonds”, “pistachio cream”. Some guests tolerate some nuts and not others, and this way they do not have to ask about every dish.

When you mark allergen 8 in MenuDesign, the dish shows the icon, number or name in the format you choose, and the key updates itself. If you prefer to print your own signs, you can download the allergen icons and check the full list in the 14 allergens.