Precautionary Allergen Labelling Decision (Free)

Form – Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL) Decision

Precautionary labelling (‘may contain’) is a risk management decision, not a habit. This form documents the assessment behind it – because PAL that’s on everything protects no one.

Be specific and honest in every field; vague records help nobody during an investigation. If a field doesn’t apply, write N/A rather than leaving it blank.

1. Document control

1. Product and allergen

• Product: | Allergen:
• Previous PAL decisions for this allergen reviewed? [Y/N]
• Date of assessment: [YYYY-MM-DD] | Assessor: [Name]
• Is the allergen in the recipe? [Y – declare it; N – continue]
• Assessment method: [risk matrix / decision tree / expert judgement]

2. Risk assessment

PAL is for residual risk after controls – not a substitute for cleaning, segregation, or supplier management. If you haven’t controlled it, go back and control it first. Document the reasoning well enough that someone else would reach the same decision.

• Cross-contact sources identified:
• Controls in place:
• Consumer complaint history checked? [Y/N – findings]
• Similar products assessed for the same allergen:
• Residual risk after controls: [Low / medium / high – justify]
• Cleaning validation data ref:
• Expert consulted? [Y/N – name]
• Evidence (swab data, supplier info):

3. Decision

• Decision: [Apply PAL with wording: / No PAL – justification]
• Label wording (exact text):
• Communicated to:
• Wording approved by: [Name]
• Review date: [YYYY-MM-DD] (or on change)
• Approved by: [Name / signature / date]

Approval and control

Keep completed forms for Retain while the decision applies plus [3 years]. at [defined location] – and make sure someone besides you knows where that is.