Lupin has recently been declared a potential allergen on the Food. The legume is popular for its health benefits, mainly because lupin contains up to 40 per cent protein and 30 per cent dietary fibre. It’s also low in fat and contains almost no starch, and researchers have recently been looking into lupin’s ability to play a role in combating obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Lupin flour was introduced in Australia in 2001 and, because it doesn’t contain gluten, it’s commonly used in gluten-free baked products such as cookies, breads and muffins.

Despite lupin’s healthy qualities, it can trigger an allergic reaction in a small percentage of the population. Like other protein-containing foods, such as eggs and shellfish, lupin can cause symptoms such as hives, abdominal pain, tightness in the throat and breathing difficulty.

In May, the Food Standards (Australia and New Zealand) Code was amended to include lupin as a potential allergen on the Food. Lupin must now be declared when present in a food as an ingredient or component of ingredients including food additives and processing aids.

Lupin joins tree nuts, wheat, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, eggs, seafood and sesame seeds on the list of foods that must be declared on labelling.

If you’re using lupin, you have a transition period to update your labels, however, from May 26, 2018, all foods must comply with the new requirement.

For more information visit www.foodstandards.gov.au.