Daylesford’s Gluten Recall: A Coeliac’s Guide to the Bold-Label Rule
By Chris Carter, Managing Solicitor · Carter & Carter Solicitors · May 2026
QUICK ANSWER
The wheat was actually listed on the label. So why is Daylesford recalling the soup?
Listing an allergen is not enough under UK food law.
The Food Information Regulations 2014 require all 14 statutory allergens, wheat included, to be visually emphasised in the ingredients list. Usually in bold.
On the recalled Daylesford Minestrone, wheat is named at position seven. It is not visually distinguished. That is the breach.
For a coeliac in England or Wales who reacted, the FSA recall is the documented evidence a personal injury claim relies on.
You scan ingredient lists. You always have. It is what coeliacs in England and Wales do, every shop, every label, every meal out. So when a recall lands on a product you trusted because the label looked fine, the first reaction is usually a quiet self-blame. Did I miss it?
You almost certainly did not.
On 6 May 2026 the Food Standards Agency issued allergen alert FSA-AA-24-2026, recalling the Daylesford Organic Minestrone Soup with Cannellini Beans, Pasta Shells & Olive Oil 500ml. The reason given was not that wheat had been left off the label. The reason was that wheat was on the label, at position seven of the ingredients list, but had not been visually emphasised in the way UK food law requires. For coeliacs in England and Wales, that distinction is the difference between a label that protects you and one that has already failed.
I bought that Daylesford soup – was the gluten declared properly or not?
It was named, and it was not emphasised. Two different things, and only one of them satisfies the law.
The Food Standards Agency confirmed on 6 May 2026 that Daylesford Organic Ltd is recalling its 500ml Daylesford Organic Minestrone Soup with Cannellini Beans, Pasta Shells & Olive Oil. The recall covers eleven use-by dates running from 26 April through 24 May 2026. On affected packs, the ingredients list contains “Pasta (Wheat) (23%)”, but the wheat reference is not visually distinguished from the surrounding ingredients in the way the regulations demand. Daylesford is offering full refunds without proof of purchase. Their product line is 01608 692 871. The alert sits as a category-three allergen recall on the FSA’s public register.
If the wheat is right there in the ingredients, why is this a recall?
Because UK food law treats the 14 statutory allergens as a special category of information. They cannot be buried inside the ingredients list. They have to stand out from it.
The three pieces of law that govern allergen emphasis
Where an ingredient is one of the 14 named allergens, it must be indicated in the ingredients list and emphasised through a typeset that clearly distinguishes it from the rest of the list (font, style, or background colour).
The domestic statutory instrument that retains the EU emphasis rule. Schedule 14 lists the 14 allergens and applies the typographic distinction requirement to all prepacked food sold in England and Wales.
Makes it a criminal offence to sell food whose labelling is misleading as to its nature. Local authority Trading Standards officers enforce.
In practice almost every UK pre-packed food label uses bold capitals for the allergen word inside the ingredients list. Bold “WHEAT” inside “Pasta (Wheat) (23%)” is how producers comply. The Daylesford pack at the centre of FSA-AA-24-2026 has the wheat present in the list but not visually distinguished. That is the breach. The product is being recalled because named and emphasised are not the same thing under the regulations.
Specialists in this field recognise three categories of allergen labelling failure. Allergens can be undeclared. They can be present through cross-contamination not flagged by the producer. Or they can be declared but not emphasised, which is the position here. All three can ground a personal injury claim where someone has reacted.
A Detail That Often Gets Missed
Coeliac shoppers learn early to scan ingredient lists for the word wheat. What most do not know is that the law is on their side in a very specific way. They are not expected to read every line. They are entitled to expect any wheat-containing ingredient to jump off the page in bold, italics, or a contrasting colour, anywhere it appears. If a label forces a coeliac to dissect the small print, it has already failed. The 14 allergens are protected information, and the law does not soften the rule for high-end producers.
I had a gluten reaction from a soup like this – does the labelling failure help my claim?
A confirmed labelling breach by the producer is among the strongest pieces of supporting evidence a coeliac or wheat-allergy claim can carry. The FSA recall notice is a contemporaneous public document from a regulator. It records the breach, the affected batches, the dates, and the reason. For the personal injury solicitor working on the claim, it removes the usual difficulty of proving the food was non-compliant. The breach is documented before the legal letter is drafted.
For the person who reacted, the case becomes a question of two things. Did the affected product cause the reaction. And what compensation is right for the harm. Causation is usually established by GP records, A&E notes, or anaphylaxis admission paperwork dated within the use-by window. Harm is assessed against the Judicial College Guidelines. The three-year limitation under the Limitation Act 1980 runs from the reaction, not the recall.
– Chris Carter, Managing Solicitor, Carter & Carter Solicitors
I’m coeliac and I bought one of these – what should I actually do now?
Whether the soup is still in the cupboard or already eaten, the actions split into four practical steps. The order matters.
Carter & Carter’s Published Fees
10%
when the claim settles without issuing court proceedings
25%
only if court proceedings become necessary
No ATE insurance. No hidden deductions. No bill if the claim fails.
Related Guides
Reacted to a Daylesford soup or another mislabelled product?
Speak directly with Chris or David. Honest answer in fifteen minutes, no pressure, no jargon.
Chris Carter is the Managing Solicitor at Carter & Carter Solicitors in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire. Qualified in 1993, Chris has spent over 33 years handling personal injury claims, with allergy and anaphylaxis claims forming one of the firm’s four specialist practice areas. Carter & Carter is one of very few firms in England and Wales to publish its fee structure upfront and to handle every claim personally at senior solicitor level from start to finish.