Celery | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Celery (Apium graveolens) is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae whose stalks, leaves, seeds, and root (celeriac) are widely consumed as food ingredients valued for flavour, texture, and nutritional content including vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, and bioactive phthalides. It is used fresh, dried, and as a spice or flavouring across cuisines worldwide.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Celery is broadly safe for the general population with a long, established history of consumption. However, it is one of the 14 mandatory allergens under EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, with a self-reported allergy prevalence of approximately 5.5% in Europe; allergic reactions in sensitised individuals can range from mild oral allergy syndrome to severe anaphylaxis. Celery also cross-reacts with birch pollen and mugwort pollen via shared IgE-binding proteins (birch-mugwort-celery syndrome), meaning pollen-allergic individuals may react to celery as well.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Celery and products thereof are approved as food ingredients. Under Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, celery is one of 14 allergens requiring mandatory labelling; any intentional use must be declared on the label regardless of quantity or processing. No ADI has been established for celery as a whole food ingredient.source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) / Food Standards Scotland (FSS) (United Kingdom)	Approved	Celery is one of 14 allergens requiring mandatory labelling under UK Food Information for Consumers (UK FIC) Regulation, applicable to prepacked, prepacked for direct sale (PPDS), and non-prepacked foods. UK retained this requirement post-Brexit as assimilated law.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Celery is not classified as one of the 9 major food allergens under FALCPA (2004) or FASTER Act (2023). Celery seed is listed in the FDA EAFUS database as GRAS for use as a flavouring. FDA acknowledges that celery is identified as a priority allergen for labelling purposes in other countries (e.g., EU) but no mandatory celery allergen labelling is required in the US.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Other — Individuals with confirmed celery allergy (including celeriac) must strictly avoid all celery products, as even trace amounts can trigger IgE-mediated reactions up to and including anaphylaxis, as confirmed by EFSA and mandated by EU/UK allergen labelling law.

Other — People with birch pollen or mugwort pollen allergy may experience cross-reactive oral allergy syndrome or systemic reactions to celery due to shared IgE-binding proteins (birch-mugwort-celery syndrome), and should consult an allergist before consuming raw celery.

Pregnancy — Concentrated celery seed supplements and celery seed oil (not normal dietary intake) have been associated with uterine-stimulating effects; pregnant individuals should avoid celery seed supplements while normal food consumption of celery stalks and leaves is generally considered safe.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Global Perspectives on Allergen Labeling: Harmonization of Regulations and Practices. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2other. Allergen guidance for food businesses. food.gov.uk
3FDA. The Current Food Allergen Landscape, 2021. fda.gov
4EFSA. Scientific Opinion on the evaluation of allergenic foods and food ingredients for labelling purposes, 2014. efsa.europa.eu
5EFSA. EFSA provides scientific basis for labelling of food allergens (2004 NDA Panel Opinion), 2004. efsa.europa.eu

Independently researched5 citations