Preserve emphasized allergen wording when transcribing an ingredient list
Keep original emphasis, punctuation and source images intact without converting a transcription into an allergen-safety assessment.
When copying an ingredient list, preserve its emphasized words and the text around them. Formatting can carry information that disappears in a plain-text extraction. Keep a readable source image beside the transcription so a reader can inspect the original presentation.
Capture more than the highlighted word
The European Commission explains that specified allergens used as ingredients must be emphasized within the ingredient list, for example through a different type style. See its allergen-labelling explanation. For a transcription task, this means the presentation itself deserves attention.
Photograph the complete paragraph, not only the bold terms. Include parentheses, connecting words and any adjacent statements. If a line wraps onto another face of the package, capture that continuation and keep it linked to the first image.
Represent emphasis explicitly
For a fictional example, a list might include whey powder with the word milk emphasized in parentheses. Preserve the entire phrase and record which word is emphasized. Do not replace the phrase with a shortened list of isolated allergens; that loses its relationship to the ingredient declaration.
If your note format supports bold text, use it to reflect the source rather than adding your own emphasis indiscriminately. In plain text, a separate field such as emphasized in original can preserve the distinction. Keep that field clearly labeled so it cannot be mistaken for additional manufacturer wording.
Do not infer absence from formatting loss
An extraction that omits bolding has not established that no words were emphasized on the package. Likewise, an unreadable or incomplete image cannot support a conclusion that a particular declaration is absent. Mark the formatting check unresolved until the source can be read.
When reviewing another person's transcription, compare the emphasized words against the image one by one, then read the whole paragraph for omissions. Record any correction with its source and date instead of silently rewriting the saved list.
This method preserves label evidence; it does not determine whether a food is safe for someone with an allergy. Do not use a formatting check, translation or scanner summary to make that decision. For questions about an individual's dietary restrictions, use appropriate professional guidance and direct product clarification where needed. Keep the current package available rather than relying solely on an older saved transcription.