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Common
Allergens |
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The
eight most common allergenic foods account for 90 percent
of food allergy reactions… and these eight identified
foods are the food sources from which many other ingredients
are derived. |
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Eight
Foods to Avoid
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Crustacean
Shellfish
- Tree
Nuts
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soybeans
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These
eight foods, and any ingredient that contains protein
derived from one or more of them, are designated as "major
food allergens" by law.
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How
are Major Food Allergens Listed? |
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The
law requires that food labels identify the food source
of all major food allergens. Unless the food source of
a major food allergen is part of the ingredient's common
or usual name (or is already identified in the ingredient
list), it must be included in one of two ways.
The
name of the food source of a major food allergen must
appear:
1. In parentheses following the name of the
ingredient.
Examples: "lecithin (soy)," "flour
(wheat)," and "whey (milk)"
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OR -
2. Immediately after or next to the list
of ingredients in a "contains" statement.
Example: "Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy."
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To
help Americans avoid the health risks posed
by food allergens, Congress passed the Food
Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection
Act of 2004. The law applies to all foods
regulated by FDA, both domestic and imported,
that were labeled on or after January 1, 2006.
(FDA regulates all foods except meat, poultry,
and certain egg products.) |
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