MamasHealth.com Home Food Allergies Food allergens Major food allergens What to do Links Email Mama	Food Allergens Major food allergens The major food allergens account for 90 percent of food allergic reactions. Major food allergens are the food sources from which many other ingredients are derived. The eight most common food allergens are: Milk Eggs Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod) Crustacean shellfish (e.g. crab, lobster, shrimp) Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans) Peanuts Wheat Soybeans These eight foods, and any ingredient that contains protein derived from one or more of them, are designated as "major food allergens". How major food allergens are listed on labels U.S. 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: In parentheses following the name of the ingredient. Examples: "lecithin (soy)," "flour (wheat)," and "whey (milk)" – OR – Immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a "contains" statement. Example: "Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy."	Partner with MamasHealth.com Sign up for our Email Newsletter For Email Marketing you can trust
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