TL;DR Nine allergens must be declared on US packaged food: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, crustacean shellfish and sesame. They cause about 90 percent of reactions. Molluscs, mustard, celery, lupin and sulfites are not on the list and are not required to be labelled.

Nine ingredients are legally required to be declared on a packaged food label in the United States. They are called the Big 9, and between them they account for roughly 90 percent of food-allergic reactions in the country. Everything else, however severe an individual reaction may be, is labelled at the manufacturer's discretion.

What are the 9 major food allergens?

Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, crustacean shellfish and sesame. The first eight were set by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act in 2004. Sesame became the ninth on 1 January 2023 under the FASTER Act.

  1. Milk — the most common allergy in infants. Hides as casein, caseinate, whey, lactalbumin, lactoferrin and ghee.
  2. Eggs — hides as albumin, globulin, lysozyme, ovalbumin, ovomucin and vitellin.
  3. Peanuts — a legume, not a tree nut. Hides as arachis oil, ground nut and beer nuts.
  4. Tree nuts — almond, walnut, cashew, pecan, pistachio, hazelnut, macadamia, Brazil nut and others. Each is declared by name.
  5. Wheat — hides as semolina, durum, farina, spelt, kamut, seitan and modified food starch of wheat origin.
  6. Soy — hides as edamame, miso, tempeh, textured vegetable protein and some lecithin.
  7. Fish — declared by species. Hides in Worcestershire sauce, Caesar dressing and some imitation seafood.
  8. Crustacean shellfish — shrimp, crab, lobster and crayfish. Molluscs such as clams and scallops are not covered by the labelling rule.
  9. Sesame — the newest addition. Hides as tahini, benne, gingelly, halvah and, historically, the catch-all "natural flavor".

How does the labelling rule actually work?

A manufacturer must name the allergen either inside the ingredient list, using its common name, or in a separate "Contains" statement directly beneath it. "Sodium caseinate (milk)" satisfies the rule, and so does "Contains: Milk, Wheat" printed below the ingredients. Both are acceptable; only one has to appear.

The rule covers packaged food regulated by the FDA. It does not cover most meat, poultry and egg products, which fall under the USDA, and it does not cover food served loose in restaurants, bakeries or delis. That gap is the reason a label-scanning habit does not transfer to a counter.

What about the tenth allergen?

Sesame took nineteen years to move from recognised problem to legal requirement, and it remains the most recent addition. Molluscan shellfish, mustard, celery, lupin and sulfites are all declarable in other jurisdictions and none of them is required to be declared in the US. If your child reacts to any of those, the Big 9 list is not the list you need.

Does the Big 9 cover 90 percent of everything?

It covers roughly 90 percent of reactions, not 90 percent of allergens. More than 160 foods have been documented as triggers. The nine are simply the ones common enough to justify a labelling mandate, which makes the list a regulatory instrument rather than a medical one. A rare allergy is no less dangerous for being rare; it is just less visible on a package.

Scanning labels Snack Check reads a packaged snack's declared allergens from the barcode so you are not squinting at a nine-point ingredient list in a supermarket aisle. Free on the App Store.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 9 major food allergens?

Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, crustacean shellfish and sesame. These nine must be declared on FDA-regulated packaged food in the United States, and together they account for roughly 90 percent of food-allergic reactions in the country.

Why are there 9 allergens instead of 8?

Sesame became the ninth major allergen on 1 January 2023 under the FASTER Act. Before that the list had eight, set by FALCPA in 2004. Sesame was previously legal to hide inside the term natural flavor, which is why the change mattered.

Are shellfish and molluscs both covered?

Only crustacean shellfish such as shrimp, crab, lobster and crayfish are covered. Molluscs including clams, mussels, oysters and scallops are not required to be declared in the United States, although they are in the European Union.

Does the Big 9 rule apply to restaurant food?

No. The labelling requirement applies to FDA-regulated packaged food. Restaurants, bakeries, delis and other loose or freshly prepared food are not covered, and most meat and poultry products fall under USDA rules instead.

Is the Big 9 the same as the top 9 food allergies?

Close, but the list is a regulatory one rather than a ranking. It reflects which allergens are common enough to justify mandatory labelling. More than 160 foods have been documented as triggers, and a less common allergy is no less severe for being unlisted.