Each year, millions of Americans have allergic reactions to food. Although most food allergies cause relatively mild and minor symptoms, some food allergies can cause severe reactions, and may even be life-threatening.
There is no cure for food allergies. Strict avoidance of food allergens — and early recognition and management of allergic reactions to food — are important measures to prevent serious health consequences.
The Major Food Allergens
While more than 160 foods can cause allergic reactions in people with food allergies, the following eight foods account for 90 percent of food allergic reactions. They are ingredients in many foods.
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Crustacean shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
- Tree nuts (such as almonds, walnuts and pecans)
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soybeans
In addition, sesame allergy is the fastest-growing food allergy, as foods such as sesame oil hummus become more popular.
Symptoms of a Food Allergy
Symptoms of food allergies typically appear from within a few minutes to two hours after a person has eaten the food that triggers the reaction.
Allergic reactions can include the following:
- Hives
- Flushed skin or rash
- Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
- Swelling of the face, tongue or lips
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- Coughing or wheezing
- Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
- Swelling of the throat and vocal cords
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of consciousness
The appearance of symptoms after eating may be a sign of a food allergy. Avoid eating the food that caused the symptoms and contact a doctor or healthcare provider for appropriate testing and evaluation.
If you have a food allergy, learn to read labels and avoid the offending foods. Also learn to recognize the early symptoms of an allergic reaction in case of accidental ingestion, and be properly educated on — and armed with — appropriate treatment measures.
Anyone with a known food allergy who begins experiencing symptoms while, or after, eating a food should initiate treatment immediately and go to a nearby emergency room if symptoms progress.
Severe Allergic Reactions
A person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. The reaction can constrict airways in the lungs, severely lower blood pressure and cause shock ("anaphylactic shock") and suffocation. It's estimated that anaphylaxis to food results in 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations and 150 deaths each year in the US. Promptly administering the drug epinephrine by autoinjector (such as Epi-pen) during early symptoms of anaphylaxis may help prevent these serious consequences.
Clearer Food Labeling for Allergens
To help Americans avoid the health risks posed by food allergens, Congress passed the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA). The law applies to all foods whose labeling is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both domestic and imported. FDA regulates the labeling of all foods, except for poultry, most meats, certain egg products, and most alcoholic beverages.
Before FALCPA, the labels of foods made from two or more ingredients were required to list all ingredients by their common or usual names. The names of some ingredients, however, do not clearly identify their food source.
Now, the law requires that labels must clearly identify the food source names of all ingredients that are — or contain any protein derived from — the eight most common food allergens, which FALCPA defines as "major food allergens."
As a result, food labels help allergic consumers to identify offending foods or ingredients so they can more easily avoid them.
The law requires that food labels identify the food source names of all major food allergens used to make the food. This requirement is met if the common or usual name of an ingredient already identifies that allergen's food source name — for example, the word milk in buttermilk). Otherwise, the allergen's name must be declared at least once on the food label in one of two ways:
- In parentheses following the name of the ingredient. For example, "lecithin (soy)," "flour (wheat)," and "whey (milk)"
- Immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a "contains" statement. For examples, "Contains Wheat, Milk and Soy."
Information in this article was adapted from the United States Food and Drug Administration's Food Facts.
