What Are the 9 Major Food Allergies? (With Examples)

Allergies can come in various forms, from environmental allergens like pollen to bee stings, medications, and much more.

Food allergies are also common, with the 9 most common food allergies including:

• Milk (usually cow’s milk, but it can also be other mammal milk like goat’s milk, etc.)
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Wheat
• Soy
• Sesame

We’ll provide examples for all of the 9 major food allergies in this article, as well as tips for navigating food allergies!

What is a food allergy?

A food allergy is when your body has an immune response after eating a certain type of food. In an immune response, you can experience symptoms such as:

• Bloating
• Chest tightness and losing your breath
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Feeling faint, light-headed, or “blacking out”
• Hives (a rash with raised red patches)
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Itchy nose
• Pain
• Rashes
• Redness
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Stomach cramps
• Swelling
• Throat closing
• Tongue swelling
• Vomiting
• Wheezing 

As you can see, symptoms can range from an upset stomach to a potentially life-threatening reaction like your throat closing, making it difficult to breathe. 

The severity of an allergic reaction to eating food varies among individuals. Some people with severe peanut allergies, for instance, might experience throat swelling when exposed to peanuts, while someone with a wheat allergy might break out in a rash after eating wheat.

9 Major Food Allergies

There are nine recognized major food allergies. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, around 6% of adults have a food allergy (and around 6% of children) in the United States.

The 9 major food allergies (with examples) are:

1. Milk

If you have a milk allergy, you’re likely allergic to the protein in cow’s milk. Cow’s milk allergy is the most common allergy among children. However, it’s also possible to be allergic to other mammal milk such as goat’s milk – which usually occurs alongside a cow’s milk allergy.

The good news is that around 80% of children are expected to outgrow an allergy to cow’s milk by the time they’re 16!

Examples of foods to be avoided (depending on the severity of the allergy) for a cow’s milk allergy include:

• Cow’s milk in any form (flavored, low-fat, cream, etc.)
• Cheese
• Ice cream
• Yogurt
• Anything containing milk, whey, or casein in the ingredient list (all milk-derived ingredients)
• Other mammal milk like goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, etc. (if those allergies are present alongside a cow’s milk allergy – they rarely occur on their own without a cow’s milk allergy)

2. Eggs

If you have an egg allergy, you should avoid eating eggs from any type of bird (eggs from chickens, ducks, quail, etc). 

Some people with egg allergies might be able to tolerate eggs cooked in foods (like cake), but others need to avoid eggs in all forms, even in baked goods.

3. Peanuts

A peanut allergy is most commonly associated with severe anaphylactic reactions, which can be life-threatening.

Peanuts are technically a legume, so a peanut allergy doesn’t necessarily mean you’d also be allergic to tree nuts like almonds (more on that next).

If you have a peanut allergy, you’ll need to avoid:

• Peanuts in all forms 
• Peanut butter (including powdered peanut butter)
• Anything containing peanuts, including candies, nutrition bars, etc.

4. Tree nuts

Tree nut allergies can overlap with peanut allergies in some instances, but it’s not always the case. 

If you have a tree nut allergy, you’ll need to avoid eating tree nuts such as:

• Almonds
• Brazil nuts
• Cashews
• Hazelnuts (filberts)
• Macadamia nuts
• Pecans
• Pine nuts (pinon, pignolias)
• Pistachios
• Walnuts

In the United States, coconuts are considered tree nuts for allergen statements that are required to be included on food labels. However, most people with tree nut allergies can safely consume coconut.

5. Fish

According to the School Nutrition Association, fish allergies only impact around 1% of Americans, yet around 40% of fish allergies aren’t discovered until adulthood!

If you’re allergic to fish, you’ll need to avoid all types of fish, such as:

• Anchovies
• Bass
• Catfish
• Cod
• Flounder
• Grouper
• Haddock
• Hake
• Halibut
• Herring
• Mahi Mahi
• Perch
• Pike
• Pollock
• Salmon
• Scrod
• Sole
• Snapper
• Swordfish
• Tilapia
• Trout
• Tuna

In addition, you’ll need to avoid:

• Fish Flavoring
• Fish gelatin
• Fish oil
• Fish sticks or any processed foods including fish ingredients

6. Shellfish (crustaceans)

Some people with a shellfish allergy might be able to consume certain kinds of shellfish, while others need to avoid them altogether.

If you’re allergic to shellfish, you need to avoid shellfish such as:

• Shrimp
• Crabs
• Lobster

Some people with a shellfish allergy might be able to consume mollusks, while others might not. Examples of mollusks include:

• Squid
• Oysters
• Scallops
• Snails

7. Wheat

A wheat allergy shouldn’t be confused with a gluten allergy or intolerance. If you have a wheat allergy, you only need to avoid wheat – not necessarily gluten (which is in wheat).

You can look for allergen statements on foods to see if they contain wheat (it’s listed in bold on the nutrition facts label), but some common names for wheat can include:

• Bran
• Bread crumbs
• Bulgur
• Cereal extract
• Couscous
• Cracker meal
• Durum
• Einkorn
• Emmer
• Farina
• Flour (enriched, graham, high-gluten, high-protein, whole-wheat)
• Matzoh, matzoh meal
• Pasta 
• Seitan
• Semolina
• Spelt
• Vital gluten
• Wheat berries, bran, germ, gluten, grass, malt, sprouted, starch

8. Soy

Soybeans are a popular source of plant-based protein. Soy products are also found in processed foods, making them a trickier allergen to spot sometimes. Like wheat, you can look for the allergen statement on the nutrition facts label to quickly identify if a food contains soy.

Examples of ingredients to avoid for a soy allergy include:

• Hydrolyzed soy protein
• Miso
• Edamame
• Natto
• Soy albumin
• Soy cheese
• Soy fiber
• Soy yogurt
• Soy ice cream
• Soybean (curd, granules)
• Shoyu sauce
• Soy flour
• Soy grits
• Soy nuts
• Soy milk
• Soy sprouts
• Soy protein concentrate
• Soy protein isolate
• Soy protein hydrolyzed
• Soy sauce
• Tamari
• Tempeh
• Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
• Tofu
  

9. Sesame

The requirement for food manufacturers to label sesame as an allergen only began on January 1, 2023, so it’s one of the newer “top” allergens.

If you’re allergic to sesame, you’ll need to avoid anything containing sesame, such as:

• Sesame seeds
• Sesame seed oil
• Any foods containing sesame ingredients such as cereals, breads, etc.

Tips for dealing with top 9 food allergies

• Check the nutrition facts label for all processed foods for the allergen statement – it will say “Contains” and any of the top 9 allergens in bold.
• Visit a Registered Dietitian or allergy specialist if you need help navigating food allergies.
• Invest in allergen-free cookbooks for new meal and snack ideas.
• Be careful of cross-contamination, which is when traces of a food allergy might come into contact with your food.

FAQs:

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