Big Nine Allergens Hub
The Importance of Correct Allergen Declarations
The leading causes of food allergies in the U.S. are collectively known as the ‘big nine allergens’, consisting of milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 6.2% of adults and 5.8% of children have food allergies in the U.S.
As the rapid increase in documented food allergy cases continues to rise, we expect there will be increased demand for legislative changes and improved allergen safety processes across the food industry to accommodate food-hypersensitive consumers to feel safe when shopping or eating out.
Our Big Nine Allergens Hub is an up-to-date resource for information regarding the nine major allergens, governing bodies, and relevant legislation for product and allergen labels. By understanding the dangers of allergens and incorrect labeling, businesses can take a proactive approach to allergen management, keeping both themselves and consumers safe.
What Are the Big Nine Allergens?
To learn more about the nine major food allergens in the U.S., click on the buttons or icons to view informative articles on each allergen. These articles list common foods that contain the allergen and provide advice for food businesses.
The Big Nine Allergens are:
Milk – Classified by the FDA as being sourced from domesticated cows, goats, sheep, or other ruminants. It is commonly found in dairy products such as butter, cheese, and yogurt.
Eggs – Commonly found in cakes, pasta, and breakfast foods such as pancakes, hash browns, and waffles. Many recipes also use eggs as a glaze. The FDA classifies eggs as eggs from domesticated chickens, ducks, geese, quail, and other fowl.
Fish – Often used in barbeque sauce, worcestershire sauce, and caesar salad. The FDA categorizes fish into three groups: jawless fish, such as hagfish and lampreys; bony fish, including trout and bass; and cartilaginous fish, including sharks and skates.
Shellfish – This refers explicitly to crustacean shellfish, as mollusks are exempt from labeling requirements
Tree nuts – Often used in chocolate spreads, ice cream, and breakfast cereals. The following are classified as ‘tree nuts’ for allergen labeling purposes: almonds, black walnuts, California walnuts, cashews, filbert/hazelnuts, heartnut/Japanese walnuts, macadamia/bush nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts.
Peanuts – Often used as a meat substitute in many vegetarian dishes. It is also common in dishes of African, Asian, and Mexican origin, as well as chocolate candies like marzipan and nougats.
Wheat – Found in pizza, biscuits, breads and cakes.
Soybeans – Common in miso soup and natto, and used as a source of protein in vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Sesame – The most recent to be added to the ‘Big Nine Food Allergens’, sesame is commonly found in bread, cereals such as granola and muesli, and many sauces and dressings.
Understanding Food Labeling Legislation
The FALCPA and FASTER acts
Under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) and the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act (FASTER), which is enforced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), foods containing any of the major food allergens must list them by their common or usual name. This must be done either in parentheses following the ingredient’s name, or with a “contains” statement immediately after or next to the ingredients list.
Failure to comply with FDA labeling requirements can result in product recalls, usually voluntarily under code 21 CFR 7, or made mandatory under Section 423 of the Food, Drugs, and Cosmetic Act, which was added by Section 206 of the Food Safety Modernization Act.
Criminal and/or civil penalties may also be enforced under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which both the FASTER act and FALCPA are amendments to.
The Food Safety Modernization Act
Introduced in January 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) introduced preventative measures to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and other food safety risks, such as requiring businesses to produce Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC). The FDA also received enhanced recall authority, now having the ability to issue mandatory food recalls.
You can learn more about FSMA in our dedicated article on the subject, while we also have a page covering food recalls.
LiberEat works closely with food businesses such as contract caterers, food producers, restaurant chains, and supermarkets/retailers to help them detect and alert their food safety teams to allergen errors. You can learn more about our allergen detection software here.
Just by adopting LiberEat Technology, food businesses can
Become trailblazers in allergen detection
Protect their consumers
Enhance their peace of mind