Common Food Allergens - A Brief Overview

Author: CHEF Sonia

Anaphylactic reactions are severe allergic reactions that occur when the body's immune system overreacts to a particular allergen.  Symptoms may vary -

- they may occur immediately;
- they may be delayed;
- they may be biphasic (2 episodes);
- they may escalate (start quickly as a mild reaction, progressing to a severe reaction

Reactions may include -
- Trouble breathing, speaking or swallowing, due to inflammation of airways;
- Drop in blood pressure, rapid heatbeat or loss of consciousness;
- Flushed face, hives, rash or red, itchy skin;
- Anxiousness, distress, faintness, paleness, weakness
- Cramp, diarrhea, vomiting

Treatment -
Currently, there are no cures for allergies, but treatment may include the administration of Ephinephrine (adrenalin), which is available as an auto-injector (epi-pen).  Emergency medical assistance should be sought in severe cases.

Avoidance -
- Avoid all foods that contain the allergen or derivatives of the allergen by reading food labels.  Some food labels may indicate 'may contain' - these should also be avoided.  If in doubt, or for confirmation on ingredients, please consult the manufacturer.  Also, manufacturers frequently change recipes, so foods that at one time may not have contained allergens, may now contain allergens, and vice versa.
- Avid all possible areas of cross-contamination, such as shared equipment during preparation (chopping boards, knives) or hands (when handling foods containing allergens, and then handling 'safe' foods without proper hand-washing).

The main food allergens that foodservice professionals should be aware of are -
- Peanuts
- Tree-nuts
- Sesame Seeds
- Soy
- Milk
- Eggs
- Seafood
- Wheat
- Sulphites

 

Peanuts

Other Names Used in Food Manufacturing	Possible 'Hidden' Sources of the Allergen
- arachide - arachis oil - beer nuts - cacahouete - goober nuts/ peas - ground nuts - kernels - mandelonas - nut meats - valencias	- almond/ hazelnut pastes, icing, glazes, marzipan, nougat; - artificial nuts (peanuts that have been modified to look & taste like other nuts - cereal - desserts, e.g. ice-cream, cakes - salad dressing, soup mixes, sauces - prepared dishes, e.g. soups, sauces, satays, savoury snacks, chili, curries - fried foods - gravy, e.g. for thickening - hydrolyzed plant/ vegetable protein - peanut oil - snack foods, e.g. candy/ sweets, chocolate, granola bards, popcorn, potato chips/ crisps, trail mixes - vegetarian meat substitutes

 

Tree-Nuts

Other Names Used in Food Manufacturing	Possible 'Hidden' Sources of the Allergen
- almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts/ filberts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts/ pignolias, pistachios, walnuts - anacardium nuts - calisson (made from almonds, similar to marzipan) - marzipan - nut meats - pinon - Queensland nut (macadamia)	- almond/ hazelnut pastes, icing, glazes, marzipan, nougat; - artificial nuts (peanuts that have been modified to look & taste like other nuts - cereal - desserts, e.g. ice-cream, cakes - salad dressing, soup mixes, sauces - prepared dishes, e.g. soups, sauces, satays, savoury snacks, chili, curries - gravy, e.g. for thickening - hydrolyzed plant/ vegetable protein - nut butter, nut/peanut oil - snack foods, e.g. candy/ sweets, chocolate, granola bars, popcorn, potato chips/ crisps, trail mixes - vegetarian meat substitutes - nut-flavoured coffee, liqueurs, e.g. amaretto - natural flavourings and extracts

 

Sesame Seeds

Other Names Used in Food Manufacturing	Possible 'Hidden' Sources of the Allergen
- benne/ benne seed/ benniseed - gingelly/ gingelly oil - seeds - sesamol/ sesamolina - sesamum indicum - sim sim - tahini - til	- baked goods, e.g. bagels, bread, crackers - cereal - dips, pastes, spreads, e.g. hummus, chutneys - salad dressings, soup mixes, sauces - prepared dishes, e.g. noodles, shish kebabs, stir fries - gravy, e.g. for thickening - dried herb mixes, seasonings - margarine - processed meat, e.g. sausages - risotto - sesame oil, sesame salt (gomasio) - snack foods, e.g. bagel/ pita chips, granola bars, halvah, rice cakes, pretzels - tahini - tempeh - vegetarian burgers

 

Soy

Other Names Used in Food Manufacturing	Possible 'Hidden' Sources of the Allergen
- edamame - kinako - kouridofu - miso - mono-digylceride - natto - nimame - okara - soya, soja, soybean, soyabeans - soy/ vegetable protein - tempeh - textured soy flour (TSF), textured soy protein (TSP), textured vegetble protein (TVP) - tofu, soybean curd - yuba	- baby powdered/ formula milk - baked goods, e.g. bread, cakes, biscuits/ cookies, doughnuts, pancakes - bean sprouts - beverages, e.g. hot chocolate, lemonade - cereal - chewing gum - cooking spray, magarine, vegetable shortening, vegetable oil - diet drinks, milk substitutes - salad dressings, soup mixes, sauces, e.g. soy sauce - gravies, e.g. for thickening - hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP), hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) - lecithin - monosodium glutamate (MSG) - processed meat, e.g. deli meats, minced ham, canned tuna - seafood based products, fish - dried herbs mixes, seasonings - simulated fish & meat products, e.g. surimi, 'mock' bacon bits - snack foods, e.g. chips/ crisps, energy bars, candy/ sweets, popcorn, fudge - thickening agent - vegetarian dishes

 

Milk

Other Names Used in Food Manufacturing	Possible 'Hidden' Sources of the Allergen
- ammonium/ calcium/ magnesium/ potassium/ sodium caseinate - casein/ caseinate/ rennet casein - curds - delactosed/ demineralised whey - dry milk, milk, sour cream, sour milk solids - hydrolyzed casein, hydrolysed milk protein - lactalbumin/ lactalbumin phosphate - lactate/ loactose - lactoferrin - lactoglobulin - milk derivative/ fat/ protein - modified milk ingredients - whey, whey protein concentrate	- artificial butter, butter, butter fat/ flavour/ oil, ghee, margarine - baked goods, e.g. bread, cakes, cookies/ biscuits, crackers - brown sugar, high protein flour - buttermilk, cream, sour cream, clotted cream - caramel colouring & flavouring, nougat - casseroles, frozen prepared foods - cereals - cheese, cheese curds, cottage/ soy cheese - chocolate - desserts, e.g. custard, yogurt, ice-cream, pudding - egg/ fat substitutes - flavoured coffee, coffee whitener - fried food - glazes - kefir (milk drink), kumiss (fermented milk drink), malt drinks - meat, e.g. canned tuna, deli/ processed meat, hot dogs, sausages - pizza - potato dishes, e.g. instant/ mashed/ scalloped potatoes - seasonings - snack foods, e.g. candy/ sweets, granola bars - soups, soup mixes - tofu

 

Eggs

Other Names Used in Food Manufacturing	Possible 'Hidden' Sources of the Allergen
- albumin/ albumen - conalbumin/ ovalbumin - egg substitues - globulin/ ovoglobulin/ ovomacroglobulin - livetin - lysozyme - meringue - ovolactohydrolyze proteins - ovomucin, ovomucoid - ovotransferrin - silico-albuminate - vitellin/ ovovitellin	- alcoholic cocktails/ drinks - baby food - baked goods, e.g. breads, cakes, cookies/ biscuis, muffins, pretzels - battered/ fried food - confectionary, e.g. candy/ sweets, chocolate - cream-filled pies - creamy dressings, spreads, e.g. mayonnaise, tartar sauce, Caesar dressing - desserts, e.g. custard, ice-cream, sorbet, meringue - egg/ fat substitutes - fish mixtures, e.g. surimi - foam/ milk toppings for coffee - root beer, malt drink mixes - icing, glazes, nougat - lecithin - processed meat mixes, e.g hamburgers, hot dogs, meatballs, salami - orange juice beverages - pasta, egg noodles - quiche, souffle - sauces, e.g. bearnaise, Newburg, hollandaise - soups, broths, bouillons

 

Seafood

Other Names Used in Food Manufacturing	Possible 'Hidden' Sources of the Allergen
- fish, e.g. haddock, pollock, tuna, whiting - crustaceans, e.g. crab, lobster, prawns, shrimp - shellfish, e.g. abalone, cockle, clam, mussels	- coffee - processed meat products, e.g. bologna, ham, hot dogs - dressings, dips, spreads, sauces, e.g taramasalata, marinara - prepared dishes, e.g. paella, spring rolls, - fish mixtures, e.g. surimi - garnishes, e.g. antipasto, caviar, roe - gelatin, marshmallows - soups - sushi - tamara - wine

  

Wheat

Other Names Used in Food Manufacturing	Possible 'Hidden' Sources of the Allergen
- atta - bulgur - couscous - durum - einkorn - emmer - enriched white/ whole wheat flour - farina - gluten - graham flour, high protein/ gluten flour - kamut - seitan - semolina - spelt - triticale/ triticum aestivum - wheat bran/ flour/ germ/ starch	- baking powder, baking flour - beer - coffee substitutes - falafel - gelatinised starch, modified starch, modified food starch - host (communion/ alter bread/ wafers) - hydrolysed plant protein (HPP) - ice-cream - imitation bacon - processed meat, fish, poultry products (binders), e.g. hot dogs, deli meats, surimi - pie fillings - sauces, dressings, e.g.ketchup/ catsup, mustard, soy sauce, tamari - seasonings - snack foods, e.g. candy/ sweets, chocolate bars

 

Sulphites

Other Names Used in Food Manufacturing	Possible 'Hidden' Sources of the Allergen
- E220, E221, E222, E223, E224, E225, E226, E227, E228 - potassium bisulphite/ metabisulphite - sodium bisulphite/ dithionite/ metabisulphite/ sulphite - sulphur dioxide - sulphiting agents - sulphurous acid	- alcoholic/ non-alcoholic beer, wine, cider - baked goods, e.g. bread, cookies/ biscuits, waffles, crackers - bottled lime/ lemon juice - canned fruit/ vegetables, frozen fruit/ vegetables, e.g olives, pickles, mushrooms - cereal, cornmeal, cornstarch, muesli - condiments, e.g. coleslaw, ketchup/ catsup, relish, sauerkraut - processed meat, e.g. deli meat, hot dogs - dressings, gravies, sauces, soups - dried fruit/ vegetables, e.g. apples, raisins, sun-dried tomatoes - dried herbs, spices, tea - fresh/ frozen seafood - fruit pie filling, fruit syrup, gelatin, jam, jellies, marmalade, pectin - fruit/ vegetable juice, e.g. coconut, grape - glazed fruit, e.g. maraschino cherries, apples - potato products, e.g. frozen fries/ chips, dehydrated, mashed, peeled - snack foods, e.g. candy/ sweets, chocolate, tortilla chips, chips/ crisps, soft drinks/ sodas - soy products - starches, e.g. corn, potato, sugar beet - noodles, rice mixes - sugar syrups, e.g. glucose, glucose solids, syrup dextrose - tomato paste/ pulp/ puree - vinegar, wine vinegar

The above information is only intended to be used as a guide.  For specific information on allergies, please consult a physician or your local anaphylactic society.