Allergenic Foods and their Allergens, with links to Informall

The Big-8

Big-8 chart displaying milk, eggs, fish, shrimp, nuts, wheat and soy.
The Big-8

 

A group of the eight major allergenic foods is often referred to as the Big-81 and comprises milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybean. These foods account for about 90% of all food allergies in the United States and must be declared on any processed food according to the USA food allergen labeling act (FALCPA)1. In addition labeling of the Big-8 is mandatory according to EU, Canadian, Japanese and Australian / New Zealand regulations, all of which follow Codex Alimentarius recommendations.

Allergic consumers may accidentally encounter problem foods as several of the Big-8 (e.g. eggs, milk, wheat, and soybean) are often used in processed products and can be "hidden".

For a detailed description of the individual members of this group please follow the links.

Pitcher and Glass of milk.
Milk

 

Milk
Open flat carton of eggs.
Eggs

 

Eggs
Display of four types of fish.
Fish

 

Fish
Display of cooked crabs and shrimp.
Crustacean Shellfish

 

Crustacean shellfish
English walnuts, brazil nuts, pecans in bowl.
Tree Nuts

 

Tree nuts
Pile of peanuts in and out of their shell.
Peanuts

 

Peanuts
Wheat grains and wheat stalks.
Wheat

 

Wheat
Soybeans some in shells.
Soybean

 

Soybean