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CulinaryThe 9 Major Food Allergens
Twenty flashcards on the nine foods U.S. law names as major allergens, what counts and what stays out.
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20 cards
- How many major food allergens does U.S. law recognize today?
- Nine.
- Name the nine major food allergens.
- Milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.
- Which 2004 law first named the major food allergens, and how many?
- FALCPA, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, named eight.
- Which allergen became the ninth, and through which law?
- Sesame, through the FASTER Act, signed on April 23, 2021.
- Since when must sesame be treated as a major food allergen?
- Since January 1, 2023.
- When FALCPA passed, what share of food allergies did the eight allergens cause?
- 90 percent of food allergies and serious allergic reactions in the U.S.
- Give three examples of fish on the FDA list.
- Bass, flounder and cod.
- Give three examples of crustacean shellfish.
- Crab, lobster and shrimp.
- Give three examples of tree nuts.
- Almonds, walnuts and pecans.
- Besides the nine foods, what else is a major food allergen in the Food Code?
- Any food ingredient that contains protein derived from one of those foods.
- What does the Food Code leave out of "major food allergen"?
- Highly refined oils made from those foods, and ingredients made from such oils.
- What causes a food allergy?
- The immune system reacts to certain proteins in a food.
- Which antibodies drive a food allergic response?
- Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies aimed at the food allergen.
- Can food allergies be cured today?
- No. A medical diagnosis and strict avoidance of the food prevent serious harm.
- How many foods are known to cause food allergies?
- More than 160 foods.
- Casein, sodium caseinate and whey come from which allergen?
- Milk: all three are milk proteins.
- Has the FDA set a safe threshold level for any allergen?
- No. The FDA has not set a threshold for any allergen.
- Which major allergen is the most common cause of recalls for undeclared allergens?
- Milk.
- Gluten is found in which grains?
- Wheat, barley and rye; in celiac disease it damages the lining of the small intestine.
- When must sulfites be declared on a food label?
- When the food has 10 parts per million or more of total sulfites.
Official sources
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Food Allergies
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Food Allergies: What You Need to Know
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FDA Food Code 2022 (full document, January 18, 2023)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Have Food Allergies? Read the Label
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