Food Allergens
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Peanut | ![]() |
Soy |
| Egg | Sesame seeds | ||
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Milk | Seafood (fish, crustaceans, shellfish)* | |
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Tree nuts (e.g. almond, cashew, hazelnut, pistachio) | ![]() |
Sulphites |
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Wheat | ![]() |
Mustard |
These are identified as "priority allergens" based on Canadian food labelling requirements. The information provided for the above allergens has been excerpted from Anaphylaxis Canada's Allergen Cards and Health Canada's pamphlets on priority allergens.
*For regulatory purposes, Health Canada uses the following terms to describe food from the sea: fish, shellfish (e.g. oysters, clams) and crustaceans (e.g. lobster, shrimp).
Peanuts
Peanuts are a member of the legume family and not botanically related to tree nuts. Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies in children, adolescents, and adults.
Other Names for Peanuts:
- Arachide
- Arachis oil
- Beer nuts
- Cacahouète/cacahouette/cachuète
- Goober nuts, goober peas
- Kernels
- Mandelonas, Nu-NutsTM
- Nut meats
- Valencias
Possible sources of peanuts:
- Almond & hazelnut paste, icing, glazes, marzipan, nougat
- Nut substitutes such as reflavoured and reformed peanuts that look like other nuts
- Baked goods, e.g., cakes, cookies, donuts, energy bars, granola bars, pastries
- Cereals
- Chili
- Ice cream & flavoured ice water treats, frozen desserts, frozen yogurts, sundae toppings
- Dried salad dressings and soup mixes
- Ethnic foods e.g., Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, curries, egg rolls, satays, Szechuan & other sauces, gravy, soups
- Hydrolyzed plant protein/ hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Peanut oil / cold pressed peanut oil
- Snack foods such as candy, candy bars, chocolate, dried fruits, chewy fruit snacks, trail mixes, popcorn, chips
- Vegetarian meat substitutes
- Edible fruit arrangements
Non-food sources of peanuts:
- Ant baits, bird feed, mouse traps, pet food
- Cosmetics, hair and skin care products, soap, sunscreen
- Craft materials
- Medications and vitamins
- Mushroom growing medium
- Stuffing in toys
Tree nuts Common tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts (filberts), hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts (pinon, pignolias), pistachios, shea nuts and walnuts.
People who are allergic to tree nuts should also avoid peanuts and tree nut derivatives because of the risk of cross-contamination. People with an allergy to one type of tree nut have a greater chance of being allergic to other types.
Coconut and nutmeg are not included in the list of tree nuts, however, they can cause allergic reactions just like any other food. If you have a tree nut allergy, ask your allergist if coconut and nutmeg are safe for you.
Other names for tree nuts:
- Anacardium nuts
- Nut meats
- Queensland nut (macadamia)
Possible sources of tree nuts:
- Baked goods, e.g., cakes, cereal bars, cookies, crackers, donuts, energy bars, ganola bars, pastries and pies, baking mixes
- Cereals, muesli
- Ice cream, flavoured ice water treats, frozen desserts, sundae toppings, frozen yogurts, pralines
- Calisson (a marzipan-like candy made from almonds)
- Marzipan (almond paste)
- Main course dishes such as almond chicken, pad thai, satay, chilli, gravies
- Natural flavourings and extracts e.g. pure almond extract,
- Smoke flavourings e.g., barbecue sauces
- Tree nut and/or peanut oils
- Nut-flavoured coffees and liqueurs such as Frangelico (hazelnut flavoured) and amaretto (almond flavoured)
- Salads,(e.g., Waldorf Salad) and salad dressings
- Barbecue and pesto sauces
- Snack food e.g., candy, candy bars, chips, chocolate, popcorn, snack mixes, trail mixes
- Spreads and Nut butters (e.g., Nutella)
- Gianduja and giandula (chocolate blended with hazel nuts)
- Vegetarian dishes
Non-food sources of tree nuts:
- Bean-bags, kick sacks/hacky sacks
- Bird seed
- Cosmetics, skin and hair care products, lotions, soap, body scrubs, sun screens
- Massage oils
- Pet food
- Sandblasting materials
Milk Many young children outgrow an allergy to milk within the first decade of life. However, some will remain at risk, and should follow key safety rules such as carrying epinephrine at all times.
Milk allergy is caused by a reaction to the protein in cow's milk.
Other names for milk:
- Ammonium/calcium/magnesium/potassium/sodium caseinate
- Casein/caseinate/rennet casein
- Curds
- Delactosed/demineralised whey
- Dry milk/milk/sour cream/sour milk solids
- Hydrolyzed casein, hydrolyzed milk protein
- Lactalbumin/lactalbumin phosphate
- Lactate/lactose
- Lactoferrin
- Lactoglobulin
- Milk derivative/fat/protein
- Modified milk ingredients
- OptaTM, Simplesse® (fat replacers)
- Whey, whey protein concentrate
Possible sources of milk:
- Artificial butter, butter fat/flavour/oil, ghee, margarine
- Baked goods and baking mixes
- Brown sugar, high protein flour
- Buttermilk, cream, dips, salad dressings, sour cream, spreads
- Caramel colouring/flavouring
- Casein in wax used on fresh fruits and vegetables
- Casseroles, frozen prepared foods
- Cereals, cookies, crackers
- Cheese, cheese curds, cottage/soy cheese
- Chocolate
- Desserts
- Egg/fat substitutes
- Flavoured coffee, coffee whitener, non-dairy creamer
- Glazes, nougat
- Gravy, sauces
- Kefir (milk drink), kumiss (fermented milk drink) and malt drink mixes
- Meats such as deli meats, hot dogs, patés and sausages
- Pizza
- Instant/mashed/scalloped potatoes
- Seasonings
- Snack foods
- Soups, soup mixes
- Tofu
Non-food sources of milk:
- Cosmetics
- Medications
- Pet food
Ingredients that do not contain milk:
- Calcium/sodium lactate
- Calcium/sodium stearoyl lactylate
- Cocoa butter
- Cream of tartar
- Oleoresin
EggsEggs have two allergenic parts, the yolk and the white. Eggs are produced by hens, ducks, geese and quails.
Other names for eggs:
- Albumin/Albumen
- Conalbumin
- Egg substitutes such as Egg BeatersTM
- Eggnog
- Glovulin
- Livetin
- Lysozyme
- Meringue
- Ovalbumin
- Ovoglobulin
- Ovolactohydrolyze proteins
- Ovomacroglobulin
- Ovomucin, ovomucoid
- Ovotransferrin
- Ovovitellin
- Silico-albuminate
- Simplesse®
- Vitellin
Possible sources of eggs:
- Alcoholic cocktails/drinks
- Baby food
- Baked goods and baking mixes
- Battered/fried foods
- Candy, chocolate
- Cream-filled pies
- Creamy dressings, salad dressings, spreads
- Desserts
- Egg/fat substitutes
- Fish mixtures
- Foam milk topping on coffee
- Homemade root beer, malt drink mixes
- Icing, glazes such as egg washes
- Lecithin
- Meat mixtures such as hamburgers, hot dogs, meatballs and meatloaf
- Pasta
- Quiche, soufflé
- Béarnaise, Hollandaise, and Newburg sauces
- Soups, broths and bouillons
Non-food sources of eggs:
- Anaesthetic such as Diprivan®
- Certain vaccines
- Craft materials
- Hair care products
- Medications
Wheat Wheat is a type of grass that's ground into flour, then used to make a wide variety of food products.
Other names for wheat:
- Atta
- Bulgur
- Couscous
- Durum
- Einkorn
- Emmer
- Enriched flour, white flour, whole-wheat flour
- Farina
- Gluten
- Graham flour, high gluten flour, high protein flour
- Kamut
- Seitan
- Semolina
- Spelt (dinkel, farro)
- Triticale (a cross between wheat and rye)
- Titicum aestivom
- Wheat bran, wheat flour, wheat /germ, wheat starch
Possible sources of wheat:
- Baking powder
- Most baked goods e.g., breads, bread crumbs, cakes, cereals, cookies, crackers, donuts, muffins, pasta, baking mixes
- Batter fried foods
- Binders and fillers in processed meat, poultry and fish products
- Beer
- Coffee substitutes made from cereal
- Chicken and beef broth
- Falafel
- Gelatinized starch, modified starch, modified food starch
- Gravy mixes, bouillon cubes
- Communion/altar bread and wafers
- Hydrolyzed plant protein
- Ice cream
- Imitation bacon
- Pie fillings, puddings and snack foods
- Prepared ketchup and mustard
- Salad dressings
- Sauces e.g. chutney, soy sauce and tamari
- Seasonings, natural flavouring (from malt, wheat)
- Candy, candy bars
- Pie fillings and puddings
Non-food sources of wheat:
- Cosmetics, hair care products
- Medications, vitamins
- Modeling compounds such as Play-Doh
- Pet food
- Wreath decorations
Seafood (fish, crustaceans, shellfish) Health Canada includes fish, crustaceans (e.g. crab, lobster, shrimp) and shellfish (e.g. clams, mussels, scallops) under "seafood".
Other Names for fish:
- Anchovy
- Bass
- Bluefish
- Bream
- Carp
- Catfish (channel cat, mud cat)
- Char
- Chub
- Cisco
- Cod
- Eel
- Flounder
- Grouper
- Haddock
- Hake
- Halibut
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Mahi-mahi
- Marlin
- Monkfish (angler fish, lotte)
- Orange roughy
- Perch
- Pickerel (dore, walleye)
- Pike
- Plaice
- Pollock
- Pompano
- Porgy
- Rockfish
- Salmon
- Sardine
- Shark
- Smelt
- Snapper
- Sole
- Sturgeon
- Swordfish
- Tilapia (St. Peter's fish)
- Trout
- Tuna (albacore, bonito)
- Turbot
- White fish
- Whiting
Possible sources of fish:
- Coffee
- Deli meats
- Dips, spreads, imitation crab/lobster meat
- Ethnic foods such as fried rice, paella, spring rolls
- Fish mixtures
- Garnishes
- Gelatin, marshmallows
- Hot dogs
- Pizza toppings
- Salad dressings
- Sauces
- Soups
- Sushi
- Tarama (roe)
- Wine and beer (used as a fining agent)
Non-food sources of fish:
- Fish food
- Lip balm/lip gloss
- Pet food
- Compost or fertilizers
Shellfish and Crustaceans:
Shellfish have a hinged two-part shell and include clams, mussels, oysters and scallops. Crustaceans are aquatic animals that have jointed legs, a hard shell and no backbone such as crab, crayfish, lobster, prawns and shrimp.
Other names for shellfish:
- Abalone
- Clam
- Crab
- Crayfish (crawfish, écrivisse)
- Cockle
- Conch
- Limpets
- Lobster (langouste, langoustine, coral, tomalley)
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Oysters
- Periwinkle
- Prawns
- Quahaugs
- Scallops
- Shrimp (crevette)
- Snails (escargot)
- Squid (calamari)
- Whelks
Other examples of seafood
- Caviar and roe (unfertilized fish eggs)
- Ceviche
- Gravad Lax
- Kamaboko (imitation crab and lobster meat)
- Lox
- Minced fillets
- Sashimi
- Scrod
- Surimi (used to make imitation crab and lobster meat)
- Sushi
- Tarama (salted carp roe)
Soy Soy comes from soybeans, a type of legume. Soybeans can be made into soy flour, soy milk, tofu and oil, among other products.
Other names for soy:
- Bean curd (dofu, kori-dofu, soybean curds, tofu)
- Edamame
- Kinako
- Kouridofu
- Miso
- Hydrolyzed soy protein
- Natto
- Nimame
- Okara
- Soya, soja, soybean, soyabeans
- Soy protein (isolate/concentrate), vegetable protein
- Tempeh
- Textured soy flour (TSF), Textured soy protein (TVP)
- Yuba
Possible sources of soy:
- Mono-diglyceride
- Baby formulas
- Baked goods and baking mixes e.g. breads, bread crumbs, cereals, cookies
- Breaded foods
- Bean sprouts
- Beverage mixes
- Chilli, pastas, stews, taco filling, tamales
- Canned tuna, minced hams
- Chewing gum
- Cooking spray, margarine, vegetable shortening, vegetable oil
- Diet drinks, imitation milk
- Dressings, gravies and marinades
- Frozen desserts, soy ice cream, soy pudding, yogurt
- Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP) and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
- Lecithin (from soy)
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Processed and prepared deli meats e.g. burgers, meat analogs, patties, wieners
- Vegetarian meat substitutes
- Sauces, e.g. soy, teriyaki and worcestershire
- Seasonings
- Simulated meat and fish products
- Snack foods, e.g., candy, candy bars, popcorn, energy bars
- Soy cheese
- Soups, broths and soups mixes, miso soup
- Spreads, dips, mayonnaise, peanut butter
- Thickening agents
- Vegetarian dishes
Non-food sources of soy:
- Cosmetics, soaps
- Craft materials, soyabean crayons, soyabean ink
- Glycerine
- Pet food and milk substitutes for young animals
- Vitamins
- Candles
Sesame Sesame seeds are small oval seeds that are edible and can yield oil. The seeds are creamy white or charcoal black in color.
Other names for sesame seeds:
- Benne, benne seed, benniseed
- Gingelly, gingelly oil
- Seeds
- Sesamol, sesamolina
- Sesamum indicum
- Sim sim
- Tahini, Tahina
- Til
- Vegetable oil
Possible sources of sesame seeds:
- Baked goods, e.g., hamburger buns, multi-grain breads & bagels
- Bread crumbs, bread sticks, cereals, crackers, melba toast, muesli
- Dips, patés, spreads such as hummus
- Dressings, gravies, marinades, salads, sauces, soups
- Ethnic foods such as flavoured rice, noodles, shish kebabs, stews and stir fry
- Flavour(ing)
- Herbs, seasoning, spice
- Margarine
- Processed meats, sausages
- Risotto (rice dish)
- Sesame oil, sesame salt
- Snack foods e.g., bagel chips, pita chips, pretzels, rice cakes, sesame snap bars, candy, Halvah
- Tahini
- Tempeh
- Vegetarian burgers
Non-food sources of sesame seeds:
- Adhesive bandages
- Cosmetics, hair care products, perfumes, soaps, sun screens
- Drugs
- Fungicides, insecticides
- Lubricants, ointments, topical oils
- Pet food
- Sesame meal in poultry and livestock feed
Sulphites Sulphites are substances that naturally occur in food. They are also used as a food additive and preservative to maintain food color, prolong shelf life and maintain the potency of certain medications.
Other names for sulphites:
- E 220, E 221, E 222, E 223, E 224, E 225, E226, E227, E 228 (European names)
- Potassium bisulphite/
- Potassium metabisulphite
- Sodium bisulphite, sodium dithionite, sodium metabisulphite, disodium sulphite, sulfite
- Sulfur dioxide
- Sulphiting agents
- Sulphurous acid
Possible sources of sulphites:
- Alcoholic/non-alcoholic beer, cider, wine
- Baked goods
- Bottled lemon and lime juice/concentrate
- Canned/frozen fruits and vegetables
- Cereal, cornmeal, cornstarch, crackers, muesli
- Condiments
- Deli meats, hot dogs, sausages
- Dressings, gravies, guacamole, sauces, soups, soup mixes
- Dried fruits and vegetables
- Dried herbs, spices, tea
- Fish
- Fresh grapes, lettuce
- Fruit fillings, fruit syrups, gelatines, jams, jellies, marmalade, molasses, pectin
- Fruit/vegetable juices
- Glazed/glacéed fruits
- Potatoes
- Snack foods
- Soy products
- Starches
- Sugar syrups
- Tomato paste/pulp/purée
- Vinegar, wine vinegar
Non-food sources of sulphites:
- Bottle sanitizing solution for home brewing
Mustard (as of August 2012)Mustard is an herbaceous flowering plant belonging to the same family as cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes, broccoli and fodder crops.
Types of mustard:
- Mustard seeds - white, yellow and brown
- Mustard Powder
- Prepared Mustard
Possible sources of mustard:
- Condiments
- Seasonings and flavouring agents
- Soups, stock, sauces, gravies and marinades
- Curries, chutneys
- Emulsifiers
- Water binding agents (for texture control)
- Sprouted mustard seeds
- Mustard oil
- Mustard leaves














