How to Read Ingredient Labels Like an Allergist

How to Read Ingredient Labels Like an Allergist

When you or a loved one has one or more food allergies, a grocery store trip becomes almost impossible to manage. While most people quickly scan nutritional labels looking for things like protein percentage, sodium content, or added sugars, you have to read and analyze the tiniest print. 

You’re looking for ingredients, even though they may have a dozen different names. The smallest mistake could become a life-threatening problem.

An allergist knows that food labels provide more than nutrient levels and ingredient lists. It’s a legal document that shows possible sources of cross-contamination that is essential to their patients. You need to know how to read ingredient labels like an allergist to protect yourself or your family member.

Understand FALCPA and the FASTER Act

While there are many food safety laws, two are specific to the presence of allergens in foods. They are the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) and the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act of 2021. 

Both require food manufacturers to clearly declare when the 9 major allergens are found in food items. Those allergens are:

• Crustacean/Shellfish (Such as clams, crab, lobster, mussels, scallops, and shrimp)
• Eggs
• Fish ( Such as anchovies, cod, haddock, salmon, and tuna)
• Milk
• Peanuts
• Sesame
• Soybeans
• Tree nuts (Such as almonds, pecans, and walnuts)
• Wheat

Manufacturers have to declare these allergens using one of two rules:

1. Ingredient list includes the allergen in parentheses after the ingredient, such as tahini (sesame) or whey (milk).
2. A separate statement on the packaging must state “Contains” followed by the allergens, such as “Contains: Eggs and Wheat.”

Know the Hidden Names for the Top 9 Allergens

While federal law covers the top 9 allergens, you might overlook them if you don’t know the common derivatives and aliases. Hidden names are common, so it’s important to know them and read the labels to ensure they’re not included.

Seafood is pretty self-explanatory, but these have hidden names that you may not be familiar with. Here’s a table with the common allergens and their hidden names as well as where they’re commonly found.

As you read labels, you might notice an advisory label that states, “May Contain…” This means that the food is made in a facility or using equipment that processes foods with common allergens. It’s not a certainty that the allergen is in the food, but there is a chance. It’s better not to take the risk. 

Advisory labels are voluntary. A food manufacturer doesn’t need to include this information. They also don’t have to provide the risk level. At the same time, the lack of an advisory label doesn’t mean the product is allergy-free.

Allergens have changed over the years, too. If you have other food allergies, such as coconut, food manufacturers no longer have to list coconut under tree nut allergies. The same is true with butternuts and chestnuts. This is why it’s important to read ingredient listings with extreme care.

Tips for Always Being Proactive

Allergists look at a patient’s history to determine risk. If a person has a food allergy and a history of anaphylaxis, there’s a much higher risk if the allergen is accidentally consumed. Because of that, most board-certified allergists recommend avoiding any products with advisory warnings listing the specific allergen.

Avoidance is one option, but we also offer a few tips to help people with food allergies remain proactive about their health. Step one is to read food labels carefully, but there’s more than that.

Carry Allergy Cards

Carry Food Allergy Chef Cards if you’ll be eating out in a grocery store’s cafe or a nearby restaurant. Hand a card to your server to give to the chef. Make sure you have the pertinent information filled out. If a chef cannot accommodate you, you want to know as soon as possible. Informing the restaurant when you make reservations is best.

Food Allergens May Extend Beyond Foods

Stop and consider that the items that go into your mouth are not always on the food you eat. Sometimes, you risk allergies from items you touch with your hands and then put to your mouth. The allergen transfers from your skin to the food you eat.

Reading labels like an allergist means carefully looking at items you touch, too. Do you immediately wash your hands after giving your dog a treat? If not, you could end up transferring wheat or soy from the dog treat to your mouth. 

You use lip balm in the winter to ease dry lips. Look for ingredients like almond oil or sesame oil in those balms. Do the same with any face cream or hand cream you use.

Craft supplies, especially non-toxic children’s craft supplies, may contain milk, soy, or wheat. Play-Doh is a mix of water, salt, and flour. If you don’t wash your hands after playing with it, you risk an allergic reaction.

Use the “Three-Time Rule”

Recipes change regularly. The bread you’ve been eating for years may change the formulation, and suddenly ingredients that have never been in that item suddenly are. For example, you love a particular brand of potato chip, but now they’re frying them in vegetable oil instead of canola oil.

Use the Three-Time Rule to stay safe. Read the food label carefully:

Before you place the item in your cart.

When you get home and are putting items away.

Before using that ingredient in the meal you’re making.

Watch for Changes Between Sizes

You’d think that a single-serving bag of something would contain the exact same ingredients as a bulk pack. It’s not necessarily the case.

Sometimes, manufacturing plants use specific equipment in one location for items packaged in bulk. Individual packaging is completed on a different line where multiple products are run every day. That increases the chance of cross-contamination.

Protecting Yourself Starts With an Allergist Visit

Carefully reading the ingredient labels is an essential daily skill, but it’s not the only way to protect yourself. You won’t always have access to food labels when you’re dining at a friend’s house or eating out at a restaurant. The best path forward involves a comprehensive assessment with an allergy doctor. You need an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan. 

Dr. Angela Sabry at Premium Allergy & Respiratory Center helps her patients understand and navigate their food allergies, asthma, and eczema. Whether you need advanced diagnostic testing, immunology, or a personalized emergency action plan, Dr. Sabry helps you get to the bottom of your allergies and learn to live without fear.

Learn more about the personalized approach to pediatric and adult allergy care by scheduling an appointment. Premium Allergy & Respiratory Center offers online scheduling for your convenience.