Common Allergens

Almost anything can cause an allergic reaction, however 14 types of food account for about 90% of all reactions. 

These 14 food allergens must be declared and clearly labelled on food packaging labels in the UK in Bold. You would've most definitely come across items with bold ingredients list on their packaging.

The 14 Main Food Allergens (in no particular order):

Egg:

Eggs are often found in so many products. The obvious is cakes, mayonnaise, mousses, pasta, custards, Quiche, and pastries as an egg glaze. Occasionally found in icing as Egg Albumen, which helps to thicken and set the icing. However, Eggs can also be found in meat products, sauces and other seasonings.

Milk: 

Milk is a very common ingredient. Not only found as a drink and poured on cereals, but also used in cheese, butter, cream, biscuits, pastries, yoghurts and even in seasoning as powder form. It can also be found in foods brushed with Milk, in icings, soups, and sauces. Also available and used in powdered form, Milk  is often a common ingredient in crisp seasonings, infant formulas and premade baby pureed and finger foods. 

Peanuts:

Peanuts are a legume and grow underground (sometime known as a groundnut). They can be found so many items as either a source of oil, an added flavor in confections &  baked goods, as a paste or butter, added to curries, but also comes in flour form used in baking.

Tree Nuts: 

Not to be mistaken with Peanuts! Tree Nuts specifically grow on trees such as Cashews, Hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Pistachios and Almonds. 

Found in many items such as crackers, biscuits, used to garnish, in ice creams, marzipan, macarons, Nut oils, sauces, sprinkled on salads. They can also be found in ground and flour form and even be used in skincare products; which can cause even more for sufferers to be aware of.

Fish: 

Not only a main source of proteins in dishes like Fish and Chips, Sushi or Salmon en Croute, but you’ll also often find Fish in other ingredients such as Fish sauce, relishes, salad dressing, stock cubes and even Fish oil supplements. You can also find small fish like anchovies added to pizzas as toppings or like White Bate battered and fried served to eat.

Gluten: 

Wheat, Rye, Barley, and Oats is often found in foods containing flour, like bread, cakes, couscous, pasta, and pastry. You can also find Gluten in meat products, sauces, soups, baking powders, noodles,  and fried foods which are dusted with flour. Often skincare products can contain items such as oats and can be a risk to suffers.

Molluscs (Shellfish):

Includes Scallops, Oysters, Clams, Mussels, Squid, Whelks and Land Snails. You can find these ingredients not only in seafood dishes such as Paella or on their as dish. They can also be found in sauces such as Oyster sauces. 

Crustaceans (Shellfish): 

Includes Crab, Lobster, Prawns and Scampi. Commonly used in pasta dishes, Paella, dumplings, Sushi, broths, stews, even salads. You can also find prawn/shrimp pastes and often find prawns at Seafood stands to eat on their own with vinegar.

Sesame:

These little seeds can be found in so many places from burger buns, breadsticks, added as a topping on dishes but also comes in oil form and a paste known as Tahini, typically added to Hummus. They may be small, however they can cause severe reactions with allergy sufferers. 

Lupin:

A flower but can be found occasionally in flour. Lupin flour & seeds can be found in some types of Pasta, bread, and flour. It's not a commonly used ingredient in the UK, it is used in some Mediterranean and south American dishes, however still worth keeping an eye out for on labels if you have or suspect and allergy.

Celery:

Refers to Celery stalks, leaves, seeds and even the root - called Celeriac. You commonly Celery in salads, meat products, seasonings, soups, and stock cubes. You may find it in items like crisps, Quiches, breads, and Crackers. 

Mustard: 

Includes Mustards seeds, powder, and sauce form. This ingredient is used to flavor many products, like breads, sauces, meat products and can be found in sauces and dressings. 

Soya: 

Commonly found in the form of Tofu or a Milk alternative, it’s also handy to know that these beans are also known as Edamame beans and can as found in Miso paste and Curd. It is commonly used in many Dairy alternative desserts, creams, meat products, sauces, and butters. It can even be found in infant formulas. Soya can also be found in anti aging skincare products. – find out more on Hidden Allergens page.

Sulphates: 

Sulphur Dioxide, Potassium Metabisulphite, and sodium. These chemicals are added food items to extend the shelf life, although small amount can occur naturally). They can be found foods, particularly dried fruits, preserves likes jams, condiments and sauces, snack food items, wine, vinegars, Deli meats and cereals. 

But you can also find these ingredients meat, soft drinks, vegetables, and alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer. Sulphates are also used a lot in skincare products.

Here are more common allergens, although reactions to these items are not as common as the above, they can cause reactions just as severe as the main 14 allergens, however, aren’t required to be shown on UK food labels, as are less common. 

The usual signs of a reaction are hives, swelling of lips, itching of mouth or contact site, stomach pain,  feeling dizzy with low blood pressure, wheezing and breathlessness, loss of consciousness and/or Anaphylaxis:

Kiwi:

Often eaten on its own Kiwi; can be found in many premade items, such as syrups, smoothies, syrups, cocktails, yoghurts, smoothies, flavorings, sweets, dried fruit mixes, puddings, and ice creams.

Seeds: 

There are many seeds, apart from Sesame and Mustard seeds are found in many items like breads, crackers, cakes, granola, oils, rice cakes, vegetable burgers and margarine. Currently the FDA doesn’t require seeds to be labelled on ingredients lists (apart from Sesame & Mustard) but Seed allergies are on the rise. 

Of the common seeds to eat Poppy & Sunflower seeds are the most likely to cause an allergic reaction, however other seeds are pumpkin, chia, flax & hemp – but there are many more. 

Banana: 

Banana allergies occur mostly due to Pollen Food Syndrome; where the person is allergic to the pollenating plant, which can reoccur inside the item they are eating, in this case usually the tiny seeds (tiny black dots in the middle of the Banana) or from contact with the skin of the Banana. The reaction is usually mild as the stomach acid destroys the allergens present once digestion starts. Reactions can vary with itchy mouth, rash, skin swelling around mouth area, however, in some cases can be serious. 

Buckwheat:

Not actually a wheat Buckwheat is a gluten free alternative to wheat, it can be made into flour or can be cooked and served similarly to rice. It can often be found in soups, salads, pastas, muesli, and pancakes. Buckwheat shares a similar protein to Poppy seeds, so people with Poppy seed allergies may find a reaction to Buckwheat too.

Garlic & Onion: 

Onions are a very common ingredient in so many dishes and Garlic often used to add flavor to dishes and sauces. Found in items like Onion Bhajis, stocks, dips, mayonnaise, crackers, breads, stuffing mix, pre prepared meat dishes, sausages and much more.

Legumes:

Aside from Peanuts found on the top 14 food allergens, legumes are a food group that contains beans, peas, and lentils. Allergies to Legumes could be with one or two, so not all people with Legume allergies react to all Legumes, i.e. a person may have an allergy to lentils but not peas. Often found in many dishes, Legumes are also used in salads, bean pastes, soups, veggies burgers and can also be turned into flour.

Pollen: 

Commonly known as Hay Fever it is a seasonal allergy caused by the Pollen produced by plant species. Grouped into categories of Tree, Grass and Weed types of Pollen, they can vary as to when they occur, as an example certain types of grass release Pollen in June, therefore if you have an allergy to this species of grass, likelihood is you’ll have an allergic reaction in June when it releases Pollen. 

Common UK Trees are Birch, Oak, Walnut, Beech, Willow, Hazel, Alder, Ash, and Pine.

Common UK Grasses are Timothy Grass, Oil Seed Rape, Cock Shot Grass, and Rye Grass.

Common UK Weeds are Ragweed, Pigweed, and Nettle, Mug wort, Dock Weed and Plantain.

These plants give release Pollen into the air to Pollenate other plants to create more plants, so when outdoors or a sunny windy day, you may find that your Hay Fever symptoms increase. Including swollen, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose and/or congestion, headache and cold like symptoms. Some people can find they have respiratory issues to Asthma sufferers.

You’ll be able to find Pollen calendars on weather report websites to help advise when Pollen seasons are due and predict if the Pollen count will be high or low, dependent on weather and wind factors.

Molds:

Molds can grow almost anywhere that is damp or moist (or food); they are a type of fungus that produce spores that spread through the air and can be found outdoor or indoors. 

We use some Molds in medicines, such as Penicillin and eat them in foods such as cheeses or fermented products like wines, but some Molds aren’t good and often cause respiratory problems.

When a Mold is disturbed, it releases spores into the air, which unlike Pollen still survive in cold weather, but when these spores enter your respiratory tract, they can cause symptoms right away such as itching eyes, nose and throat, cough, sneezing, shortness of breath, wheezing. In some cases, a delayed reactions can happen causing a stuffy nose or Asthma symptoms that get worse over time.

Dust Mite:

Dust Mites are believed to be one of the most common all year-round triggers of allergies and allergic asthma.

They can be found everywhere and are extremely hard to get rid of (they are naturally, unseen with the naked eye and are harmful unless allergic). They mostly feed on skin cells shed by the body and thrive at temperatures of 20*c – 25*c. 

Symptoms of a dust Mite allergy include Stuffy and/or Runny Nose, Sneezing, Itchy watery eyes, Itchy skin and Cough. If you suffer from Asthma, you may find your Asthma symptoms increase, finding it difficult to breathe, wheezing and sometimes chest pain.

Most Dust Mite allergy sufferers are allergic to the waste the Dust Mites leave behind, so occasionally despite the Mites being killed off by extreme temperature (both hot and cold) the mass they leave behind can also cause ongoing allergic reactions.

Regular washing of items such as bed lines on high temperatures or steaming of larger items like beds and sofas, is commonly recommended and drastic temperature changes, such as opening windows in the colder weather to air out your house are common and age-old techniques used to reduce Dust Mite numbers and allergy symptoms.

Nickel: 

Nickel is a type of metal used in many products such as costume jewelry, glasses, zips, cosmetics, belt buckles, chalk, E-cigarettes, coins, electronics, even items like lamp stands, draw handles and photo frames. It is usually harmless and the reason why Nickel allergies occur is still unknown.

When exposed to Nickel the allergy sufferer will often have redness at the site of exposure, swelling, welts, a patch of skin like a burn, itching at site and in severe reactions blistering.  A reaction usually occurs within minutes to hours of touching the metal and can sometime last up to 4 weeks depending on exposure. For the most part reactions are at the site of contact, yet there are people who have reactions in other places away from the exposure site.

Coincidentally the risk of having a Nickel allergy is higher as a female compared to males, subsequently believe, as women usually have more piercings than Men. 

Animal:

Allergies to animals are caused by a hypersensitivity to substances the animal produces. 

People can be allergic to household pets such as: Cats, Dogs, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Birds, Rodents and even other animals like Horses, Sheep, Cows etc. 

You can have an allergy to the animals’ dander, which is the animals skin flakes, like dandruff, which not only come in direct contact when close to the animal but transfer onto items that have been in contact with the animal itself, like a blanket, coat, or harness. A reaction can happen when exposed to such items, even if the animal is not on the item at the time, from contact transfer. 

The other allergy to animals is from a protein they specifically give off from their skin, glands, saliva and even urine. This substance is what causes the allergy when in direct contact with the animal. 

Symptoms of an animal allergy include itching, watery eyes, sneezing, rash, and sometime wheezing. With allergies to farm animal as example, it can be common for people to assume it’s Hay Fever as they are normally outside when experiencing a reaction.

Latex: 

Allergies to Latex occur when a person is sensitive to the protein produced by the rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis. The tree produces a milky sap which is used in products such as medical grade & washing up gloves, balloons, condoms, rubber gaskets, moulds and even bottle stoppers.

Although Latex allergies occur they are fairly rare and those with a natural Latex allergy are likely to also have a synthetic Latex allergy as the proteins are used a synthetic accelerator in production.

Symptoms of a Latex allergy include, itching on contact, blistering, throat irritation, swollen lips, rash, sneezing, runny nose and/or congestion and dermatitis. 

Fragrances:

Fragrances can also cause allergy symptoms, used in skincare products to add scent, wet wipes, perfumes, household cleaners, detergents, air fresheners, candles, body washes, shampoos and much more. 

Often symptoms tend to be more respiratory for an air born Fragrance, such as coughing, wheezing, sneezing, headache, eye irritation and congestion. But if fragrance comes into contact with the skin of an allergy sufferer it can cause rashes, itching, burning sensation, dry skin (Eczema) and on occasion blistering.

Fragrances can be a natural extract or made with synthetic chemicals. Certain ones are commonly known to cause irritation, these are: Isoeugenol, Eugenol, balsam of Peru, amyl cinnamaldehyde, hydroxycitronellol, hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol, geraniol, but there are more. These are used during patch testing for Fragrance allergies, sometimes as mixes.