Food safety basics
What are the 9 major food allergens?
The United States recognizes nine major food allergens, the "Big 9": milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
Sesame became the ninth major allergen on January 1, 2023 under the FASTER Act. Any study guide that still lists a "Big 8" is out of date, this is one of the most common ways people get an allergen question wrong on the exam.
The Big 9, one by one
- Milk, dairy, butter, cheese, whey, casein
- Eggs, including mayonnaise and many baked goods
- Fish, such as cod, salmon, tuna
- Crustacean shellfish, shrimp, crab, lobster
- Tree nuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans
- Peanuts, a legume, listed separately from tree nuts
- Wheat, bread, pasta, many sauces and coatings
- Soybeans, soy sauce, tofu, edamame, soy lecithin
- Sesame, tahini, hummus, many buns and spice blends (added 2023)
Note that some allergens regulated elsewhere, like mustard or celery in Canada and the EU, are not on the US list. The exam tests the US Big 9 specifically.
Why it matters
Heat does not destroy allergen proteins, so the real defense is preventing cross-contact: clean, sanitized equipment, fresh gloves, and clear communication with the kitchen. Drill it in our Food Allergens Quiz.