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Major Food Allergens Reference: US, EU and Canada Side by Side

Exporting food means labeling against more than one allergen list. This table lines up the US, EU and Canadian lists so a food safety manager can see at a glance which allergens apply to a market and where they typically hide in a bill of materials.

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Allergen	US (FDA major allergens)	EU (Annex II of Reg 1169/2011)	Canada (priority allergens)	Where it hides on a BOM
Milk	Yes	Yes	Yes	Whey, casein, caseinate, lactose, butter flavor, some coatings and release agents
Eggs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Albumin, lysozyme, lecithin from egg, egg wash on bakery lines, some pasta and glazes
Fish	Yes	Yes	Yes	Worcestershire sauce, fish gelatin, Caesar dressing, surimi, omega-3 oils
Crustacean shellfish	Yes	Yes (crustaceans)	Yes (crustaceans and molluscs)	Shrimp paste, seafood flavors, glucosamine, some stocks
Molluscs	No (not a US major allergen)	Yes	Yes (with crustaceans)	Oyster sauce, seafood stock, fish sauce blends
Tree nuts	Yes	Yes (nuts)	Yes	Pesto, marzipan, nut oils, praline, some chocolate and granola, natural flavors
Peanuts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Satay and chili sauces, some baked goods, arachis oil, shared fryer oil
Wheat	Yes	Yes (cereals containing gluten)	Yes (wheat and triticale)	Soy sauce, malt, modified starch, hydrolyzed protein, breading, some seasonings
Rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut	No (wheat only; gluten rules are separate)	Yes (cereals containing gluten)	Yes (gluten sources)	Malt extract, beer, kvass, oat inclusions with cross-contact, brewer yeast
Soybeans	Yes	Yes	Yes	Soy lecithin, textured vegetable protein, tofu, miso, vegetable broth, some margarines
Sesame	Yes (since Jan 1, 2023, FASTER Act)	Yes	Yes	Tahini, hummus, bread toppings, some spice blends, burger buns, tahini-based dressings
Mustard	No	Yes	Yes	Dressings, marinades, curry blends, pickles, processed meats, spice mixes
Celery	No	Yes (including celeriac)	No	Celery salt, stock cubes, soups, spice blends, tomato products
Lupin	No	Yes	No	Lupin flour in bread, pasta and gluten-free products
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites	Declare at 10 ppm or more (not on major list)	Yes (above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/L)	Yes	Dried fruit, wine and vinegar, some juices, potato products, pickled foods

Summary for planning only. Thresholds, labeling wording and exemptions (for example highly refined oils) differ by jurisdiction and change over time. Confirm against the current regulation text or your regulator before finalizing labels.

Audit your allergen data in the ERP

Optional review of how allergen flags are stored on your item masters and BOMs, and what a query would need to find gaps.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use this reference

Search for an allergen or an ingredient keyword such as lecithin, malt or tahini. Compare the three market columns to see which declarations apply to a product destined for that country. Then walk your approved ingredient list and flag every ingredient whose name or sub-ingredients match the last column. Export the filtered rows to Excel and paste them into your allergen matrix so the regulatory list and your plant matrix stay aligned.

Use the list for the market where the product is sold, not where it is made
Check sub-ingredients of compound ingredients, not only the headline name
Add plant-specific allergens your customers require, such as celery or mustard for EU buyers

Why the lists differ

The US list became nine allergens when sesame was added by the FASTER Act, with effect from January 1, 2023. The EU list has 14 and includes celery, mustard, lupin, molluscs and sulphites. Canada lists priority allergens and treats sulphites and mustard as priority too, and groups gluten sources separately. A single recipe sold in all three places may need three different allergen statements even though the formulation is identical.

Reading the hidden source column

Most allergen recalls trace to an undeclared ingredient inside another ingredient, or to a rework or shared-line event, not to the headline ingredient itself. Treat the last column as a prompt for supplier questions: ask for a full sub-ingredient declaration and a statement on shared equipment. Pair this table with your supplier approval process and with a changeover control, because a label can be perfect and the product still wrong.

Common mistakes

Assuming one global list, forgetting that wheat is the US allergen but gluten cereals are the EU allergen, relying on precautionary statements instead of controls, and failing to re-check labels when a supplier changes a flavor or release agent. Also do not forget processing aids: they can be exempt in some jurisdictions and still cause a reaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many major allergens does the US have now?

Nine: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame was added by the FASTER Act effective January 1, 2023. Always confirm current FDA guidance because lists can change.

Is gluten the same as wheat for labeling?

No. In the US wheat is the major allergen while gluten-free claims are governed by a separate rule with a 20 ppm limit. In the EU cereals containing gluten are the allergen group. Treat them as related but distinct requirements.

Are sulphites an allergen?

In the EU and Canada sulphites are on the priority list and must be declared above 10 mg/kg or mg/L. In the US they are not on the major allergen list but a sulfite declaration is still required at 10 ppm or more.

Does this table replace the regulation?

No. It is a quick planning reference. Exemptions, thresholds and wording rules live in the regulation and in guidance from FDA, the EU Commission and Health Canada, so verify against the current text before labeling.

If your allergen data lives in ERP item masters and supplier documents, Netray can help query it for matrix gaps. This reference works without any contact.

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