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Proper labeling of foods helps people with food allergies identify foods or ingredients that they should avoid. The FDA enforces FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act) in the labeling of foods the FDA regulates. This includes all foods with the exception of those regulated by other Federal agencies: poultry, most meats, certain egg products, and most alcoholic beverages.

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How Major Food Allergens Are Listed

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FALCPA requires that food labels clearly identify the food source names of any ingredients used to make the food item that are one of the 8 major food allergens or contain protein derived from a major food allergen.

This requirement is met in one of three ways. The first is if the common or usual name of an ingredient that is a major food allergen already identifies that allergen’s food source name (e.g. peanut butter to identify peanuts). The other two are ways to explicitly declare the allergen’s food source name at least once on the food label. 

These three methods are summarized here:

1. The food source itself is the ingredient and can be listed by itself   

                Ex: “Wheat” 

2. Placing the food source in parentheses following the name of the ingredient in the ingredient list.

                Ex: “lecithin (soy),” “flour (wheat),” and “whey (milk)”

3. Using a "contains" statement immediately after or next to the list of ingredients that includes the names of the food sources.

                Ex: “Contains: Soy, Wheat, and Milk”