Know where to look: As required by the FDA, manufacturers must
list any of the top eight allergens their products contain. You’ll
see this on the ingredients list and/or a note below the list. For
example, “whey (milk)” might be noted in the ingredients list,
or a note near the list might say “Contains: milk.”
Take extra caution with food products outside FDA regulation: For prod-
ucts that are regulated by the USDA instead of the FDA—such
as meat and poultry, along with some egg products—allergen
labeling is not required. Sure, you might see voluntary adviso-
ries on the packaging about a product having been processed
in a facility where an allergen was present, but that wouldn’t
be a guarantee that the product is safe for you or someone in
your care with a serious food allergy.
Bottom line: The closer a food or ingredient is to its natural state,
the more transparency you generally have about its safety as
far as allergens are concerned. Cooking from scratch as much
as possible can help. But since few among us have the band-
width to make every meal with raw ingredients, find your
go-to brands and items, and stick with the packaged foods you
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