Top Nine Most Common Food Allergens Explained

What are the “Big 9” food allergens in American English?

The United States has an official list of the most common food allergens, called the Big 9: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, and sesame. For many years, the list was the Big 8. Sesame became the ninth allergen in January 2023, after the FASTER Act was signed in 2021. American food labels must now clearly mark any of these nine ingredients, so people with allergies can shop safely.

In this clip, a speaker counts through all nine allergens one by one: “Number one, milk. Number two, eggs...” The video is the kind of simple guide American parents and teachers use to teach kids about food safety. The Big 9 is the standard reference for American allergy talk.