doi:10.1007/s40629-016-0124-2, Foods to Avoid When You Have a Shellfish Allergy, Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved, Jeanette Bradley is a noted food allergy advocate and author of the cookbook, "Food Allergy Kitchen Wizardry: 125 Recipes for People with Allergies", Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Dining Out Choices for People With Heartburn, Shellfish allergy can cause severe symptoms, Allergens and molecular diagnostics of shellfish allergy: Part 22 of the Series Molecular Allergology, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, or Malaysian foods, which often include a fish sauce made from shrimp or imitation shellfish, Cajun or Creole food, which frequently contains shrimp or other shellfish, Ceviche (fish or shellfish in an acidic citrus marinade), Clamato (a clam broth and tomato juice mixture sometimes used in Bloody Mary drinks), Paella (Spanish rice dish usually made with shrimp), Jambalaya (Cajun rice dish often made with shrimp or crawfish), HemCon bandages (a wound dressing made from shrimp shells), Calcium supplements made from oyster shells or coral. Fish stock, for example, may contain the shells of shrimp with ingredients like celery, onion and bay leaf. Marine animals in the shellfish category include crustaceans and mollusks, such as shrimp, crab, lobster, squid, oysters, scallops and others.Some people with shellfish allergy react to all shellfish; others react to only certain kinds. Allergens and molecular diagnostics of shellfish allergy: Part 22 of the Series Molecular Allergology. The best way to reduce food allergies is to avoid eating foods that contain allergens. Among these are clam broth base powder, crab extract powder, shrimp powder, scallop extract powder, oyster juice powder and lobster extract powder, varieties of which are made by Nikken Products. But there are actually many other types of shellfish, some of which you might not immediately recognize as shellfish. For example, a jar of white clam sauce almost certainly will contain clams or clam juice, so you'll know to steer clear. Some Japanese brands of miso, a fermented soybean paste very widely used in daily Japanese cuisine, contain fish stock, according to the International Vegetarian Union. And fried calamari (also known as fried squid) will include calamari. Unfortunately, you can't trust food packaging to warn you about all shellfish. Shellfish are divided into two families—mollusks and crustaceans. If you've been diagnosed with it, you'll need to carefully avoid all shellfish. Condiments and sauces may contain shellfish products. Answers from doctors on list of foods containing shellfish. This can be problematic for people who have bad allergic reactions to mollusks. Even though identifying and avoiding whole shrimp, scallops, crab or calamari may be relatively simple, shellfish can also be found hiding out in foods you might not expect. For example, you might not realize that sea urchins and octopus are shellfish. For instance, while it's not a problem for the majority of people, pet foods often contain some amount of shellfish. Cod is a versatile white fish that is delicate in texture and has a mild flavor. For a variety of reasons, including preferences of taste and the possibility of food allergies, it’s a good idea to know which foods contain shellfish. Adam Dave, M.D., has written both fiction and nonfiction since 1997. It is relatively low in … Copyright © 2020 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. Foods That Often Contain Shellfish . These can include: Shellfish allergy can cause severe symptoms. Ask them to make sure the kitchen staff uses separate utensils and work surfaces to make your food. Shellfish is an ingredient in numerous recipes, although it may not always be obvious. Many countries include the European Union, the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Taiwan, all have regulations about food allergen labeling. Clin Transl Allergy. He holds a medical degree from Medical University of the Americas and trained in family medicine at the University of Colorado. If you have a shellfish allergy, you'll need to be extremely careful when dining out. However, most food packaging will highlight (or at least spell out) mollusk ingredients, so you should be able to identify mollusk-containing foods readily. Despite this, many people who are allergic to common crustaceans are also allergic to mollusks, advises the Food Allergy Initiative. Cod. Jambalaya. Fortunately, shellfish can be easier to avoid than some other allergens, since they're an expensive ingredient and therefore are likely to be celebrated, not hidden, in ingredient lists, on labels, and as part of restaurant menus. Some common foods that contain one or two types of shellfish include: Bouillabaisse. Get one simple hack every day to make your life healthier. Being in any area where shellfish are being cooked can put you at risk, as shellfish protein could be in the steam. You may want to avoid seafood restaurants entirely since people with severe shellfish allergies have had allergic reactions simply from breathing in particles of allergens from shellfish that is being steamed, fried, or boiled. Whole Foods Market is recalling its popcorn chicken products that were found to have undeclared shrimp. Can You Make Sweet and Sour Without Vinegar? Shrimp is among the shellfish that cause the greatest number of allergic reactions, so people with a shellfish allergy may be at risk of experiencing a life-threatening allergic reaction when they consume the affected product. Food labeling laws in the United States only cover crustaceans, not mollusks. These include: Some restaurants may use shellfish stock as a flavoring or base for sauces or soups. Shellfish allergy is an abnormal response by the body's immune system to proteins in certain marine animals. Next on this list is shellfish like clams and mussels, and crustaceans like prawn and lobster. Fish stock. Imitation Seafood. Mollusks include abalone, clams, cockles, mussels, oysters, octopi, scallops, snails -- also known as esgargot -- and squid, or calamari. Make sure to read food labels carefully, and when in doubt, don't eat the food in question. Be on the lookout for these dishes and ingredients in restaurants and when eating food prepared by friends or relatives: When you have a severe shellfish allergy, you also need to be aware of potential non-food sources of the allergen. These include: some restaurants may use shellfish stock as a person with a shellfish is! Body 's immune system to proteins in certain marine animals items are used as seasonings in foods restaurants ask... Could cause a fatal allergic reaction for some people versatile white fish that is in. 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