Shellfish

How to Read a Label for a Shellfish-Free Diet

All FDA-regulated manufactured food products that contain a crustacean shellfish as an ingredient are required by U.S. law to list the specific crustacean shellfish on the product label.

Avoid foods that contain shellfish or any of these ingredients:

  • barnacle
  • crab
  • crawfish (crawdad, crayfish, ecrevisse)
  • krill
  • lobster (langouste, langoustine, Moreton bay bugs, scampi, tomalley)
  • prawns
  • shrimp (crevette, scampi)

Mollusks are not considered major allergens under food labeling laws and may not be fully disclosed on a product label.

Your doctor may advise you to avoid mollusks or these ingredients:

  • abalone
  • clams (cherrystone, geoduck, littleneck, pismo, quahog)
  • cockle
  • cuttlefish
  • limpet (lapas, opihi)
  • mussels
  • octopus
  • oysters
  • periwinkle
  • scallops
  • sea cucumber
  • sea urchin
  • snails (escargot)
  • squid (calamari)
  • whelk (Turban shell)

Shellfish are sometimes found in the following:

  • bouillabaisse
  • cuttlefish ink
  • fish stock
  • glucosamine
  • seafood flavoring (e.g., crab or clam extract)
  • surimi

Keep the following in mind:

  • Any food served in a seafood restaurant may contain shellfish protein due to cross-contact.
  • For some individuals, a reaction may occur from inhaling cooking vapors or from handling fish or shellfish.

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