8 Major Food Allergens
While more than 160 foods can cause allergic reactions in people with food allergies, the law identifies the 8 most common allergenic foods. These foods account for 90 percent of food allergic reactions, and are the food sources from which many other ingredients are derived. These 8 foods, and any ingredient that contains protein derived from one or more of them, are designated as "major food allergens" by the law.

• 1. Milk
• 2. Eggs
• 3. Fish - examples - bass, flounder, cod
• 4. Crustacean shellfish - examples - crab, lobster, shrimp
• 5. Tree nuts - examples - almonds, walnuts, pecans
• 6. Peanuts
• 7. Wheat
• 8. Soybeans

The law requires that food labels identify the food source of all major food allergens. Unless the food source of a major food allergen is part of the ingredient's common or usual name (or is already identified in the ingredient list), it must be included in one of two ways:

• 1. In parentheses following the name of the ingredient. Examples: "lecithin (soy)," "flour (wheat)," and "whey (milk)"
  
  – OR –
  
• 2. Immediately after or next to the list of ingredients in a "contains" statement. Example: "Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy."

Symptoms
Symptoms of food allergies typically appear from within a few minutes to two hours after a person has eaten the food to which he or she is allergic. Persons with a known food allergy who begin experiencing symptoms while, or after, eating a food should initiate treatment immediately, and go to a nearby emergency room if symptoms progress. Allergic reactions can include:

• Hives
• Flushed skin or rash
• Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
• Face, tongue, or lip swelling
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Coughing or wheezing
• Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
• Swelling of the throat and vocal cords
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of consciousness

Other Allergens
Persons may still be allergic to - and have serious reactions to - foods other than the eight foods identified by the law. So, always be sure to read the food label's ingredient list carefully to avoid the food allergens in question.

Source: http://www.fda.gov

Severe Food Allergies Can Be Life-Threatening
Allergy Alert:
Mild Symptoms Can Become More Severe
Initially mild symptoms that occur after ingesting a food allergen are not always a measure of mild severity. If not treated promptly, these symptoms can become more serious in a very short amount of time, and a person can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. This can lead to:

• Constricted airways in the lungs
• Severe lowering of blood pressure and shock ("anaphylactic shock")
• Suffocation by swelling of the throat

Each year in the U.S., it is estimated that anaphylaxis to food results in:

• 30,000 emergency room visits
• 2,000 hospitalizations
• 150 deaths

Prompt administration of epinephrine by autoinjector (example: Epi-pen) during early symptoms of anaphylaxis may help prevent these serious consequences.

Source: www.fda.gov

I must be lucky. I'm not allergic to any of these things!

Me too, so far anyway. There are no cures that I know of for food allergies, except only to avoid the food a person knows they are allergic to.