Shellfish Allergy Diet
Shellfish Allergy Diet
General guidelines for shellfish allergy
The key to an allergy-free diet is to avoid all foods or products containing the food to which you are allergic. A shellfish allergy is an abnormal response of the body to the proteins found in shellfish. In order to avoid foods that contain shellfish, it is important to read food labels.
How to read a label for a shellfish-free diet
Be sure to avoid foods that contain any of the following ingredients:
Abalone
Clam: cherrystone, littleneck, pismo, quahog
Crab
Crawfish, crayfish, ecrevisse
Lobster, langouste, langoustine, scampi, coral, tomalley
Mussels
Squid, snail
Oyster, octopus
Scallops
Mollusks
Shrimp, prawns, crevette
Cockle, periwinkle, sea urchin
These foods may contain the presence of shellfish protein:
Bouillabaisse
Cuttlefish ink
Fish stock
Seafood flavoring
Glucosamine
Surimi
It is important to remember:
When eating seafood in a restaurant, any food may be cross-contaminated with fish or shellfish.
Stay away from steam tables or buffets where seafood is being displayed or served in order to avoid the cooking vapors.
Some allergic individuals will react to cooking odors or from touching fish or shellfish.
Always carry injectable epinephrine in case of accidental exposure and use it immediately.
