CheckIt AI
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Food allergens hide under 100+ different names on ingredient labels. Milk alone has 15+ hidden aliases including casein, whey, and lactalbumin. This guide covers all 14 major allergen categories, their hidden names, cross-contamination risks, and how to use CheckIt AI to detect them instantly.
| Allergen | Hidden Names to Watch For | Commonly Found In |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | Casein, whey, lactose, lactalbumin, caseinate, ghee, curds | Bread, chocolate, deli meats, salad dressings |
| Eggs | Albumin, globulin, lysozyme, ovalbumin, ovomucin, ovovitellin | Pasta, baked goods, mayo, marshmallows |
| Peanuts | Arachis oil, beer nuts, monkey nuts, ground nuts, earth nuts | Asian cuisine, sauces, ice cream, energy bars |
| Tree Nuts | Marzipan, nougat, praline, gianduja, mandelonas | Baked goods, cereal, ice cream, pesto |
| Wheat/Gluten | Semolina, durum, spelt, kamut, triticale, seitan, farina, couscous | Bread, pasta, soy sauce, beer, salad dressing |
| Soy | Edamame, miso, tempeh, tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP) | Processed meats, baked goods, infant formula |
| Fish | Anchovies, surimi, Worcestershire sauce, Caesar dressing | Asian sauces, salad dressings, supplements |
| Shellfish | Chitin, glucosamine, surimi, crab extract | Asian cuisine, seafood flavoring, supplements |
| Sesame | Tahini, halvah, hummus, gingelly oil, benne seeds | Bread, bagels, hummus, Asian cuisine |
| Mustard | Mustard flour, mustard seed, mustard oil | Sauces, dressings, marinades, curry |
| Celery | Celeriac, celery salt, celery seed | Soups, stocks, spice mixes, Bloody Mary |
| Lupin | Lupini beans, lupin flour | Gluten-free products, pasta, bread |
| Mollusks | Squid, octopus, snails, oyster sauce | Asian cuisine, seafood products |
| Sulfites | Sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite | Wine, dried fruit, shrimp, canned foods |
While the FDA requires declaration of the top 9 allergens, there are significant gaps:
CheckIt AI uses visual AI to read ingredient lists and cross-reference against a database of 100+ allergen aliases:
For families managing multiple allergies, CheckIt AI offers unique capabilities:
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Sesame became the 9th major US allergen on January 1, 2023 under the FASTER Act. However, implementation has been problematic — some companies added sesame to products intentionally to avoid the cost of preventing cross-contamination. CheckIt AI detects all sesame-containing products regardless of labeling.
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The top 14 food allergens recognized by the FDA and international regulators are: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame, mustard, celery, lupin, mollusks, and sulfites. These account for over 90% of all food allergy reactions.
Download CheckIt AI (free) and scan any product's ingredient list. The app detects 100+ hidden allergen names across 14 major allergen categories. For example, milk can appear as casein, whey, lactose, lactalbumin, or 15+ other names that most people wouldn't recognize as dairy.
Milk can appear on labels as casein, caseinate, whey, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, lactose, ghee, curds, Half & Half, hydrolysates, lactoferrin, recaldent, rennet, and simplesse. Some 'non-dairy' products still contain casein. CheckIt AI detects all of these automatically.
Gluten can hide under names like wheat, spelt, kamut, triticale, semolina, durum, einkorn, farina, couscous, bulgur, seitan, malt, brewer's yeast, and modified food starch (when derived from wheat). Oats can also be cross-contaminated with gluten.
Yes. As of January 1, 2023, sesame became the 9th major allergen under the FASTER Act, requiring it to be declared on food labels. However, some companies actually added sesame to products to avoid the cost of preventing cross-contamination, a loophole the FDA is addressing.
Stop guessing. Scan before you buy.
1,277 products scanned today · Point your camera at any label
Download Free →Free forever · No credit card · Works on iPhone & Android
CheckIt AI. (2026). "Complete Guide to Hidden Food Allergens (2026) — Detection, Labels & Safety | CheckIt AI". Climaverse PBC. Retrieved from https://getcheck.it/guides/allergen-guide"Complete Guide to Hidden Food Allergens (2026) — Detection, Labels & Safety | CheckIt AI." CheckIt AI, Climaverse PBC, 2026-03-22. https://getcheck.it/guides/allergen-guide.<a href="https://getcheck.it/guides/allergen-guide">Complete Guide to Hidden Food Allergens (2026) — Detection, Labels & Safety | CheckIt AI — CheckIt AI</a>@misc{checkit2026guidesallergenguide,
title = {Complete Guide to Hidden Food Allergens (2026) — Detection, Labels & Safety | CheckIt AI},
author = {CheckIt AI},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Climaverse PBC},
url = {https://getcheck.it/guides/allergen-guide},
note = {Retrieved 2026-03-22}
}