Allergens in baking

The major food allergens that commonly appear in baked goods, and how bakers label and manage them.

Allergens in baking: A neat arrangement of milk, eggs, wheat flour in a small heap, whole peanuts, almonds and sesame seeds on a plain board.
  • Measurement, dietary and professional terminology

Also called: top allergens

Many everyday baking ingredients are among the major food allergens. The FDA recognizes nine: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame became the ninth under the FASTER Act, effective January 1, 2023.

In a bakery, wheat flour, butter and milk, eggs, nuts, and sesame seeds are all routine, so a single cookie or loaf can hold several allergens. Labels must name them, either in parentheses in the ingredient list, such as flour (wheat), or in a Contains statement.

Bakers who handle these ingredients keep them well separated, and they check every ingredient label because allergens can show up in unexpected products such as chocolate, spice blends and mixes.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Food Allergies, U.S. Food and Drug Administration