{"id":69,"date":"2016-05-02T14:11:50","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T14:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/environmental-health\/?page_id=69"},"modified":"2026-04-21T15:34:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T19:34:52","slug":"food-allergens","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/environmental-health\/food-safety-in-virginia\/food-allergens\/","title":{"rendered":"Food Allergen Awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pl-69\"  class=\"panel-layout\" ><div id=\"pg-69-0\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-69-0-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-69-0-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<div class=\"Content_Secondary\">\n<p>It is estimated that <em>33 million people<\/em> have food allergies in the United States. There are many foods that can cause an allergic reaction in a person, but the following nine foods are recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as the leading causes of food allergies:<\/p>\n<div style=\"column-count: 2;vertical-align: top\">\n<ul>\n<li>Fin Fish (including salmon, cod, and tilapia)<\/li>\n<li>Crustacean Shellfish (including shrimp, crab and lobster)<\/li>\n<li>Tree Nuts (almonds, pecans and walnuts)<\/li>\n<li>Milk<\/li>\n<li>Peanuts<\/li>\n<li>Soy<\/li>\n<li>Wheat<\/li>\n<li>Eggs<\/li>\n<li>Sesame<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>A food allergy is when a person's body reacts to a substance like it is harmful. The body produces antibodies to fight against the allergen. The severity of the reaction can vary based on how much allergen was consumed and the amount of previous exposures.\u00a0 Symptoms can include:<\/p>\n<div style=\"column-count: 2;vertical-align: top\">\n<ul>\n<li>Hives (swollen, itchy skin irritation)<\/li>\n<li>Nausea or vomiting<\/li>\n<li>Stomach pain<\/li>\n<li>Itchy throat or mouth<\/li>\n<li>Swelling of lips, tongue or throat<\/li>\n<li>Sneeze or cough<\/li>\n<li>Trouble swallowing<\/li>\n<li>Shortness of breath<\/li>\n<li>Chest pain<\/li>\n<li>Loss of consciousness<\/li>\n<li>Becoming cyanotic (bluish colored skin)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong><em>Anaphylaxis<\/em><\/strong> means a severe, life threatening reaction to an allergen that is a combination of one or more symptoms above and poses an immediate danger to the life of the person. It is often associated with a respiratory or cardiac emergency where rapid recognition and reaction is critical.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tips for reacting to an allergic response<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have the individual administer their epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) if available &amp; signs of anaphylaxis are present<\/li>\n<li>Call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance<\/li>\n<li>Get the food item away from the individual<\/li>\n<li>Make sure their breathing is controlled and airway is open; minimize panic<\/li>\n<li>Get them to medical care immediately<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Check out<\/strong> the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/08\/DocuSign_Final_Draft_Anaphylaxis-Guidelines-food-.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Guidance on Recognition and Treatment of Anaphylaxis in Restaurants<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-69-0-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-69-0-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_media_image panel-first-child\" data-index=\"1\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/almonds-484268_1280-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"image wp-image-17395  attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/almonds-484268_1280-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/almonds-484268_1280-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/almonds-484268_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/almonds-484268_1280-272x182.jpg 272w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/almonds-484268_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/div><div id=\"panel-69-0-1-1\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_media_image\" data-index=\"2\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"319\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/salmon-3139390_1280-1024x511.jpg\" class=\"image wp-image-17396  attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/salmon-3139390_1280-1024x511.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/salmon-3139390_1280-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/salmon-3139390_1280-768x383.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/salmon-3139390_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/div><div id=\"panel-69-0-1-2\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_media_image\" data-index=\"3\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/milk-2474993_1280-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"image wp-image-17398  attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/milk-2474993_1280-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/milk-2474993_1280-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/milk-2474993_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/milk-2474993_1280-272x182.jpg 272w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/milk-2474993_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/div><div id=\"panel-69-0-1-3\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_media_image panel-last-child\" data-index=\"4\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/prawn-1239427_1280-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"image wp-image-17400  attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/prawn-1239427_1280-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/prawn-1239427_1280-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/prawn-1239427_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/prawn-1239427_1280-272x182.jpg 272w, https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/prawn-1239427_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-69-1\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-69-1-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-69-1-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-accordion panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"5\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-accordion so-widget-sow-accordion-default-1126f3c25b78-69\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><div>\n\t<div class=\"sow-accordion\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-anchor-id=\"laws-and-regulations\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" id=\"accordion-label-laws-and-regulations\" aria-controls=\"accordion-content-laws-and-regulations\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"sow-accordion-title sow-accordion-title-icon-left\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLaws and Regulations\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf218;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf209;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"sow-accordion-panel-content\"\n\t\t\t\trole=\"region\"\n\t\t\t\taria-labelledby=\"accordion-label-laws-and-regulations\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"accordion-content-laws-and-regulations\"\n\t\t\t\tstyle=\"display: none;\"\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-border\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>During the 2015 General Assembly, House Bill <a href=\"http:\/\/leg1.state.va.us\/cgi-bin\/legp504.exe?151+ful+CHAP0356+pdf\">HB 2090<\/a> was passed and signed by Governor McAuliffe. This bill mandates training standards that address food allergy awareness. Training guidance for restaurants means a better sense of ease for Virginia consumers who have food allergies. On this site, you can find resources for both the consumer as well as for restaurant operators.<\/p>\n<p>The Virginia Department of Health regulates food service establishments and, in agreement with the 2017 FDA Food Code, will require under the 2021 Virginia Food Regulations, 12 VAC 5-421-55, Certified Food Protection Manager, that:<\/p>\n<section id=\"edit4435\" class=\"body\" data-table=\"VACSections\" data-field=\"sectionDocument\">\n<p class=\"sectind\">A. At least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service shall be a certified food protection manager, demonstrating proficiency of required knowledge and information through passing a test that is part of an accredited program.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectind\">B. This section does not apply to food establishments that serve only non-time\/temperature control for safety food and food establishments that store and prepare food only to the extent that they reheat or cold hold commercially processed, fully cooked time\/temperature control for safety foods. Food establishments exempt from the certified food protection manager requirement may not cool time\/temperature control for safety foods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectind\">C. The person in charge shall be a certified food protection manager who has shown proficiency of required information through passing a test that is part of an accredited program. For purposes of\u00a0enforcing this subsection, this requirement\u00a0take effect on June 24, 2023.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>These courses cover basic food safety principles, critical control points for managing a restaurant, and food allergy training.\u00a0 Additionally, under 12 VAC 5-421-70, the Person-in-Charge must ensure that employees are properly trained in food safety, including food allergy awareness, as it relates to their assigned duties.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-anchor-id=\"allergen-toolkit-and-additional-resources\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" id=\"accordion-label-allergen-toolkit-and-additional-resources\" aria-controls=\"accordion-content-allergen-toolkit-and-additional-resources\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"sow-accordion-title sow-accordion-title-icon-left\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAllergen Toolkit and Additional Resources\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf218;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf209;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"sow-accordion-panel-content\"\n\t\t\t\trole=\"region\"\n\t\t\t\taria-labelledby=\"accordion-label-allergen-toolkit-and-additional-resources\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"accordion-content-allergen-toolkit-and-additional-resources\"\n\t\t\t\tstyle=\"display: none;\"\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-border\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul style=\"list-style-type: square;\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodallergy.org\/living-food-allergies\/food-allergy-essentials\/food-allergy-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food Allergy 101<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodallergy.org\/resources\/dining-out\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dining Out with Food Allergies<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Many Virginia food establishments are designing menus for diners with food allergies or intolerances.\u00a0 There are several websites you may search for restaurants in your neighborhood and check their availability of allergy-friendly dining options such as <a href=\"https:\/\/allergysafemenus.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Safe Table<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Visit the following sites to get up-to-date information on food allergies, resources and support groups:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: square;\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: square;\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodallergy.org\/\">Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kidswithfoodallergies.org\/\">Kids with Food Allergies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/nonutsmomsgroup.weebly.com\/\">No Nuts Moms Group<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.foodallergyawareness.org\/\">Food Allergy &amp; Anaphylaxis Connection Team<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/allergicliving.com\/\">Allergic Living<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/novafoodallergy.org\/\">Food Allergy Support Group of Northern Virginia<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Allergen Information for Food Establishments:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: square;\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/retail-food-protection\/allergen-removal-and-transfer-using-wiping-and-cleaning-methods-retail-food-establishments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FDA Allergen Removal and Transfer Using Wiping and Cleaning Methods in Retail Food Establishments<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statefoodsafety.com\/Resources\/Resources\/training-tip-food-allergen-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food Allergen Management Plan Template<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.afdo.org\/resources\/retail-allergen-control-resources\/\">Retail Allergen Control Resources<\/a> (AFDO)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-anchor-id=\"allergy-checklist\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" id=\"accordion-label-allergy-checklist\" aria-controls=\"accordion-content-allergy-checklist\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"sow-accordion-title sow-accordion-title-icon-left\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAllergy Checklist\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf218;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf209;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"sow-accordion-panel-content\"\n\t\t\t\trole=\"region\"\n\t\t\t\taria-labelledby=\"accordion-label-allergy-checklist\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"accordion-content-allergy-checklist\"\n\t\t\t\tstyle=\"display: none;\"\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-border\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"Content_Secondary\">\n<p><strong>Dining out should be enjoyable for everyone!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Having a fun meal out with family and friends is a luxury that some Virginians don't get to experience. People with food allergies are often worried about consuming food in restaurants even if their server claims it is free of the allergen. It is vital that Virginia food establishments take precautions to avoid contaminating foods served to their customers, especially those with allergens. Here are some steps for customers with allergies and for food establishment employees to use in order to help avoid accidental cross-contact of food:<\/p>\n<div class=\"RowWithColumns\">\n<h3 id=\"wrapper\"><strong>Consumer Checklist:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u2713 Visit the restaurant's website to make sure the menu has items that will suit your diet<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Call ahead to make sure the restaurant will accommodate your needs- this is a good sign of whether a restaurant is properly trained on food allergens<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Choose a time of day that is less busy to dine at a restaurant- it is less likely for mistakes to occur<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Print out a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodallergy.org\/resources\/food-allergy-chef-cards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food Allergy Alert Card<\/a> which outlines allergens you must avoid<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Make your server\/ wait staff aware of your allergen and the importance<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Ask to see ingredient lists &amp; prepackaged labels<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Avoid buffets as they are more likely to have contact with food allergens<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Carry your epinephrine and ensure someone with you knows how to use it<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Be an expert on your allergy- no one knows your body &amp; reaction like you do!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>Restaurant Employee Checklist:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u2713 Make yourself aware of food allergens, the symptoms of a reaction and what you can do to help avoid food allergic reactions for your customers<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Have a print-out in a highly visible spot for your staff to see allergen info<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Ask your patrons if they have any of the major food allergens<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Give specific instructions to your chef\/ cooks about food allergens in each party- use Food Allergen Alert Cards<\/p>\n<p>\u2713 Be careful to avoid cross-contact<\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: square\">\n<li>Wash hands and use new gloves between touching ready to eat food especially after touching a food allergen.<\/li>\n<li>Start with a clean workspace and equipment.\u00a0 Clean and sanitize the cooking utensils and food contact surfaces before touching non-allergen food<\/li>\n<li>Do not use the same grill or fryer as an allergen was prepared<\/li>\n<li>Clean tables and seats with single use cloth between guests<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-anchor-id=\"printable-posters-for-food-establishments\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" id=\"accordion-label-printable-posters-for-food-establishments\" aria-controls=\"accordion-content-printable-posters-for-food-establishments\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"sow-accordion-title sow-accordion-title-icon-left\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrintable Posters for Food Establishments\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf218;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf209;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"sow-accordion-panel-content\"\n\t\t\t\trole=\"region\"\n\t\t\t\taria-labelledby=\"accordion-label-printable-posters-for-food-establishments\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"accordion-content-printable-posters-for-food-establishments\"\n\t\t\t\tstyle=\"display: none;\"\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-border\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"Content_Secondary\">\n<div id=\"cleared\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statefoodsafety.com\/Resources\/Resources\/major-food-allergens-poster\">Nine major food allergens<\/a> (State Food Safety)<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.neha.org\/Images\/resources\/NEHA_Allergen_Poster_final.pdf\">Nine major food allergens<\/a> (NEHA)<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodallergy.org\/resources\/restaurants\">Food Allergy Research &amp; Education<\/a> (FARE) Multiple printable posters provided for Restaurants<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmi.org\/docs\/default-source\/food-safety-additional-resources\/food-allergy-poster-eng-2023-update_12.23.22.pdf?sfvrsn=d213320a_1\">Food Allergy Awareness What to Know<\/a> (FMI)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"Content_Secondary\">\n<div id=\"cleared\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-anchor-id=\"alpha-gal-syndrome\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-header\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" id=\"accordion-label-alpha-gal-syndrome\" aria-controls=\"accordion-content-alpha-gal-syndrome\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"sow-accordion-title sow-accordion-title-icon-left\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlpha-gal Syndrome\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-open-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf218;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-close-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sow-icon-ionicons\" data-sow-icon=\"&#xf209;\"\n\t\t \n\t\taria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"sow-accordion-panel-content\"\n\t\t\t\trole=\"region\"\n\t\t\t\taria-labelledby=\"accordion-label-alpha-gal-syndrome\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"accordion-content-alpha-gal-syndrome\"\n\t\t\t\tstyle=\"display: none;\"\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sow-accordion-panel-border\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an allergy that people can develop to certain types of meat and products made from mammals, usually after being bitten by a tick. The allergy involves a sugar called galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (also known as alpha-gal) that is found in most mammals. Alpha-gal can be found in meat (pork, beef, rabbit, lamb, venison, etc.) and products made from mammals (including gelatin, cow\u2019s milk and milk products, and some medications). In some people, the allergy is limited only to beef or other meats that have a high fat content.<\/p>\n<p>As of September 24th, 2025, cases of alpha-gal syndrome (also known as the \u201cred meat allergy\u201d) are reportable in Virginia. You can learn more about Alpha-gal Syndrome by visiting:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/epidemiology\/epidemiology\/epidemiology-fact-sheets\/alpha-gal-syndrome\/\">Alpha-gal Syndrome \u2013 Epidemiology<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/ALPHA-GAL-SYNDROME-PATIENT-INFORMATION-SHEET.pdf\">ALPHA-GAL-SYNDROME-PATIENT-INFORMATION-SHEET<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is estimated that 33 million people have food allergies in the United States. There are many foods that can cause an allergic reaction in a person, but the following nine foods are recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as the leading causes of food allergies: Fin Fish (including salmon, cod, and tilapia) Crustacean [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"parent":31,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Food Allergen Awareness - Environmental Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/environmental-health\/food-safety-in-virginia\/food-allergens\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Food Allergen Awareness - Environmental Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It is estimated that 33 million people have food allergies in the United States. There are many foods that can cause an allergic reaction in a person, but the following nine foods are recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as the leading causes of food allergies: Fin Fish (including salmon, cod, and tilapia) Crustacean [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/environmental-health\/food-safety-in-virginia\/food-allergens\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Environmental Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-21T19:34:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/food-safety-in-virginia\\\/food-allergens\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/food-safety-in-virginia\\\/food-allergens\\\/\",\"name\":\"Food Allergen Awareness - Environmental Health\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-02T14:11:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-21T19:34:52+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/food-safety-in-virginia\\\/food-allergens\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/food-safety-in-virginia\\\/food-allergens\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/food-safety-in-virginia\\\/food-allergens\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Food Safety in Virginia\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/food-safety-in-virginia\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Food Allergen Awareness\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/\",\"name\":\"Environmental Health\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\\\/environmental-health\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Food Allergen Awareness - Environmental Health","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/environmental-health\/food-safety-in-virginia\/food-allergens\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Food Allergen Awareness - Environmental Health","og_description":"It is estimated that 33 million people have food allergies in the United States. 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