Top 8 Allergen Free Brands

The big 8

On the hunt for munchies that are safe for people with food allergies? Not sure how to navigate the grocery store with allergy friendly products? No problem! I’ve rounded up a list of my favorite top 8 allergen free brands plus shopping tips.

These products are free of the Big 8: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy.

*On April 23, 2021, the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act was signed into law, declaring sesame as the 9th major food allergen recognized by the United States. This change will become effective on January 1, 2023, so labeling of sesame as an allergen will not be required until that time.

Navigating the Grocery Store

Shopping for someone with food allergies can be stressful. Knowing what to look for and having go-to allergy friendly products are ESSENTIAL.

Food Labels & Allergens

By law, major allergens must be listed on all nutrition labels in one of two ways:

Ingredients section: the major allergen will be listed in parenthesis directly after the ingredient.
“Contains” Statement: following the ingredients, “contains wheat, soy, and milk”.

Major allergens may be listed as advisory statements like “may contain” or “produced in a facility that also uses [allergen]”.

Plan ahead

Research allergen friendly recipes and brands before shopping.
Keep track of your favorite (safe & tasty) products!
Create a list of go-to allergy friendly meals the whole family enjoys.

Allergen-Friendly Shopping Tools

Yummly: recipes for personalized dietary needs. Plug in your allergies for appropriate recipes and ingredients.
ShopWell: free app that gives a personalized nutrition score when a food profile is created with dietary goals, allergies, health concerns, and dislikes. Simply scan items to see if they match
Allergen Inside: membership program where you can search/scan groceries to check for allergens.