Shellfish Allergy Diet for Children
General guidelines for shellfish allergy
The key to an allergy-free diet is to avoid giving your child the foods or products containing the food to which he or she is allergic. The items to which your child is allergic are called allergens.
A shellfish allergy is an abnormal response of the body to the proteins found in shellfish. In order to avoid foods that contain shellfish proteins, it is important to read food labels.
How to read a label for an shellfish-free diet
Be sure to avoid foods that contain any of the following ingredients:
Abalone
Clam (cherrystone, littleneck, geoduck, pismo, quahog)
Cockle, periwinkle, sea urchin
Crab
Crawfish, crayfish, ecrevisse
Cuttlefish
Limpet (lapas, opihi)
Lobster, langouste, langoustine, scampi, coral, tomalley
Mollusks
Mussels
Octopus, squid (calamari)
Oyster
Scallops
Sea cucumber (often used in Asian soups)
Shrimp, prawns, crevette
Snail (escargot)
Whelk (turban shell)
The following foods may indicate that shellfish protein is present:
Bouillabaisse
Cuttlefish ink
Fish stock
Glucosamine
Seafood flavoring
Surimi
Any food–even a nonseafood item–that is made in a seafood restaurant could be cross-contaminated with fish or shellfish.
Some fish-allergic individuals may react to cooking odors or from touching shellfish or fish.
Use caution when eating in Asian restaurants. Fish sauce is often used as a flavor enhancer.
Shellfish protein can become airborne in the steam released during cooking. Avoid steam tables or buffets where seafood is displayed and served.