What are the “Big 9” food allergens in American English?
Top Nine Most Common Food Allergens Explained
A2 English listening practice · American English · Picked for people who know a little
The United States has an official list of the most common food allergens, called the Big 9: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, and sesame. For many years, the list was the Big 8. Sesame became the ninth allergen in January 2023, after the FASTER Act was signed in 2021. American food labels must now clearly mark any of these nine ingredients, so people with allergies can shop safely.
In this clip, a speaker counts through all nine allergens one by one: “Number one, milk. Number two, eggs...” The video is the kind of simple guide American parents and teachers use to teach kids about food safety. The Big 9 is the standard reference for American allergy talk.
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this A2 English listening practice video?
How common in written English
How common in spoken English
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In American school nurse offices and lunchroom rules
- ▸In American parenting and pediatric content (The Mom Edit, Pregnant Chicken)
- ▸In American grocery-store labels (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Kroger)
- ▸In American food YouTube about allergies (Spokin, Kids With Food Allergies)
- ▸In American restaurant menu allergy disclosures