Guide
Fish allergen labeling: name the species
FALCPA requires fish to be declared by species — salmon, tuna, cod, anchovy — not only the word seafood. Worcestershire, Caesar dressing and some steak sauces are where US kitchens miss anchovy.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
FALCPA requires fish to be declared by species — salmon, tuna, cod, anchovy — not only the word seafood. Worcestershire, Caesar dressing and some steak sauces are where US kitchens miss anchovy.
Where this shows up in a real kitchen
A sealed poke bowl is obvious. A Caesar salad jar in a grab-and-go fridge is where anchovy disappears under “house dressing”. Surimi may be pollock. Fish sauce in a Vietnamese marinade is fish even when the marinade is a minor compound ingredient.
The US rule
Fish is a major allergen and must be named by species. Crustacean shellfish is a different major allergen (crab, lobster, shrimp). Molluscs are not FALCPA majors. FDA’s allergen materials stress species naming so a salmon-allergic customer is not left with “fish”.
How to apply it
Read dressings, sauces, broths and omega-3 additives. Put “anchovy” or “salmon” in the ingredients and Contains. Do not write Contains: seafood. Keep shrimp on the shellfish line, not this one.
- List every fish species in the SKU, including sauces.
- Declare each species in the ingredients or Contains.
- Keep crustacean names on the shellfish allergen, not under fish.
- Re-read Caesar and Worcestershire specs at each supplier change.
Worked example
A 10 oz Caesar salad jar: romaine, croutons (wheat), Parmesan (milk), dressing with anchovy. Contains: wheat, milk, fish (anchovy). If the croutons were omitted this week, wheat leaves the line too — do not keep a frozen Contains from the winter menu.
Checks that belong on this pack
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Anchovy is named in Caesar | House dressing is not a legal name for fish. |
| Contains says fish (salmon) or salmon, not seafood | Species matters. |
| Fish oil supplements in granola are checked | Omega-3 add-ins can be fish. |
| Poke bowls packed for retail have the fish species on the pack | A window showing salmon does not replace the word salmon. |
Writing Contains: seafood
Seafood mixes fish, crustaceans and molluscs. FALCPA does not use that umbrella for the Contains line.
What LabelClear can and cannot print
When anchovy or fish sauce is in the paste, mark fish. US law wants the species, not a maritime mood word.
Questions
Is fish sauce a major allergen?
Are oysters fish?
Do I name every fish in a mixed chowder?
Official sources
Everything on this page traces back to these. Where they and we disagree, they are right — tell us and we'll fix it.
- Food allergiesU.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA)U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Food Labeling GuideU.S. Food and Drug Administration
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