Recent research suggests that about one in seven life-threatening allergic reactions are caused by foods not currently listed on mandatory allergen labels.

    Food allergies are rising, yet regulations, such as the European Union’s 14-item allergen list from 2011, have not been updated in years.

   To identify overlooked triggers, Dominique Sabouraud-Leclerc and colleagues analyzed 2999 cases of food-induced anaphylaxis reported between 2002 and 2023 to the Allergy-Vigilance Network. They found that goat or sheep milk, buckwheat, peas, lentils, pine nuts, kiwi, apples, beehive products and alpha-gal (a sugar that can trigger an allergy to red meat and other mammalian products) were responsible for about 14% of reactions. Goat and sheep cheese caused particularly severe outcomes, including two deaths, and hidden exposures in processed foods increased risks.

      Based on these findings, the researchers recommend adding goat and sheep milk products, peas, lentils, buckwheat and pine nuts to Europe’s mandatory allergen labelling. They argue that clearer information is crucial for protecting allergic individuals and could inspire broader international policy updates.