What Are the Hidden Names for Common Food Allergens?
Use the free tool — Allergy Menu Card
Why "hidden names" matter
Food allergies are common. In the US, 1 in 13 children has a food allergy — every kitchen already serves them (FARE). But a menu rarely spells out every ingredient by name. An allergen can hide behind a different word, and a server may not know it.
What US law actually covers
US law requires 9 major allergens to be named on packaged food labels. This is the Top 9 rule from the FDA's FASTER Act (FDA).
Restaurants have no such labeling rule. A dish can contain a hidden form of an allergen and the menu will not say so. That is why a written card, naming the allergen clearly, is what allergists and chefs recommend.
Hidden names are not the same as cross-contact
Hidden names are about ingredients: an allergen listed under a different word. Cross-contact is about shared equipment — shared fryers, grills and utensils cause reactions even when the dish "contains none" of the allergen (FARE dining out). Both need to be on the card.
We don't have a master list of every hidden name for every allergen here — that varies by allergen, by cuisine, and by country. This guide does not invent one. What we can tell you: a chef-ready card should list the hidden names for your specific allergens, plus cross-contact warnings for severe or anaphylaxis-level allergies.
What a good card includes
- On the card: the exact card text, front and back, per language.
- Kitchen notes: the cross-contact specifics and the question to ask the server for these allergens — for example the fryer for peanut, or the steamer for shellfish.
- Good to know: the hidden-name list and cuisine-specific watchouts for your allergens.
Translations should use kitchen-standard food terms, not literal dictionary words, with the allergen's common local names in parentheses. If an allergist has written an exception — like baked egg — the card should carry that exception exactly as written, attributed "per allergist," never expanded or guessed at.
Card text should be short enough for a line cook to read in 15 seconds.
Caution
This kind of card supports communication — it does not replace medical guidance, epinephrine, or asking the kitchen questions. When in doubt, don't eat it.
Allergy Menu Card writes communication cards from what you type; it can be wrong and it is not medical advice. Confirm severity and exceptions with your allergist. Nothing you type is stored.
What to do next
The free tool reads the allergies and severity you type — nothing is saved — and writes a chef-ready card in English, Spanish, or the language of your trip, with the hidden names and cross-contact notes for your specific allergens. Type the allergies, get the card, and hand it to every server.
Allergy Menu Card writes communication cards from what you type; it can be wrong and it is not medical advice. Confirm severity and exceptions with your allergist. Nothing you type is stored.