Fish in the United States: label rules and introduction guidance

Is fish on the FDA's list of 9 major food allergens?

Under US law the species of fish must be declared, so a 'Contains' statement cannot simply say 'fish'; it has to say bass, flounder, cod or whichever species is used. For the ingredient list, FDA points manufacturers to the acceptable market names in its Seafood List, and it allows a generic name such as 'salmon' in the 'Contains' statement. FDA's Edition 5 guidance interprets fish as three groups: jawless fish such as hagfish and lampreys, bony fish such as trout, salmon, tuna and cod, and cartilaginous fish such as sharks, rays and skates. Fish is a separate major allergen from Crustacean shellfish.

In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) and the FASTER Act, names nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. A packaged food has to declare each one either in parentheses after an ingredient, such as 'whey (milk)', or in a 'Contains' statement printed immediately after or next to the ingredient list.

• FDA: Food Allergies
• FDA: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens (Edition 5, January 2025)

What CDC guidance says about introducing fish

CDC's first-foods page advises introducing potentially allergenic foods when you introduce other foods, and it does not list fish separately among its examples. The NIAID addendum covers peanut only. Because each species must be named on a US label, the packet tells you exactly which fish your baby has eaten, which is worth copying into a food diary. If your baby has a known food allergy or eczema, ask your paediatrician how and when to introduce fish, and which kinds to start with.

US advice on first foods comes from several places. CDC's page for parents says to introduce potentially allergenic foods when you introduce other foods. For peanut specifically, an expert panel sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) published addendum guidelines in 2017. Neither replaces a conversation with your paediatrician about your own baby.

• CDC: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods

Logging fish in the app

Set your region to the United States and the app's allergen schedule follows the FDA's nine. In the schedule, fish appears as Fish. Each allergen entry moves from not started to introduced, cleared or reaction, and the 14-day window keeps new foods spaced out so a delayed reaction is easier to match to a food. Log the species, salmon or cod rather than 'fish', since reactions and labels are both specific. If you see a symptom, log it with its severity; the paediatrician report gathers the dates into one PDF for your next appointment. It is a record for you and your doctor, not a diagnosis.