Allergen information
Last updated November 6, 2026
Every recipe lists the major allergens it contains. Here is how those labels are made, and why you should still check every package you cook with.
The allergens we label
- Milk
- Egg
- Fish
- Crustacean shellfish
- shrimp, crab, lobster
- Mollusks
- clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, squid
- Tree nuts
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soy
- Sesame
- Gluten
- wheat, barley (found in some misos), rye, and oats not certified gluten-free
How labels are worked out
Nobody types allergen labels into a recipe. Each ingredient in our ingredient list records the allergens it contains, and a recipe’s labels are the combination of all its ingredients, including optional ones. Diet labels (such as vegan or gluten-free) are worked out the same way. When an ingredient’s information changes, every recipe that uses it is updated automatically.
Some ingredients hide allergens: for example, Worcestershire sauce contains fish, and oyster sauce contains mollusks. Our ingredient list accounts for these.
For some ingredients where brands or traditions differ, we label for the stricter case: miso is labeled as containing gluten because some misos are made with barley, and Parmesan, Pecorino Romano and Gruyère are traditionally made with animal rennet, so recipes that use them are not labeled vegetarian.
Other packaged foods differ from brand to brand: some hamburger buns contain milk or egg, and others contain neither. For these, we don’t add an allergen to a recipe’s labels just because some brands contain it. Instead, for some of them, the recipe shows a line that starts “Check the label”, names the ingredient and lists the allergens to look for on its package. An ingredient without that line can still differ by brand, so read the label on every package you use. This line is not a “may contain” warning. Only the package can tell you about cross-contact in the factory.
What "No major allergens identified" means
It means none of the recipe’s ingredients is known to contain one of the allergens above. It does not mean the dish is free of allergens: brands differ, factories handle many foods, and cross-contact can happen in any kitchen.
Always check the label
- Read the ingredient list and allergen statement on every product you buy.
- Watch for “may contain” and shared-facility warnings.
- Follow the advice of your doctor or allergist. Our labels are information, not medical advice.