Major Food Allergens
Learn which allergens Grocery Savvy currently checks for, how allergen information appears in the app, and the limits of ingredient-based allergen detection.
Overview
Grocery Savvy currently checks for the 9 major food allergens recognized by the FDA when ingredient data is available for a food item.
This page explains:
- which allergens the app currently checks for
- what the different allergen statuses mean
- what Grocery Savvy can and cannot confirm
The 9 Major Allergens Grocery Savvy Checks For
When ingredient data is available, Grocery Savvy currently checks for:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Tree Nuts
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soybeans
- Sesame
These are the current major allergens the app is designed to detect from available ingredient information.
How Grocery Savvy Detects Allergens
Grocery Savvy checks supported allergen terms in:
- ingredient text
- parsed ingredient data when available
This means allergen results depend on the quality and completeness of the ingredient data attached to a food item.
What the Statuses Mean
Contains Allergens
The app detected one or more supported allergens in the available ingredient data.
No Known Allergens
Ingredient data was available, and none of the supported major allergens were found.
This does not mean the food is guaranteed safe for every allergy situation. It means no supported allergens were detected in the available ingredient data.
Allergen Information Unavailable
The food item does not include complete ingredient data, so Grocery Savvy cannot make a reliable allergen call.
When this happens, allergens may still be present.
Important Limits
Grocery Savvy is designed as a helpful guide, not as a substitute for checking packaging yourself.
Important limits to keep in mind:
- ingredient and allergen data may be incomplete for some items
- product formulations can change over time
- facility warnings or cross-contact statements may not always be reflected in data sources
- the app cannot replace the package label in your hand
Always check product packaging for the most current allergen information.
How This Relates to Dietary Preferences
Allergen information and dietary preferences work together, but they are not the same thing.
For example:
- allergen information is used to help surface allergen concerns when supported data exists
- dietary preferences help highlight foods based on broader tags and considerations
Learn more on Dietary Preferences.
Additional Notes
If you have severe allergies, talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to evaluate foods for your specific needs.
Grocery Savvy is a helpful review tool, but it should not be treated as medical advice.