Are you allergic to shellfish? If so, avoid any food with contains shellfish at the end of the ingredients list, or that indicates it has been manufactured in the presence of shellfish or shellfish-containing ingredients.
Unless your doctor has indicated you can eat certain types of shellfish, avoid any food containing:
- Abalone
- Clams (including cherrystone, littleneck, quahog, greatneck, and pismo)
- Crab (all kinds)
- Crawfish, crayfish, crawdads, and ecrivisse
- Lobster, langouste, langoustine, scampi, coral, and tomalley
- Mussels
- Scallops
- Cockles and periwinkles
- Squid (calamari)
- Shrimp (crevettes) and prawns
- Snails (escargot)
- Whelks
- Limpets
- Octopus
- Sea urchin
- Oysters
Be especially alert for the presence of shellfish in the following:
- Worcestershire sauce, salad dressings, and other prepared sauces
- Surimi (imitation shellfish)
- Cioppino
- New England boiled dinner, Low Country boil
- Gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffêe
- Ceviche
- Mariscos
- Any dish served a l'Americaine (this indicates a lobster topping)
- Bouillabase
- Thai condiments kapi and nam prik
- Vietnamese mam tom
- Chinese dried shrimp and hot pots
Sources:
New York Presbyterian Hospital. "Shellfish Allergy Diet." Internet resource. 18 November 2008. Maubourguet, Patrice, Ed. Dir., et al. Larousse Gastronomique. Rev. Ed. New York: Random House, 2001.
