In 2004, the US Congress passed the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) which is intended to warn consumers and help them avoid food allergens. The law applies to all foods whose labeling is regulated by the FDA, both domestic and imported.   While more than 160 foods can cause allergic reactions in people with food allergies, the law identifies the eight most common allergenic foods.  These foods account for 90% of food allergic reactions and are the food sources from which many other ingredients are derived.  The eight foods identified by the law are: milk, eggs, fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod), crustacean shellfish (e.g. crab, lobster, shrimp), tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans), peanuts, wheat, and soybeans.  These eight foods, and any ingredient that contains protein derived from one or more of them, are designated as “major food allergens” by FALCPA.