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Food allergies occur when our immune system mistakenly identifies a normally harmless food protein as a threat. This triggers an exaggerated response, where the body releases antibodies and chemicals, such as histamine, to combat this perceived 'invader.'
© 2026 Singapore Food Agency
Last Updated 28 Jul 2026
Types of Food Allergies
Symptoms of Food Allergies
Food allergies involve an immune response, while food intolerances arise from the body's inability to digest certain foods. This may be due to a lack of specific digestive enzymes in the body or irritation to the digestive system caused by substances in the food.
Symptoms of food intolerances
Foods that cause hypersensitivity reactions in people are known as food allergens. Currently, there are more than 170 foods that are known to cause allergic reactions.
Of these, the 8 most common allergens are milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, soya beans, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat.
The international food standards-setting body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission Committee on Food Labelling, has recommended that these 8 foods be declared on the labels of pre-packaged foods to protect consumers with allergies.
Food components that are commonly associated with food intolerances include:
The food industry, consumers and government all have a part to play in ensuring food safety. To understand more about how each has a part to play, see:
To ensure consumer safety, the industry plays a vital role in managing food allergens throughout the entire food supply chain and production process.
Cross-contamination can potentially occur at different stages of the supply chain, such as during harvesting, transportation, handling of ingredients, and manufacturing of food products.
To eliminate cross-contact with allergens, a company should also implement the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), which is an internationally recognised, science-based, and systematic approach to identifying, evaluating, and controlling any biological, chemical, or physical hazards at each stage of the food supply chain.
1. Sourcing of ingredients
2. Storage of ingredients
3. Production scheduling and sanitation
4. Food contact surfaces
5. Cleaning programme
6. Rework and Work-in-Process
7. Employee training
8. Packaging labelling
9. Monitoring and review
Requirement to declare
Declaring allergens
Highlighting allergens
Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL)
VITAL (Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling) Programme
For individuals with food allergies, the best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid consuming food products containing the allergen as an ingredient.
Consumers can also follow the tips below:
For more information, you may refer to our Risk at a Glance article on food allergies.
To protect consumers with food allergies, SFA enforces regulations that require companies to list ingredients on prepacked foods.
Under the Singapore Food Regulations, prepacked food products containing food and ingredients known to cause hypersensitivity must be declared on food packaging labels.
For more information on our labelling requirements, read our Labelling Requirements for Food.
For more information
You can contact us via the SFA Online Feedback Form.
