Which statement about the Big 8 allergens is correct?

• A. The Big 8 include the eight allergen families including Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Crustacean Shellfish, Wheat, and Soy.
• B. The Big 8 include gluten and sesame.
• C. The Big 8 are unrelated to severe allergic reactions.
• D. The Big 8 change every year.

Answer: (A)

Big 8 refers to the eight allergen families most often responsible for severe allergic reactions and, in many labeling systems, the ones that must be disclosed on food labels. The eight items are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, and soy. Gluten isn’t listed separately as a Big 8 item; it’s a protein in wheat, and the labeling framework uses the wheat category. Sesame isn’t part of the original Big 8 either—some newer guidelines treat sesame as a separate (ninth) allergen, but that doesn’t change the classic Big 8. The set isn’t something that changes every year; these eight categories are defined by labeling rules, with occasional additions like sesame in newer schemes. So the statement listing those eight families matches the standard Big 8.