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Allergen

Other names for sesame on a food label

Sesame became the ninth US major food allergen on January 1, 2023. Here are the names it goes by.

Sources checked September 26, 2026

Names that mean sesame

What the law requires

United StatesA major food allergen since January 1, 2023.1 When sesame is part of “spices,” the label has to say so: “spices (sesame)” or “Contains sesame.”2
European UnionOne of the 14 allergens: “Sesame seeds and products thereof.”3
JapanNot mandatory. Sesame (ごま) is on the recommended list.4

On labels in other languages

SpanishChineseJapanese
sésamo, ajonjolí芝麻ごま

Sources

  1. US Food and Drug Administration. Food Allergies.
  2. US Food and Drug Administration. Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Edition 5), 2025.
  3. European Union. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex II, 2011.
  4. Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan. アレルギー表示について (Allergen labeling), April 2026, 2026 (in Japanese).

Every source above was checked against the published text on September 26, 2026.