Revely

Allergen

Other names for shellfish on a food label

On a US label, “shellfish” means crustaceans: shrimp, crab, lobster and their relatives. Clams, mussels and oysters are a different group.

Sources checked September 26, 2026

Names that mean crustacean shellfish

What the law requires

United StatesA major food allergen as “Crustacean shellfish.”1 The label has to name the species, such as “shrimp” or “crab.”2
European UnionOne of the 14 allergens: “Crustaceans and products thereof.”3
JapanMandatory for shrimp (えび) and crab (かに).4

On labels in other languages

SpanishChineseJapanese
camarón, gamba, cangrejo, marisco虾、蝦、蟹、甲壳类えび、かに

Mollusks are a separate allergen

Clams, mussels, oysters, scallops and squid are mollusks, not crustaceans. The EU lists them as a separate allergen. The US doesn’t list them as a major food allergen at all.31 Here are their names.

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.