Sesame allergy

What it is

According to FARE, about 0.23% of US children and adults are allergic to sesame, which makes it the ninth most common food allergy among them.⁶ Several reports suggest the allergy has become much more common worldwide over the past two decades.⁶

People meet sesame as whole seeds, as sesame oil, and as pastes such as tahini. It is also sold under less familiar names, including benne or benniseed, gingelly, gomasio, halvah, sesamol, sim sim and til, and its scientific name, Sesamum indicum, can appear on labels for non-food items.⁶

Symptoms it causes

Sesame reactions are hard to predict, and sensitivity varies from person to person. Symptoms can range from mild, such as hives, to severe, such as anaphylaxis.⁶

Food allergies in general can cause hives, flushed skin or a rash; a tingling or itchy mouth; swelling of the face, tongue or lips; vomiting, diarrhea or stomach cramps; coughing or wheezing; dizziness; swelling of the throat and vocal cords; trouble breathing; and loss of consciousness. Symptoms can start within a few minutes to a few hours after eating.² Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening reaction that can narrow the airways and cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure and shock.²

Reading food labels

Sesame is the newest major food allergen in the US. The FASTER Act, signed on April 23, 2021, made it the ninth, and the labeling requirement took effect on January 1, 2023.¹ The other eight were set by a 2004 law, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA).¹ FDA enforces these rules for the foods it regulates; poultry, most meats, certain egg products and most alcoholic drinks fall under other agencies.²

Labels must name sesame in one of two ways: in parentheses after an ingredient, such as “spices (sesame)” or “natural flavor (sesame),” or in a “Contains sesame” statement. If a package has a “Contains” statement and the food has sesame, sesame must be in it.³ Sesame added directly already had to appear in the ingredient list, with some exceptions. What changed is that FDA now expects sesame to be named when it is part of another ingredient, such as a spice mix or natural flavor.³ FDA guidance gives the same rule for a spice blend: sesame goes in a “Contains” statement or in parentheses after “spice” or “spices.”⁵

The rules apply to packaged foods, including dietary supplements. Unpackaged foods, such as bagels in a bin, may follow different rules.³ Products already in interstate commerce before January 1, 2023, such as items on store shelves, did not have to be removed or relabeled, so some may not show sesame labeling.¹

Some companies responded to the law by adding sesame on purpose. In July 2023, FDA said some manufacturers were adding sesame to products that had not contained it and labeling it. That complies with the law on disclosing major food allergens, FDA said, but it limits options for people with sesame allergy, and FDA does not support this outcome.⁴ FDA also notes that a product’s ingredients can change at any time.⁴

Statements such as “may contain sesame” are not required by law. FDA says they must be truthful and not misleading, and they cannot stand in for good manufacturing practices.¹

Sesame shows up in many foods. FARE lists bagels, breads, buns and breadsticks; hummus, baba ghanoush and tahini sauce; falafel; granola and muesli; crackers and chips; dressings, marinades and sauces; sushi; and snack foods such as pretzels and rice cakes.⁶ Outside food, it can be in cosmetics, soaps, body oils, perfumes, supplements and pet food.⁶