Allergens in Korean Food

Korean cooking draws on a small set of foundational ingredients, and several of them are common allergens. Soybeans are in almost every sauce, sesame oil finishes most namul, and salted shrimp seasons kimchi. For anyone managing a food allergy, the useful questions are which allergens are typical, where they hide, and how food labels in Korea and the United States treat them. This page is general information; people with a diagnosed allergy should follow the plan agreed with their allergist.

Two labeling systems

United States. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame became the ninth under the FASTER Act of 2021, with labeling required from January 1, 2023. Labels must name the specific fish, crustacean or tree nut. Molluscs such as clams, oysters and squid are not on the US list. Under FDA guidance finalized in January 2025, the tree nuts that require labeling were narrowed to a shorter list that still includes pine nut and no longer treats coconut as a tree nut.

South Korea. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) requires allergen labeling, in a clearly marked area next to the ingredient list, for: eggs (from poultry), milk, buckwheat, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, mackerel, crab, shrimp, pork, peaches, tomatoes, walnuts, chicken, beef, squid, shellfish (including oysters, abalone and mussels), pine nuts, and sulfites at 10 mg/kg or more in the finished food. Pine nuts were added in a 2018 revision, which MFDS explained by research identifying them as a cause of severe reactions in children. Manufacturers must also warn when an allergen may unavoidably get into a product through shared production.

The two lists overlap but are not the same. Korea names buckwheat, peaches, tomatoes and several meats that the US does not; the US names sesame and fish in general, while Korea's list names mackerel among fish. A product that is properly labeled in one country may not flag everything a shopper from the other would expect.

Where the common allergens appear

• Soy: In ganjang, doenjang, gochujang, ssamjang, dubu and soybean sprouts. Avoiding soy in Korean cooking is very difficult; see fermented soybeans.
• Wheat: In brewed and blended soy sauce, many commercial pastes, pancake batters, wheat noodles such as kalguksu, and wheat-flour rice cakes. See gluten-free Korean eating.
• Sesame: Toasted seeds and sesame oil dress most namul, muchim and japchae. Because sesame is not on Korea's mandatory list, it appears in the ingredients but not necessarily in the allergen box on Korean labels.
• Crustaceans and fish: Saeujeot (salted shrimp) is in most cabbage kimchi; anchovy sauce seasons kimchi and muchim; anchovies flavor stocks; fish cake appears in stir-fries and street food. Anyone allergic to shellfish or fish should ask about kimchi, stews and broths, not only obvious seafood dishes.
• Molluscs: Squid, octopus, clams and oysters are common in jeotgal, pancakes such as haemul-pajeon, and stews.
• Peanuts and tree nuts: Pine nuts garnish drinks such as sujeonggwa and appear in porridges and confections; walnuts and peanuts are braised as sweet side dishes and used in snacks.
• Buckwheat: In makguksu, mul-naengmyeon and buckwheat jelly. See memil.
• Eggs: In gyeran-mari, gyeran-jjim, jeon batter and egg-strip garnishes.

Allergens in Korea

A 2022 nationwide survey of more than 12,000 Korean schoolchildren, published in 2026, found that the leading triggers of recurrent immediate reactions were peach, milk, egg, kiwi, walnut, peanut, apple, crab and shrimp, and that walnut was the most common tree nut allergy. The researchers also reported allergy to perilla seed, which they describe as an allergen seen distinctively in Korea. Perilla seed is ground into deulkkae-garu and pressed for oil, and is not on either country's mandatory list, so it deserves a specific question. See perilla.

Practical tips

• Read both parts of the label: On Korean packaging, check the full ingredient list as well as the allergen box, especially for sesame and perilla.
• Ask about the base: Stock, jeotgal and sauces carry allergens into dishes that look plain.
• Watch cross-contact: Shared fryers, pancake griddles and serving utensils can transfer allergens. At a shared table, banchan dishes are passed and dipped into by many people; see sharing banchan.
• Carry a written card: A short note in Korean naming the foods you must avoid is clearer than a spoken explanation.

Anyone who has had a severe reaction should keep prescribed emergency medication on hand and seek medical advice about their own risks.