Crustacean

Crustaceans have jointed legs, a hard shell and a backbone. Crustaceans include crabs, lobster, prawns and shrimp, crayfish, and yabbies.

An allergy to seafood affects approximately 1% of the population. It is usually life long and is more common in adults than in children.

People who are allergic to crustacean can usually tolerate finned fish but care must be taken because of the real risk of cross contamination in storage, preparation and cooking of the seafood.

Occasionally people with crustacea allergy have breathing difficulties from crustacea being cooked in the same enclosed space they are in. Most people who have a fish or crustacean allergy are advised to not have that food cooked in their home because of the risk of the smell triggering a serious allergic reaction.

Two new printable/downloadable versions of food allergen cards are available:

Crustacean allergen card 236.09 KB (A4 sized - perfect for downloading and viewing on your device)

Crustacean allergen card132.47 KB (print then trim to wallet size - perfect for when shopping or eating out)

You can also purchase printed food allergen cards from our online shop.

To make eating out a little easier, A&AA has developed a chef card. You can write or print your allergens on the card. When telling the wait staff at a cafe or restaurant about your allergies, hand over your chef card and ask for it to come back with your specially prepared meal. You can also obtain chef cards from our online shop.

More information on crustacean allergy is available from the ASCIA website.

Content updated October 2021