Fish allergy (finned fish) affects about 1.0 percent of the population¹. Fish allergy tends to be life-long and is more common in adults than children.

Those who are allergic to finned fish can usually tolerate crustaeans and/or molluscs but care must be taken because of the real risk of cross contamination in storage, preparation and cooking of the seafood. Occasionally people have breathing difficulties from smelling fish being cooked. Most people who have a fish allergy are advised to not have fish cooked in their home because of the risk of the smell triggering a serious allergic reaction.

Please note: If you are allergic to fish, you are at high risk of being allergic to crocodile meat.

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

Fish allergen card 265.17 KB (A4 sized - perfect for downloading and viewing on your device)

Fish allergen card127.24 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 fish allergy is available from the ASCIA website.

_{1. Food allergy: is prevalence increasing? Mimi L. K. Tang, Raymond J. Mullins, Intern Med J. 2017 Mar;47(3):256-261
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imj.13362}

Content updated October 2021