If you have food allergies, you really have to be wary of foods that are unfamiliar to you. For example, if you have peanut allergies, think twice and make sure you ask for the ingredients before you reach for a Thai sate; the sauce is made from peanut butter.

Even in common food items, you have to look closely at the ingredient labels to check what possible allergens are inside. For example, you might not expect to find wheat in cold cuts, ketchup, or ice cream, but there they are. Or those with fish and shellfish allergies, for example, should better stay away from Ceasar's salad dressings or Worcestershire sauce.

We all know that the first line of defense against allergies is to avoid them. But it's not always so simple because in a lot of cases, the offending ingredient is not so obvious or explicitly stated. If you have food allergies, see this article for a list of food items you have watch out for.

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