(NC) — If you, or someone in your family has allergies, you know that eating the wrong food can lead to symptoms such as hives or cramps. Those with severe allergies could even experience a life-threatening reaction.

There are strict federal regulations requiring allergen labelling for all food sold in Canada, whether it's produced domestically or imported. Pre-packaged foods that contain any of the 10 most common allergens must be clearly labelled with a warning. The 10 most common allergens are:

1. eggs

2. milk

3. mustard

4. peanuts

5. seafood (fish, crustaceans, shellfish)

6. sesame

7. soy

8. sulphites

9. tree nuts

10. wheat

Sometimes a product that contains undeclared allergens does end up on store shelves. When that happens, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issues a public warning advising consumers with allergies not to eat the product.

If you have allergy concerns, it's important to stay informed about food recalls and public warnings by signing up at HealthyCanadians.gc.ca, to receive e-mail notifications from the CFIA. The site is also a valuable resource for all food safety information.