Shrimp along with crayfish, crabs and lobsters are crustaceans. Food allergy to crustaceans is relatively common, symptoms ranging from mild oral allergy to severe symptoms such as anaphylaxis. Cooking does not remove the allergen. Crustacea are the third most important cause of food induced anaphylaxis after peanuts and tree nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.). Thus crustacea and products thereof are listed in annex IIIa of the EU directive on labelling of foods and must be labelled when used as ingredients in pre-packaged food.

Most allergy to crustacea seems to involve a muscles protein called tropomyosin, which is very similar in a wide range of crustacean foods. As a result someone with allergy to tropomyosin from one kind of crustacean is likely to react to others. Thus individuals with allergy to one kind of crustacean are usually advised to avoid all types of crustacean foods.

In addition, some individuals with allergies to insects such as cockroach or moths can suffer food allergy to crustacean foods. Whilst most individuals with allergy to shrimps (crustacea) can tolerate molluscs, individuals with allergy to both types of shellfish have been reported. However, individuals allergic to finfish (such as cod or salmon) do not generally have allergies to shellfish.

Crustacea and products thereof are listed in annex IIIa of the EU directive on labelling of foods. Crustacea include shrimps, crabs, crayfish, and lobsters.

Fenneropenaeus indicus NEWT 29960, ITIS 95626

Publications on food allergy report data from several species of shrimp, sometimes simply remarking "fresh shrimp were purchased locally" without reporting species. Apart from the gammarus shrimps (ITIS 93773), which have only been reported as occupational allergens, all the shrimp species reported as allergenic are decapodes. The order decapoda contains shrimps, prawns, crawfish, lobsters and crabs. These are believed to have evolved from a Devonian shrimp-like ancestor and the penaeoid shrimps are not more closely related to shrimps such as pandalus than to crabs or lobsters.

The main shrimp species used in publications on food allergy are:

1. Metapenaeus ensis (NEWT 32278, ITIS 95814) has the English names greasyback shrimp, offshore greasyback shrimp or sand shrimp.

2. Farfantepenaeus aztecus (NEWT 6690, ITIS 551570) was called Penaeus aztecus and has the English names brown shrimp, gulf shrimp, golden shrimp, northern brown shrimp, red shrimp or redtail shrimp.

3. Penaeus monodon (NEWT 6703, ITIS 95638) has the English names tiger prawn, giant tiger prawn or black tiger shrimp.

4. Fenneropenaeus indicus (NEWT 29960, ITIS 95626) was called Penaeus indicus and has the English names Indian prawn, Indian white prawn, tugela prawn or white prawn.

5. Fenneropenaeus chinensis (ITIS 551578) was called Cancer chinensis, Penaeus chinensis or Penaeus orientalis and has the English name fleshy prawn. NEWT gives two species, Fenneropenaeus chinensis (NEWT 139456) or Fenneropenaeus orientalis (NEWT 70917).

6. Parapenaeus fissurus (ITIS 95743) was called Penaeus fissurus and has the English name Neptune rose shrimp. This species and the rose shrimp Parapenaeus fissuroides (NEWT 228860, ITIS 551689) are closely related and sometimes treated as synonyms(http://www.fa.gov.tw/tfb10/e/f3/a52b.htm).

7. Litopenaeus setiferus (NEWT 64468, ITIS 551680) was called Penaeus setiferus or Cancer setiferus (in some articles Penaeus setifecus) and has the English names white shrimp or northern white shrimp.

8. Pandalus borealis (NEWT 6703, ITIS 96967) has been sometimes called Pandalus borelis or Pandalus boralis. This is a true rather than a penaeoid shrimp. The English names are northern shrimp, northern red shrimp, pink shrimp, coldwater shrimp or deepwater prawn. As this species is used in the Parmacia Diagnostics (Uppsala, Sweeden) ImmunoCAP system, it is often implied when the species is not named.

A mixture of Penaeus monodon, Penaeus semisulcatus (ITIS 95644, NEWT 64467, green tiger prawn) and Metapenaeus affinis (ITIS 95784, NEWT 228858, jinga shrimp) is used in extracts from Torii Yakuhin (Kobe, Japan).

9. Crangon crangon (ITIS 97118) is called the common shrimp and also the brown shrimp or better the European brown shrimp. It is a true shrimp carrying its eggs on its legs.

Note that several names such as "Atlantic shrimp" or "brown shrimp" are used for more than one species.

Some articles mention the 19^th century division of the crustacea into natantia (swimmers such as shrimps) and reptania (walkers such as crabs). The monophylly and subdivision of reptania has been discussed (Ahyong & O'Meally, 2004 [1653]; Dixon et al, 2003 [1654]; Morrison et al, 2002 [1652]) but natantia has found fewer defenders http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Decapoda.