Almond (Prunus dulcis)

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) is the edible seed of the almond tree from the Rosaceae family, long recognized as a source of essential nutrients including monounsaturated fatty acids, protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. It is widely consumed as a whole food snack and as an ingredient across confectionery, bakery, dairy-alternative, and other food categories.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Almonds are broadly recognized as safe for the general population and have documented benefits for cardiovascular health, blood lipid profiles, and glycaemic regulation. However, almonds are classified as a major food allergen (tree nut) under the US Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) and equivalent EU legislation; allergic individuals may experience serious or life-threatening anaphylaxis. No Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is established because almonds are a whole food, not a regulated additive.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Almonds are permitted as a food in the EU. EFSA reviewed health claims related to almonds and normal blood LDL-cholesterol maintenance under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 (Claim ID 1131). Almonds are listed as a major allergen requiring mandatory labelling under EU Food Information to Consumers Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Almonds are a recognized whole food with a long history of safe use. Under FALCPA (2004), almonds are classified as a major food allergen (tree nut) and must be explicitly declared on all FDA-regulated food labels. Mandatory pasteurization of California-grown almonds is specified under 7 CFR Part 981.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Nut Allergy — Almonds are a classified major food allergen (tree nut); individuals with almond or tree nut allergy may experience serious or life-threatening anaphylaxis upon consumption, including food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis in rare cases.

Infants — Whole almonds pose a choking hazard for infants and young children; early introduction should be in age-appropriate forms (e.g., thinned almond butter) and under medical guidance due to potential for sensitization and allergic reactions.

Children — Tree nut allergies are more frequent and potentially more severe in children than adults; those with known atopy or family history of anaphylaxis should undergo medical evaluation before regular almond consumption.

Other — Individuals sensitized to birch pollen may experience cross-reactive oral allergy syndrome with almonds due to shared protein epitopes, as documented in allergy literature.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Almond Allergy: An Overview on Prevalence, Thresholds, Regulations and Allergen Detection. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2FDA. Food Allergies – FDA (FALCPA and FASTER Act allergen labelling guidance), 2026. fda.gov
3PubMed. Almond Allergy in Children and Adults: A Narrative Review of Current Knowledge, Clinical Challenges, and Research Gaps, 2026. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Almonds (Prunus Dulcis Mill. D. A. Webb): A Source of Nutrients and Health-Promoting Compounds, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5EFSA. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to almonds and maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations (ID 1131) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, 2011. efsa.europa.eu

Independently researched5 citations