Lobster & Eczema
Same allergen as shrimp and crab. Highly sensitive individuals can react to cooking steam. Hides in bisques, ravioli, and restaurant sauces made with lobster stock.
4/5
Reaction Timeline
Lobster triggers IgE-mediated shellfish allergy via tropomyosin — lobster tropomyosin (Hom a 1) shares 92–98% amino acid identity with shrimp and crab tropomyosins, making cross-reactivity essentially universal across crustaceans. Reactions are immediate: hives, swelling, throat tightening, and potentially anaphylaxis can occur within minutes to two hours of eating lobster. Steam from cooking lobster — including lobster bisque — can carry allergen particles and trigger reactions in highly sensitised individuals without any direct consumption. There is no slow-burn delayed pattern here; crustacean allergy reactions are fast and potentially severe.
How Much Is Needed To React?
Same as other crustaceans — trace amounts can trigger reactions. Restaurant cross-contact is a major concern, especially in seafood restaurants where lobster is cooked alongside other foods.
Does Preparation Matter?
Tropomyosin is heat-stable. No cooking method reduces lobster allergenicity. Lobster stock and butter retain allergenic proteins. [1]
Also Watch Out For...
Shrimp — 92–98% tropomyosin homology [1]
Crab — 92–98% tropomyosin homology [1]
House dust mite — ~80% tropomyosin homology [2]
Cockroach — tropomyosin cross-reactivity
Crawfish/crayfish — near-identical tropomyosin
What To Use Instead
Monkfish (sometimes called "poor man's lobster" — firm texture; finfish, no cross-reactivity)
King oyster mushroom (for lobster-like texture — note: mushrooms on trigger list)
Butter beans (for lobster roll substitute texture)
Hidden Sources
Lobster bisque and stock
Seafood platters (cross-contact)
Lobster ravioli
Lobster butter and lobster oil
Bouillabaisse
Shared cooking water and fryer oil in restaurants
