American Food (Allergies?) Restrictions

I am constantly researching food allergies that arise in America.  Some allergies are not allergies, but toxins, or digestive issues.  Some people are more tolerant to certain foodstuffs than others.  For instance, all of us should not eat raw stinging nettles or unprocessed tapioca starch.  Most of us are somewhat lactose intolerant to cow's milk—it just depends to how much cow's milk one consumes.  Anyone who has eaten excessive amounts of raw cow's milk cheese will understand what I am talking about!  We must eat everything in moderation and not too much of one foodstuff.

The following are brief definitions and explanations of some common food aversions in America.
FDA Legally defined Vegetarian Definitions
Vegan—no animal product, no dairy and egg
Vegetarian—no animal product, okay dairy and egg
Lacto Vegetarian—no animal product, okay dairy
Ovo Vegetarian—no animal product, okay egg
Pescatarian or Fishatarian—no animal product, okay seafood, okay dairy & egg

Seafood Allergies
Finfish—fish that have fins! Eels depends on ones definition-generally considered finfish.

Shellfish
Bivalves (2 shells)—oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, cockles, etc.
Univalves (1 shell)—snails (mollusks), periwinkles, etc.
Crustaceans—crab, shrimp, lobster, langoustines, etc.
Cephalopods—squid, cuttlefish, octopus, anything with tentacles
Frogs are amphibians and can be grouped in this category as well.

Celiac & Gluten Allergy
No wheat products. (varying thresholds of this allergy) gluten is a naturally occurring chemical in wheat. Barley, rye, oats, bran, farro are generally accepted types of wheat. Rice does not contain gluten. Glutinous rice is a term to describe sticky and certain types of sushi rice.

Nut, Bean, Legumes, and Seed Allergies
Tree nuts—any nut that grows on a tree: almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios etc. Coconuts are nuts!
Legumes—peanuts are not a nut, they grow in the ground! They are considered a legume. Lentils are in this category as well, etc.
Beans—white, red, black, many different kinds, fresh and dried.
Seeds—usually not an allergy, but digestive system cannot break down seeds.
Kosher
Jewish Kosher laws, many different interpretations, hard core Kosher food has to be blessed by Rabbi. Usually no pork, shellfish, certain bottom feeding fish, and game birds (duck).

Nightshades
Vegetables that grow at night! 1500 classified varieties, very individual specific. Tomato and eggplant are most common.

Lactose Intolerance
Not an allergy! Many different thresholds! Intestine lack certain types of bacteria to break down dairy products. As an individual grows older bacteria dissipates. Is specific to cow’s milk! You can have a lactose intolerant person order cheese with goat or sheep’s milk! Many lactose intolerant persons can have hard cheeses like Parmesan Reggiano because the lactic acids have been broken down in the aging process.

Mushrooms & Fungus
Similar to seafood and shellfish that they can be very individual specific. Truffles are a fungus that grows in the ground.

Sulfites
Naturally occurring in nature & artificial sulfites are used as a food & drug preservative. They are mostly associated with some vinegars and (red) wine. Sulfites are naturally occurring in all grapes and cause an allergic reaction with about 5% of asthmatics at varying thresholds. A 1986 FDA law requires red wines to be labeled “contains sulfites,” because it has more than 100 parts per million. This does not mean the wine is inferior. 
MSG
Mono Sodium Glutamate, After WWII Japanese food scientists discovered this chemical and proved it to enhance the flavors of food. It is technically banned in the U.S. but, can be procured in any Chinatown. It is thought to cause cancer and genetic diseases, but is for the most part harmless. It was used in many Americanized Chinese restaurants in the 60’s and 70’s and was thought to have made a lot of people sick, but it was actually sanitation issues with Chinese immigrant restaurateurs. (They have a lot different standards in China and certain bacteria forms in rice that is held in steamer for many hours.)

Trichinosis
A parasitic worm that is generally associated with undercooked pork (can also come from wild game, bears, or any animals that eat raw garbage.) The WWII generation especially wants their pork well done. There hasn’t been a case a trichinosis since WWII???. It is okay to eat pork medium or even raw (for those swine lovers).

Offal
Yes this is a word, meaning describing organ meats. (liver, brain, sweetbreads, kidneys, tongue, etc.) Derives from the middle Germanic word ab-fal. It was used to describe organ meats from venison that would spoil quicker than other cuts.

Rhubarb
The “doughboys” of WW1 may be to blame for this one. The American soldiers ate the leaves of the Rhubarb, which are poisonous; making the American public after WW1 think rhubarb is poisonous. The pink stalks are not. A lot of older Americans think they are allergic to rhubarb because at some point they probably ate the poisonous leaves.