Vegan food and allergens

In recent years, veganism has become increasingly popular as more people seek to align their dietary choices with ethical, environmental, and health considerations. As such many food packaging are labeled as vegan to aid these choices. However, amidst the growing availability of vegan products, there’s an often overlooked risk for individuals with food allergies or intolerances.

While products labelled as vegan may seem like a safe choice for those avoiding animal-derived ingredients, they can still pose a danger due to potential cross-contamination with allergens such as milk, eggs, crustaceans, fish, or molluscs during production. Particularly within those with serious reactions, even small levels of contamination are enough to trigger an allergic response.

Labelling

It’s crucial to understand the difference between food safety labels and vegan labels. Labels like ‘free-from’ or ‘allergen-free’ guarantee the absence of specific allergens through strict manufacturing processes. However, the term ‘vegan’ lacks legal definition in food law and only signifies the absence of intentional animal ingredients, without ensuring allergen safety.

Because vegan-labelled products may still contain allergens, especially if processed in facilities handling animal-derived products, consumers with food allergies or intolerances must be vigilant. Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL), such as ‘may contain’ statements, helps alert consumers to potential cross-contamination risks, but it’s not foolproof.

Consumers and those involved in serving food should familiarise themselves with food labelling practices, allergen risks, and effective communication strategies. By empowering individuals with knowledge, we can create a safer and more inclusive food environment for everyone.

while adopting a vegan lifestyle can be in line with personal values and beliefs, it’s crucial to stay vigilant regarding potential allergen risks. Opting for a “vegan diet” as a means to avoid allergens can indeed help minimize exposure to animal products. However, it’s important to acknowledge that solely relying on vegan-labelled products may not eliminate the risk of encountering certain animal-based allergens. To find out more about allergens in food why not take a look at our introduction to allergens course.