Does food labelled as vegan help those with food allergies?
Safer Food Scores Many consumers assume that food labelled as vegan is automatically free from animal-derived allergens such as milk, egg, fish or shellfish. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. For people with food allergies or intolerances, this misunderstanding can pose a serious risk to their health and, in some cases, their lives.
So why can vegan food still contain traces of animal products, and how can food businesses communicate this risk effectively?
What is Vegan Food?
There is currently no legal definition of vegan food in the UK. Generally, vegan products are those that do not intentionally contain ingredients derived from animals.
However, veganism is more than just a diet. It is a lifestyle that seeks to avoid the use of animal products wherever practical for ethical, environmental and health reasons.
Can Vegan Food Contain Animal Products?
Although vegan foods should not contain animal-derived ingredients deliberately, they may still contain small traces of animal products due to shared production environments, manufacturing processes or the risk of cross-contact during preparation.
As a result, food labelled as vegan cannot automatically be assumed to be suitable for people with food allergies.
Does a Vegan Certification Mean a Product is Allergen-Free?
No. Certification schemes and vegan trademarks focus on the absence of deliberate animal-derived ingredients rather than the complete elimination of accidental traces.
Many vegan-certified products may still carry a risk of cross-contact with allergens such as milk or egg. Requiring all vegan products to be completely free from animal-derived traces would significantly reduce product choice and increase costs for both manufacturers and consumers.
How Can Consumers Identify Animal-Derived Ingredients?
For prepacked foods, all ingredients must be listed on the label. In addition, any of the 14 legally recognised allergens used as ingredients must be clearly emphasised, typically in bold text.
The animal-derived allergens that require declaration are:
- Milk
- Egg
- Fish
- Crustaceans
- Molluscs
Consumers with food allergies should always check ingredient lists carefully, even when products are labelled as vegan.
How Can Consumers Identify Possible Cross-Contact Risks?
A vegan label alone does not provide information about potential allergen cross-contact.
Some manufacturers choose to include precautionary allergen statements such as:
“May contain milk”
or
“Made in a factory that also handles egg.”
These statements help allergy sufferers make informed decisions. However, precautionary allergen labelling is voluntary and may not appear on every product where a risk exists.
What Can Food Manufacturers Do?
Manufacturers producing vegan or plant-based foods should carry out thorough allergen risk assessments and implement controls to minimise cross-contact.
Where a significant risk remains despite these controls, appropriate precautionary allergen information should be provided to help consumers make safe choices.
What Can Caterers and Retailers Do?
Managing allergen risks can be particularly challenging where food is sold loose, such as in restaurants, cafés, bakeries and delicatessens. In these environments, ingredients are often stored, prepared and served in shared spaces.
Where complete separation cannot be guaranteed, businesses should make customers aware that vegan products may not be suitable for individuals with certain food allergies.
For example, menus or display notices could include the following statement:
“Our vegan options do not contain animal-derived ingredients but may not be suitable for customers with milk, egg, fish, crustacean or mollusc allergies due to the risk of cross-contact.”
Clear communication helps customers make informed decisions and reduces the risk of allergic reactions.
How Can Safer Food Scores Help?
Safer Food Scores provides a comprehensive range of allergen management services, risk assessments and training courses to help food businesses manage allergen risks and protect their customers.
Contact us to find out how we can help you strengthen your allergen controls and demonstrate best practice.
Any guidance given in our articles is not official and Safer Food Scores can take no responsibility if the information is used to form part of any legal or regulatory compliance for your business. However, please do get in touch if you are interested in our support services and would like to benefit from official guidance relating to your particular circumstances, email [javascript protected email address]
