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People with food allergy need to be careful to check ingredients and allergen statements when eating vegan food. Vegan does not mean milk and egg free, and vegan food also often contains tree nuts, peanuts and other legumes.
Vegan does not mean milk and egg free
Many people think that vegan foods are free from all animal products, including common allergens such as milk and egg. However, a ‘vegan’ claim is not the same as a ‘free from milk’ or ‘free from egg’ claim. Food labels must still be read, and food allergies told to staff when purchasing or ordering vegan foods.
Manufacturers can have a vegan or vegetarian claim on their product as well as a Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL) statement for egg or milk. However, they should make sure that the risk of cross contamination from egg and milk is reduced by using Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA) is regularly alerted to products that are labelled as vegan but have a PAL statement on them for egg or milk. This means that the product does not have egg or milk in the ingredient list, but that it has a statement similar to ‘may contain egg’ or ‘may contain traces of milk’.
PAL statements are voluntary and not regulated by law in Australia. Manufacturers can choose whether they put a PAL statement on a food product or not. This makes it difficult for people with food allergy to make informed choices about the safety of a food as some products without a PAL statement may be a greater risk than those with a PAL statement. To understand more, watch the video about precautionary allergen labelling from the National Allergy Council.
‘Free from’ claims such as ‘dairy free’ or ‘egg free’ on a packaged food are different to vegan claims as a milk or egg-free food MUST NOT contain ANY milk or egg. Manufacturers that have a ‘Free from’ claim should have processes in place so they can prove their claim (often including batch testing).
People with milk and egg allergy are strongly encouraged to always read the food label, ingredient list, and any PAL statements. If the labelling of a product is not clear, it is recommended you contact the manufacturer of the product.
People with milk or egg allergy are also encouraged to ALWAYS tell staff about their food allergy, even when eating at a venue or buying food from a venue that claims it is vegan. If you tell staff about your milk, egg or other food allergy to the waitstaff, and the venue agrees to serve you, the business must serve you food that does not contain the food you are allergic to.
It is important to note that several vegan products have been recalled in recent years because egg or milk have been found in the products when tested.
Vegan food and tree nuts, peanut and other legume allergies
People with tree nut, peanut and other legume allergies should be aware that vegan food often contains these allergens.
Vegan cheeses, milks, meals and snacks often contain peanuts, tree nuts and legumes such as chickpeas and lentils.
It is important to always read food labels including ingredients and any PAL statement before eating a packaged food.
- When ordering food at a restaurant or café always tell staff about your food allergy because by law not all ingredients need to be on a menu
- Even if the menu lists ingredients, it may not list all of them
- The menu information might not have been updated if an ingredient is not available or a different cook/chef is using another recipe
Related information
Eating out with food allergy
Eating out with food allergies can be a challenge – A&AA has useful resources, information and advice to help you.