Food Allergies and Vegan Labelling: What UK Food Businesses Need to Know

As more consumers move to vegetarian or vegan diets, it’s important for businesses to understand the risks posed by allergens in vegan and plant-based products.

Many vegan alternatives often include common allergens like soya or nuts. However, it’s important to note that products labelled as ‘vegan’ or ‘plant-based’ may still carry a risk of cross-contamination with animal-derived ingredients. This is because, while such ingredients are intentionally excluded, there is no legal requirement for vegan products to be tested for the presence of animal products. 

Earlier this year the Food Standards Agency (FSA) released figures showing over half of people with allergies to animal-based products wrongly assume food labelled as ‘vegan’ is safe to eat. In response to this, the FSA, with support from Anaphylaxis UK, launched a campaign to raise awareness of these risks and help consumers understand the distinction between vegan labelling and allergen-free labelling.

We also published our “How to safely navigate vegan food allergens” page to highlight the risks and offer handy tips for managing food allergies on a vegan diet.

For businesses who make vegan products, highlighting the difference between vegan food labelling and ‘free-from’ or ‘allergen-free’ labelling helps ensure that customers are well-informed and can make safer food choices.

Tips for businesses this Veganuary

In the UK, food businesses must provide information about any of 14 major allergens in their food and drink products. When it comes to vegan-labelled foods, however, businesses should also keep the following points in mind:

• Clarify the distinction: Make sure your customers know the difference between vegan labelling and allergen-free claims. Vegan labelling indicates that no animal-derived ingredients are intentionally included but does not guarantee that the product is free from allergens.
• Use precautionary labels: Even if a product is vegan, it may still carry a risk of cross-contamination with animal-derived ingredients, especially if the food is processed in facilities that also handle non-vegan products. If cross-contamination is a concern, businesses should include precautionary allergen labels, such as “may contain milk” or “may contain egg”. This ensures that consumers with allergies are warned of potential risks, even if the product is otherwise vegan.
• Encourage communication: Advise customers to always ask about allergens when ordering or buying food. It’s essential for consumers with food allergies to always check the allergen labelling, even on products that are marked as vegan or plant-based. Clear communication between the business and the customer about allergens is vital to prevent allergic reactions.

Learn more

Check out our Vegan Food Allergens page and for more information for businesses, visit our Business pages.

You can also read the Food and Drink Federation guidance on ‘Allergen’-Free and Vegan Claims for consumers and the FSA guidance on vegan food and allergens.