Information › Allergies › Egg
Egg allergy and eating egg-free
Egg allergy is most common in young children and often outgrown. The reaction is to proteins in the white and the yolk; well-baked egg (in cake) is tolerated by some, which a doctor decides, not the label.
At a glance
- Kind
- Legal allergen (EU)
- On the label
- In bold in the ingredient list
- Also as
- eieren, eigeel, eiwit, eipoeder, albumine…
- Without egg
- 23.329 products
- Supermarkets
- AH, Jumbo, PLUS, Dirk and Hoogvliet
Recognise
On the label as
- eieren
- eigeel
- eiwit
- eipoeder
- albumine
- lysozym
- heel ei
- vloeibaar ei
- kippenei
- Egg is in bold as ‘ei’ or ‘kippenei’; also watch for eipoeder (egg powder), eiwit, eigeel (yolk), albumine, lysozym (E1105) and lecithin from egg (lecithin is usually from soy).
- Mayonnaise, pasta, pastries, pancakes, mince, breadcrumbs and the glaze on bread are common sources.
- ‘Vegan’ on the pack means without egg, a handy shortcut.
Shopping
Examples without egg
- Jumbo's Plantaardige Spinazie Cashew Girasoli 250 gJumbo's · 250 gJumbo € 2,79Bevat: glutenbevattende granen, noten
- Smaakt Vegan eivervanger biologischSmaakt · 20 gPLUS € 1,59Bevat: LupineKan sporen bevatten: Mosterd
- AH Terra Plantaardig ravioli agli spinaciAH Terra · 250 gAlbert Heijn € 3,19Kan sporen bevatten: Soja
- Jumbo Filet Americain Plantaardig 150 gJumbo · 150 gJumbo € 1,99Bevat: Gluten, Mosterd, Soja, Tarwe
- AH Terra Plantaardige ravioli arrabbiataAH Terra · 250 gAlbert Heijn € 3,19Kan sporen bevatten: Soja
- Smaakt Mayonaise zonder ei bioSmaakt · 235 gPLUS € 3,19Bevat: Mosterd
All 23.329 products without egg
What to look out for in the shop
- Many supermarkets have a vegan range; the filter for products with an ingredient list helps leave out unknowns.
- Cross-contamination with egg is less common than with nuts, but happens in bakeries.
Good to know
Recently with egg in the recipe (8)These products recently took egg onto their label: the recipe changed. This is exactly where reading the label matters most.
Cross-contamination and “may contain traces”Egg is widely used as a binder and glaze; cross-contamination mainly happens in bakeries and with fresh pasta.
Egg is widely used as a binder and glaze; cross-contamination mainly happens in bakeries and with fresh pasta. Vegan pastry is egg-free by definition.
Symptoms and when to see a doctorIn children egg allergy often causes skin complaints (eczema, hives), vomiting or stomach ache shortly after eating.
Short of breath, a swelling tongue or throat, or dizzy after eating? Use the adrenaline auto-injector if one has been prescribed and call 112 straight away. Even if it then seems to get better.
In children egg allergy often causes skin complaints (eczema, hives), vomiting or stomach ache shortly after eating. Severe reactions happen but are rarer than with peanut or nuts.
Can I eat baked egg with an egg allergy?
Many children with an egg allergy tolerate egg baked long and hot (in cake) but not raw or soft egg. Whether that applies to you is tested by the doctor, not the label.
Is there egg in pasta?
In fresh pasta and egg pasta, yes; in most dried pasta, no. ‘Ei’ is in bold when it is there.
Is lecithin made from egg?
Usually not: lecithin (E322) almost always comes from soy or sunflower. If it comes from egg, ‘ei’ must be stated.
What this site does and does not do
We read the ingredient list and the allergen declaration as the supermarket publishes them, and hide every product that contains the allergen. Products without allergen information are hidden by default too: unknown is not the same as safe. What we cannot do is read the pack in the shop. Recipes change, and the information here can lag behind. When in doubt the label in your hand decides, and for questions about your health your doctor or dietitian.
Other allergens
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II: the fourteen allergens that must be on the label.
- The ingredient lists and allergen declarations of Albert Heijn, Jumbo, PLUS, Dirk and Hoogvliet, re-read every week.
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