Vegan vs allergens

Tap an ingredient

Three independent columns: vegan diet, vegetarian diet, and allergen labelling. Same idea as diet and confidence in our scan model.

MilkEggHoneyWheatSoyTree nuts

Vegan diet

◇Usually excluded

Animal product. A vegan diet excludes milk and dairy.

Vegetarian diet

◆Usually fits

Usually included in vegetarian diets (lacto or lacto-ovo).

Allergen labelling

◆Major allergen on lists

Listed as a major allergen in the EU, US, UK, Canada, Australia/NZ, and Japan when used as an ingredient.

getabite

Label tip

Vegan does not mean dairy-free

Milk

• Vegan diet: Usually excluded
• Vegetarian diet: Usually fits
• Allergen labelling: Major allergen on lists

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Diet pattern is not allergen safety

Vegan describes what a person chooses to eat: no animal products. Allergen rules describe how packaged food must name certain ingredients that can trigger allergic reactions.

Because of that split, a vegan-formulated product can still mention milk traces when the factory also handles dairy.

How trace statements are regulated

"May contain" style phrases are not the same worldwide. Each row has a source and a retrieval date.

• European Union

  Advisory phrases such as "may contain" are voluntary. There is no EU-wide mandatory threshold for unintended traces on most foods.

  Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (FIC), recital and allergen rules · As of December 1, 2024

• United States

  FDA advisory labeling ("may contain") is voluntary. It is separate from the mandatory major allergen declaration on ingredients.

  FDA: Food Allergies and Food Allergen Labeling · As of January 15, 2025

• United Kingdom

  Precautionary allergen labeling remains voluntary in Great Britain, with FSA guidance on when businesses use it.

  UK Food Standards Agency: allergen labelling for food businesses · As of March 1, 2025

• Canada

  Health Canada treats precautionary statements as voluntary. Priority allergens themselves must be declared when used as ingredients.

  Health Canada: Food allergen labelling · As of November 1, 2024

• Australia and New Zealand

  Mandatory declaration covers listed allergens when present as ingredients. Precautionary "may contain" style statements are not mandated the same way and remain industry practice with FSANZ guidance.

  FSANZ: Food allergen labelling · As of February 1, 2025

• Japan

  Japan requires labeling for specified allergens when used as ingredients. Advisory cross-contact phrases are handled under national guidance and business practice, not as a single voluntary EU-style phrase rule.

  Consumer Affairs Agency (Japan): Food allergen labelling · As of October 1, 2024

Major allergens by region

Counts are the main mandatory groups used for packaged food labelling in each market.

What a restaurant can say

Staff can describe recipes, suppliers, and how they cook. They cannot guarantee that a meal is safe for your allergy unless they have verified every ingredient and every process for cross-contact.

• They can say what the kitchen intends to put on the plate, and which allergens they mark on the menu.
• They cannot replace a clinical allergy plan or promise zero risk from shared fryers, boards, or storage.
• If you have an allergy, ask on site every time, even when a dish looks plant-based.

No medical advice. No notes on symptoms or treatment. For allergies, follow the guidance of a qualified clinician.