Vegan Restaurants and Food Allergies: Who They Suit

Vegan dishes should not contain milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, molluscs or any other animal ingredients, so they can make choosing easier for people allergic to those foods. But vegan does not mean "allergen-free". Vegan cooking often uses soya, nuts, peanuts, sesame and gluten, so for those allergies it can actually be riskier.

What vegan food means

Vegan food is prepared without any animal products: no meat, fish, milk, eggs, honey or ingredients of animal origin, such as gelatine. In the EU the word "vegan" has no uniform legal definition, so its exact meaning in a particular restaurant depends on the business. It is worth checking.

It is important to distinguish vegan from vegetarian. You will find an overview of the differences in Vegetarian restaurants.

Who vegan restaurants suit

A vegan menu can help with allergies to foods of animal origin. Plant-based ingredients replace the animal ones.

• Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA). This is an immune reaction to milk proteins. Vegan food contains no milk as an ingredient, so dairy products should not be in it.
• Egg allergy. Vegan dishes should not contain eggs or egg products, such as mayonnaise or egg pasta.
• Fish allergy. Vegan food should not contain fish or fish sauces.
• Crustacean and mollusc allergy. Vegan food should not contain prawns, crabs, oysters or mussels.
• Lactose intolerance. Milk sugar does not occur in vegan dishes. However, lactose intolerance should not be confused with an allergy. The difference is described in Allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease.

In all these cases, "vegan" is only a useful starting point. With an allergy, always check how the food is prepared as well.

Why vegan does not mean safe

Cross-contamination

A restaurant that is exclusively vegan does not work with milk or eggs, so the risk of contamination by those allergens is lower. Many venues, however, have vegan dishes as only part of the menu. Preparation on a shared board, in shared oil or on the same grill can carry traces of milk, egg or fish into a "vegan" dish too. With a serious allergy, the difference between a vegan venue and a venue with a vegan menu is significant.

"May contain traces"

A warning such as "may contain traces" is voluntary and is not regulated uniformly in the EU. If a vegan product carries it, take it seriously. Its absence, on the other hand, does not guarantee that contamination has not occurred.

Vegan cooking and other allergens

Vegan cooking replaces animal ingredients with plant ones. Many of them are among the 14 allergens:

Allergen	Where it appears in vegan cooking
Soya	tofu, tempeh, soya milk, soy sauce, miso, edamame, soya mince
Tree nuts	almond, cashew and other plant milks, cashew "cheeses" and creams, pesto, spreads
Peanuts	peanut butter, sauces, Asian dishes, toppings
Sesame	tahini, hummus, falafel, bread, toppings
Gluten	seitan (wheat gluten), rye and wheat bread, pasta, burgers
Celery, mustard, lupin	sauces, dressings, flour and convenience products

That is why a vegan restaurant can be riskier than an ordinary one for people with an allergy to soya, tree nuts, peanuts or sesame, or with coeliac disease. Seitan is a good example: it is vegan and yet practically pure gluten. With any such dish, ask what the "meat", "cheese" or "mayonnaise" is made of.

Vegan egg replacements can also contain allergens, such as soya or lupin. You can read more about allergens and their common sources in The 14 EU food allergens.

A vegan venue or a venue with a vegan menu

For someone with an allergy, it is essential to distinguish two types of business.

• A fully vegan restaurant. No dairy, eggs, meat or fish are used in the kitchen. The risk of contamination by these allergens is lower, but it is not zero. Suppliers can change the composition of ingredients, and some products may be made on lines that also process milk.
• An ordinary restaurant with a vegan dish. The vegan dish is prepared in the same kitchen as the others. So ask about separate boards, utensils, pans and oil. For example, a burger with a plant-based patty seared on the grill after beef is no longer vegan from an allergy point of view.

Even in a fully vegan venue you can run into soya, nuts or sesame, so always mention your allergy when you order.

Hidden sources of allergens in vegan dishes

Even common vegan ingredients can bring unexpected allergens:

• Plant milks and yoghurts. Soya, almond, cashew or oat. Oat products may not be gluten-free.
• Vegan "cheeses" and mayonnaises. Often made from nuts, soya or pea protein.
• Meat substitutes. Soya, wheat gluten, pea protein, sometimes nuts.
• Ready-made sauces and pastes. Soy sauce containing wheat, sesame, peanuts, mustard, celery.
• Baked goods and desserts. Even without eggs and milk, they can contain nuts, sesame or gluten.

Vegan dishes are useful for people with milk and egg allergies, but what matters is the composition of the particular dish. For a child with a confirmed CMPA, a doctor or a clinical dietitian should decide on the diet. A fully plant-based diet for young children needs special planning.

What to watch for when ordering

1. Say exactly what you are allergic to. It is not enough to say "I'm vegan" if it is an allergy.
2. Ask how it is prepared. Separate boards and oil? Is the same fryer used?
3. Ask what the substitutes are made of. What is the plant milk, cheese, mayonnaise or "meat" made from?
4. Check sauces and dressings. They often contain soya, sesame, nuts or mustard.
5. Check again each time. Recipes and suppliers change.

The same principles described in How to ask about allergens in a restaurant apply here too. If you also need gluten-free food, Gluten-free restaurants and Hidden gluten will help.

How AvoiDino can help

In AvoiDino you set your allergens and can also filter dishes by vegan and vegetarian diets. The app helps you narrow down your choice and find restaurants and dishes that match your filter. Treat it as a help, not a guarantee. When you order, always ask the staff.

Frequently asked questions

Is vegan food suitable for a milk allergy?

Vegan food should not contain milk, so it can be a good starting point. With CMPA, though, it is important to check cross-contamination and the exact composition of the dish.

Does vegan food always contain gluten or soya?

Not always, but often. Soya is very common in vegan cooking, and seitan is pure wheat gluten. Always ask about the ingredients.

Is a vegan restaurant suitable for a nut allergy?

Not automatically. Vegan cooking often uses nuts to replace dairy and egg products, for example cashew creams or almond milk. With a nut allergy, extra care is needed.

Is the "vegan" label enough for an egg allergy?

It is a useful start, but it is not enough. "Vegan" has no uniform legal definition in the EU, and a risk of contamination remains. Ask the staff how the food is prepared.

Is vegan food the same as lactose-free food?

Vegan food should not contain lactose, because it has no dairy ingredients. "Lactose-free" does not necessarily mean vegan, though, because such food may contain other animal ingredients.

Sources

• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex II (list of allergens) and Article 44 (non-prepacked food).
• Muraro A. et al.: EAACI Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Guidelines. Allergy, 2014.

This information is general and does not replace medical advice. If you have an allergy, always check the ingredients with the staff.