5 Foods with Surprising Allergens

by | July 24, 2024

With reported food allergy cases on the rise worldwide, and the potentially life-threatening consequences of undeclared allergens on product labeling, it’s essential that food businesses thoroughly check every ingredient in their recipes for the presence of surprising allergens. 

To protect consumers, the law requires listing all recognized food allergens on product labeling in accordance with the local allergen legislation governing each world region/country to which the products are supplied.  

If ingredients for recipes are purchased, it is recommended to always carefully read the ingredients list on the suppliers’ specifications to ensure that all allergens are correctly listed based on the ingredients involved. It is always possible that a supplier may have overlooked naming an allergen. Additionally, if an ingredient supplier is changed, be aware that the allergens within the product may also be different. 

While some allergens are expected in certain foods and ingredients, it can be easy to overlook the less obvious ones, especially when they are listed in the ingredients using terminology that does not name the allergen itself. 

Therefore, here are five potentially surprising examples of foods containing unexpected allergens. All allergens mentioned are officially recognized by food labeling legislation covering the US and/or UK/EU regions. 

More than ‘meats’ the eye—milk in processed meats  

Some processed meats typically contain wheat flour gluten, soya and sesame—three of the major food allergens recognized by the UK, EU and in North America. In the UK and EU, sulphur dioxide/sulphite allergen is also common. 

However, these meats can also contain milk allergen due to the presence of casein. This milk protein can be used as a filler to reduce the overall quantity of meat ingredient in products such as hot dogs, certain sausages (e.g. breakfast and Italian), and hard salami, without affecting their taste and texture. Also, deli-style meats may contain casein to act as a binding agent. 

As another major food allergen recognized in both regions, milk or milk-derived ingredients must be listed on the labeling. Casein may be referred to as ‘milk protein’. Alternatively, any of the following terms may indicate its presence: ammonium caseinate, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed casein, iron caseinate, magnesium caseinate, potassium caseinate, sodium caseinate, and zinc caseinate. 

Deep diving gravy—counting on unexpected allergens  

It is expected that the base ingredients for gravy powder mixes contain food allergens such as wheat flour gluten, milk-derived butter, and soya. But there can be a whole range of other allergens present too.  

Gravy mixes may also contain eggs and peanuts—another two of the major food allergens recognized by both regions. In addition, mustard, celery and sulphur dioxide can also be present – three additional allergens recognized under UK and EU food law. 

These other allergen ingredients can be added for various reasons, ranging from enhancing the flavor to thickening and preserving the gravy mix.   

Celery in bacon—the raw facts   

The sulphur dioxide allergen is a common ingredient used to cure bacon. This helps to preserve and enhance the meat’s flavor and its pink color, as well as to stop bacterial growth.  

However, sometimes celery juice or powder is substituted for sulphur dioxide – often referred to as uncured bacon. The preservation process uses naturally occurring nitrates/nitrites found in vegetables instead, as these are believed to be less harmful than the synthetically sourced artificial nitrates found in sulphur dioxide. 

As an additional UK and EU allergen, celery must be listed in the ingredients. In the US, uncured bacon must be labeled accordingly and list the naturally occurring vegetable nitrates/nitrites, such as celery.  

Sauces under the surface—the (soy) sauce within a sauce  

Soya, also known as soy, is widely used in foods and is difficult to avoid, with as many as 60% of manufactured foods containing the allergen. 

In fact, soy sauce is used as a sub-ingredient in several popular sauces around the world, including Worcester, sweet & sour and Teriyaki. It’s often included in these sauces to help achieve the ‘umami’ flavor – one of the five basic tastes alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter – providing a more subtle, savory taste that deepens flavor. In addition, it can help to season dishes with a salty taste without the need to add salt. 

Soy sauce itself can also contain wheat flour gluten allergen. 

Battered & fried foods—a chicken and egg situation 

While it’s common for battered and fried foods to contain gluten from wheat flour cereal, it might be surprising to find eggs in the list of ingredients.   

Breaded foods often use egg protein as a binding agent, to hold ingredients together. This is because when egg proteins set, they can react with other ingredients to bind them together – giving them the desired strength, structure and texture. Eggs are therefore often used to coat foods with breadcrumbs or flour. This process also helps to create a browned appearance when the food is cooked.  

As a major food allergen in both regions, eggs should be listed in the ingredients. Sometimes they may be listed under an alternative name, such as apovitellin, livetin, lysozyme, and ovalbumin.   

Be proactive with international solutions 

TraceGains NutriCalc’s nutrition calculation software can help simplify your management of allergens. Easily identify any of the standard allergens required to be highlighted by law in key world regions, add your own custom allergens if legislation in the country you’re supplying to identifies different allergens, and be guided through vital ingredient allergen checks. As the industry standard calculation software for over 30 years, we’re also experts in allergen labeling law. 

NutriCalc is available as a standalone solution or as part of the TraceGains Networked Product Development Suite, fully integrated with TraceGains’ trusted solutions for Formula and Specification Management.  

Reach out to learn more. 

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