Food allergy guides
Reading labels, hidden allergen names, family safety, and shopping with less stress.
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An Allergen Alert Was Issued - What Do I Do?
A clear UK guide to allergy alerts and food recalls. What each type means, how the FSA classifies them, what you should do when one affects a product in your kitchen, and how to make sure you never miss the ones that matter.
Allergen Scanner Apps Compared: An Honest UK Round-Up (2026)
The plain-English UK guide to allergen scanner apps for food shopping - Yuka, Nutrasafe, ClearaScan, Open Food Facts and Spoonful. What each is actually good at, what it misses, and how to pick one.
"May contain" - should I eat this? A step-by-step decision aid
A calm, step-by-step way to decide whether a 'may contain' product is worth the risk for you or your child. UK-focused, product-neutral, and built for real-life shopping.
Milk allergy vs lactose intolerance: how to tell which one you have
A plain-English UK guide to telling milk allergy from lactose intolerance. What each is, how they show up, what to do next, and why the labels you buy are read differently for each.
Reading Restaurant Menus with a Food Allergy: The UK Practical Guide
A plain-English UK guide to reading restaurant menus with an allergy - what UK law requires, the questions to ask, the red flags, and a printable chef card template built for real service.
How to build an allergy safe food shopping list
A simple routine for allergy safe food shopping, from reading the label every time to making the may contain decision and stocking safe store-cupboard staples.
Allergy safe school lunch ideas that travel well
Practical packed lunch ideas and simple safety habits for children with a food allergy, from labelling the box to keeping cross-contact out of the lunchbox.
Cross-Contamination and Food Allergy Explained
What cross-contamination and cross-contact mean, how to read may contain warnings, and how to judge the risk calmly at home and when eating out.
Food intolerance vs food allergy: what's the difference?
The plain-English difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance, why it matters for reading labels, and when symptoms are worth getting properly diagnosed.
Hidden Names for Fish and Shellfish on UK Food Labels
Fish and shellfish hide in surimi, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, glucosamine and isinglass. Here are the crustacean and mollusc terms to look for.
Hidden Names for Mustard and Celery on UK Food Labels
Mustard and celery are two easy-to-miss UK allergens. Here are the names to look for, including celeriac, celery salt, mustard flour and where they hide.
Hidden Names for Peanut on UK Food Labels
Peanut hides under names like groundnut, arachis oil and monkey nut. Here are the aliases to look for, plus how UK labelling makes peanut easier to spot.
Hidden Names for Sesame on UK Food Labels
Sesame hides under tahini, benne, gingelly and til. Here are the aliases to look for and why sesame is one of the 14 UK allergens you must check.
Hidden Names for Tree Nuts on UK Food Labels
Tree nuts hide in marzipan, praline, nougat, gianduja and nut oils. Here are the tree nuts UK law names and the words that can catch you out.
Introducing allergens to your baby: the UK approach
How UK guidance suggests introducing the common food allergens from around six months, one at a time, and what to watch for as you build up your baby's diet.
Natasha's Law explained: full ingredient labels on food to go
What Natasha's Law changed for food prepacked for direct sale, why those full ingredient labels matter when you buy food on the go, and what to check.
Starting school with a food allergy: a parent checklist
A calm, practical checklist for starting school with a food allergy, from the care plan and talking to staff to the questions worth asking before day one.
Free-from, dairy-free and vegan: what each food label actually guarantees
Three claims that look interchangeable on the front of a pack, but mean very different things for an allergy. Here is exactly what each one does, and does not, promise.
Hidden names for wheat and gluten on a food label
Wheat hides under a long list of aliases, and gluten reaches beyond wheat into barley and rye. Here are the names to scan for so nothing slips past you.
Reading allergen labels abroad: how US and UK rules differ
A label that is clear at home can hide your allergen overseas, because countries highlight different allergens in different ways. Here is what changes between the UK and the US, and how to read safely on holiday.
Allergy rules every grandparent and carer should know
The mistakes happen when someone else does the shopping or cooking. One shared rule set keeps everyone safe.
Eating out with a food allergy: the chef card and three habits
A printable chef card and a few simple habits that make eating out with a food allergy far safer.
Egg-free baking: safe swaps that actually work
What to use instead of eggs in baking, and which swap suits which recipe, when you are avoiding egg.
Hidden names for egg on ingredient labels
Egg appears under several technical names on food labels. Here are the aliases to recognise so none slip past.
Hidden names for milk on ingredient labels
Milk hides under at least eight names on food labels. Here are the ones to learn, plus why 'non-dairy' is not a safe word.
Hidden names for soya on ingredient labels
Soya travels under many names on food labels, from lecithin to edamame. Here is the list to learn so you can spot it every time.
"May contain" vs the ingredients list: what each really means
The ingredients list and the 'may contain' line do two different jobs. Knowing which is which is the difference between a confident decision and a guess.
The 14 major allergens UK law must declare
The fourteen allergens every UK food label has to emphasise, why they're in bold, and what Natasha's Law changed for food packed to order.
Hidden names for common food allergens on ingredient lists
The other names milk, egg, soy, wheat and more travel under on labels, so you can spot them even when the obvious word is not there.
How to Read a UK Food Label When You Have an Allergy
The definitive plain-English UK guide to reading a food label with an allergy - the bold-allergen rule, the 14 majors, how 'may contain' fits in, and the 30-second routine that catches most mistakes before they hit the trolley.
What parents should check on every new packaged food
A short, repeatable checklist for introducing a new product when your child avoids an allergen, so nothing important gets missed.