“Is ‘May Contain’ Safe? A Straight-Talking Guide for Allergy Families in the UK & Europe”

allyboostukoffice
Dec 6
3 min read

Updated: Dec 7

If you’re parenting a child with multiple food allergies, you already know: the supermarket aisle can feel like a minefield. You stand there, reading tiny labels under bad lighting, trying to decode phrases like:

“May contain traces of nuts”
“Made in a factory that also handles milk”
“Suitable for vegans – may contain egg”

What does any of that actually mean? And more importantly: is it safe for your child?

At Allyboost, I work with allergy families across the UK and Europe who are asking the same questions every single week. This blog gives you a clear, evidence-based framework so you can make decisions with more confidence — not fear.

1. The basics: what must be on a label in the UK & EU?

By law, food manufacturers in the UK and EU must clearly highlight 14 major allergens when they are intentionally used as ingredients. These include things like milk, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soya, fish and shellfish.

You’ll usually see them:

In bold
IN CAPITALS
Or underlined in the ingredients list

If your child is allergic to one of those foods, this is your first line of defence: always read the full ingredients list, even on “safe” brands you’ve bought before. Recipes and factories change.

2. So what is “precautionary” labelling – and why is it so confusing?

“May contain” warnings — also called precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) — are about unintentional cross-contact.

For example:

A biscuit that doesn’t include nuts as an ingredient,
But is made on a line that sometimes runs nut-containing products.

The problem? PAL is voluntary, not tightly standardised. Different companies use it in different ways:

Some use it only when they’ve assessed and found a meaningful risk.
Others print “may contain X, Y and Z” on almost everything to cover themselves legally.

Result: parents are left stuck between fear and frustration. Do you avoid every “may contain”? Or take calculated risks?

3. A practical decision framework for “may contain”

I use a very simple, structured set of questions with Allyboost families:

What is your child’s history?
- Have they had a serious reaction (anaphylaxis) to this allergen before?
- Are they still very young, or have other medical factors (asthma etc.)?
What does your allergy team say?
- Some allergy clinics advise strict avoidance of any PAL for certain allergens (like nuts or sesame) in high-risk kids.
- Others allow carefully chosen “may contain” products when risk is judged low.
What is the food type and brand reputation?
- High-risk categories for cross-contact: mixed chocolates, bakery items, loose foods.
- Lower-risk categories: highly controlled factory-packed basics (e.g. some breads, cereals).
Is there a safe alternative available?
- If you can easily choose a truly “free-from” product instead, that often reduces stress.

You can turn this into a simple family rule like:

“For nuts and sesame, we avoid all ‘may contain’. For milk and egg, we stick to brands our allergy team have okayed.”

This isn’t one-size-fits-all. The key is: make a conscious policy instead of deciding from scratch every stressful supermarket trip.

4. The vegan trap: “vegan” does not mean allergy-safe

This one catches a lot of families out.

Vegan means no animal ingredients are intentionally added.
It does not guarantee there’s no milk or egg cross-contact.

So you can absolutely see:

“Suitable for vegans. May contain milk and egg.”

For a child with a milk or egg allergy, this matters. Always read the full ingredients and check for PAL — never rely on a big “VEGAN” claim on the front.

5. Online shopping, EU labels and imported treats

December is peak “mystery snacks” season:

Advent calendars
Imported chocolate
Gift hampers
Foods bought online from other EU countries

Three quick rules:

If there’s no clear ingredients/allergen list in a language you can read, treat it as unsafe.
Be extra cautious with:
- Loose bakery items
- Pick-and-mix
- Unbranded sweets
For online orders, check:
- The product page
- Any allergen filters
- Reviews from allergy parents (with a pinch of salt — everyone’s risk tolerance is different).

6. How Allyboost can help (a resource for you)

This blog is only the starting point. For families juggling multiple food allergies, label reading becomes a daily mental load that is exhausting.

That’s why I created a short, practical mini-guide: