Allergy Advice

The difference between animal-free and ‘free from’

Products suitable for vegans may not be suitable for people with allergies. The same applies for products excluding Gluten, Soya and Nut ingredients.

Vegans avoid exploitation of animals, whereas people with allergies need products that do not contain the allergens that affect them. These are separate issues.  

There is no legal definition of the term vegan, and The Vegan Society itself accepts foods labelled as vegan can also carry a ‘may contain’ warning about animal allergens. For example, products registered with the Vegan Trademark can correctly say ‘may contain milk’.  This does not mean that ‘milk’ ingredients have been added but can merely mean that it has not been independently verified by the manufacturer nor certified milk-free by a third party organization.

As more and more foods are produced without animal ingredients, the number of vegan production lines and factories will increase and therefor in time the ‘may contain’ warning could be removed.

There are so many factors when it comes to cross-contamination.  The method of Transport, Storage of goods in Warehouses, Food Handlers, Packaging, Manufacturing Processes the list goes on.

The Iced Vegan airs on the side of caution when it comes to allergens.  Even though Trudy herself is Vegan and has a strict cleaning schedule when it comes to allergens, she will not fully guarantee no cross-contamination for severe allergy sufferers her cakes are however suitable for food intolerances when advised accordingly.