Food Allergens on Labels: Names Worth Knowing

Guide · Food allergies

Food allergens on labels: names worth knowing

EU law requires 14 allergens to be emphasized in ingredient lists — but derived ingredients still carry names most people don’t connect to the allergen. This guide covers the common ones and how FoodBuddy surfaces them.

If you have a food allergy, never rely on an app to decide what is safe. FoodBuddy is an educational reading aid: it can highlight allergen-related ingredient names, but it cannot detect cross-contamination, “may contain” traces, recipe changes, or labeling errors — and it does not determine whether any food is safe for you. Always read the physical label and manufacturer information, and follow the guidance of your medical professionals.

How scanning helps Peanut Tree nuts Milk Egg Soy

What an allergy “scanner” can honestly do

FoodBuddy reads the ingredient list you scan (or the database entry you open) and compares each term with allergen-related entries in its dictionary — including alternative and technical names. Every highlight shows why it matched, and everything runs offline on your device. What it can and cannot do is documented in detail in our methodology and product limits.

Peanut

Label names to recognize: peanut, peanut flour, peanut protein, peanut oil (unrefined/cold-pressed is declarable), groundnut, arachis oil, satay and many Asian sauce bases.

Tree nuts

Label names to recognize: almond, hazelnut, walnut, cashew, pecan, pistachio, macadamia, Brazil nut — plus derived terms like marzipan, praline, nougat, nut paste, and nut oils.

Milk

Label names to recognize: milk, milk powder, whey and whey protein, casein, caseinates, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, butterfat, ghee, curd, cream. Milk protein can appear even in products marketed as “non-dairy”.

Egg

Label names to recognize: egg, egg white, egg yolk, albumin, ovalbumin, ovomucoid, lysozyme (E1105), globulin, meringue powder — common in pasta, baked goods, glazes, and some clarified drinks.

Soy

Label names to recognize: soy, soya, soy protein, textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame, soy lecithin (E322 — when soy-derived it must name soy in the EU), hydrolyzed soy protein.

Using it in the store

Switch on the allergen areas that matter to you in your FoodBuddy profile, then scan the ingredient panel or search the product. Matched names are highlighted with their reason — a starting point for checking the label itself, not a verdict.

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This guide explains how ingredients appear on labels. It is not medical advice, and a highlighted or non-highlighted ingredient is never a safety verdict. Full product limits: disclaimer.