Allergy to eggs is one of the most
common causes of food allergy in infants,
young children, and adults. An egg-free diet removes eggs and products that may contain eggs.
Some people choose to follow an egg-free diet because they are vegan or lacto-vegetarians.
Read those labels—Be sure to learn the scientific names for egg, and read
nutrition labels carefully to avoid buying products with any form of egg.
Be thorough—Ask about ingredients at restaurants and others’ homes to
make sure the food you are eating is safe for you.
Find a substitute—Consider what function the egg would serve in your recipe
before deciding how to substitute for it.
Best bets: Commercial egg substitutes (read labels carefully; many egg
“substitutes” contain egg whites); soft tofu can resemble eggs when spiced and
scrambled with cheese, vegetables, or breakfast meats
People generally follow an egg-free diet for one of two reasons: either they wish to
maintain a vegan (pure vegetarian) diet, or
they are allergic to eggs. Most people who are allergic to eggs are allergic to egg protein
and usually react to the proteins in the egg white. However, because it is impossible to
completely avoid cross-contamination between yolk and white, people who are allergic to eggs
need to avoid eggs completely. The most allergenic proteins in egg white are ovalbumin,
ovomucoid, ovotransferrin, and lysozyme. Lysozyme is an unlabeled additive used in cheese preparation. Egg yolk contains three proteins
(apovitellenins I & VI and phosvitin) that are also allergenic.
What are the symptoms?
Egg allergy symptoms may include any of the common symptoms of food allergies, including
skin rashes or hives, gastrointestinal
distress, breathing problems, or many other possible symptoms. In severe cases, a
life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis may occur; however, such a reaction to eggs is
quite uncommon.
What do I need to avoid?
To avoid eggs and egg products ask about ingredients at restaurants and others’
homes, read food labels, and become familiar with the technical or scientific terms for eggs.
The following list is not complete. Consult with a healthcare professional before making any
significant changes to your diet.
Note: Some of the foods on this list only rarely contain eggs (for example: sausage,
sherbet, coffee).
Commercial egg substitutes are available, but label reading is imperative; many
low-cholesterol egg substitute products contain egg white
Check the label on mayonnaise-substitute products for egg content
Soft tofu can resemble eggs when spiced and scrambled with cheese, vegetables, or
breakfast meats
Baking:
Soy flour can replace eggs in baked goods
and casseroles
Xanthan gum, water, or vinegar can also be used in place of eggs in some recipes
Extra baking powder, oil, cornstarch,
flour, tofu, or unflavored gelatin can be
used for some products with good results
Are there any groups or books?
American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child’s
Allergies and Asthma: Breathing Easy and Bringing Up Healthy, Active Children by Michael
J. Welch, MD, New York: Villard, 2000.
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
www.aaaai.org
Food Allergy Network
www.foodallergy.org
International Food Information Council Foundation
www.ific.org
Veggies Unite (on-line vegetarian resource guide;includes eggless
recipes)
www.vegweb.com/food/subs/591.shtml
Bibliography
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology: www.aaaai.org.
10/10/00.
Fremont S, Kanny G, Nicolas JP, Moneret-Vautrin DA. Prevalence of
lysozyme sensitization in an egg-allergic population. Allergy
1997;52:224–8.
Holen E, Elsayed S. Characterization of four major allergens of hen
egg-white by IEF/SDS-PAGE combined with electrophoretic transfer and
IgE-immunoautoradiography. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol 1990;91:136–41.
The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes
only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult
your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any
supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
Information expires September 2008.
