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Allergens to be aware of around Christmas, Yuletide and Hanukkah
If you or your child live with a serious allergy, the festive period can be challenging. With much of the Christmas, Yuletide and Hanukkahcelebrations centred around food, allergens can find their way into a variety of products.
Always check foods labels or check with the person making foods to be sure it is free from your allergen.
Here’s a list of festive food which could pose an allergy risk and that you may see more of this time of year.
Mincemeat treats, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies can be made with a wide variety of ingredients including eggs, milk, tree nuts, wheat and sulphur dioxide/sulphites (used as a preservative).
Marzipan, is typically made from almonds and is used in lots of Christmas treats such as stollen and Christmas cake, both as decorations and fillings. Nut-free marzipan is available and you could also try making your own using substitute ingredients such as cornmeal or semolina.
Latkes, or potato pancakes, a Hanukkah food that can be sweet or savoury and can include varieties that have wheat flour, cheese, pesto, coconut or dried fruits as ingredients.
Festive sauces, such as cranberry sauce, bread sauce and gravy come in lots of variations which can include milk, egg, nuts and different kinds of fruit as ingredients.
Kugel, a traditional Hanukkah egg noodle casserole. Kugel can be sweet or savoury and can be made with spices, dried fruit, nuts, milk and other ingredients. There is also a potato variety of kugel.
Chocolate, selection packs, Christmas tree treats, and other chocolates can get separated from their original packaging. To avoid cross contamination, look for a free-from alternative to take with you or offer to guests. Free from advent calendars are available so your child doesn’t have to miss out on the fun. Christmas ‘specials’ such as mini versions of your favourite treats can be made on different production lines or use different recipes so always check labels for your allergens, even if you’ve eaten the sweet before.
If you have a milk allergy, be aware that plain (dark) chocolate often shares production lines with milk chocolate and cross-contamination is a possibility.
Doughnuts (Sufganiyah) are traditional Hanukkah jam doughnuts fried in oil that are usually made with wheat flour and milk and can have a variety of different fillings and toppings including jam, custard, chocolate, cream, nuts and sprinkles.
Stuffing, typically contains onion, garlic, herbs, breadcrumbs and egg, but can also include chestnut, cranberry, gingerbread, pomegranate and all different kinds of nuts.
Brussels sprouts, are often served with additional ingredients such as nuts, seeds, butter or cheese.
Praline, these sweet treats usually contain a variety of nuts and are often made with milk or cream too.
If you have suffered an allergic reaction, whether it was mild or life-threatening, due to undeclared allergens in food, then you could be eligible to make a NO WIN NO FEE food allergy claim with our food allergy specialist solicitors.
For further information, please visit our Food Allergy Claims or Food Allergy Compensation Claims Guide pages.