Foods containing egg
Eggs are a common ingredient in many recipes, from noodles to cakes, so if you need to exclude it from your diet for any reason, it’s important that you keep in mind the many foods that this ingredient may be present in and that processed foods often contain foods you would not expect.
Foods that may include egg include;
- Cake
- Custard
- Egg substitute (often made with egg whites, used to lower the total cholesterol in a recipe)
- French toast
- Ice cream
- Marshmallows
- Marzipan (not all recipes use egg though)
- Mayonnaise
- Meringue
- Noodles
- Nougat
- Pasta
- Speciality coffee
What does an allergy or intolerance to eggs mean?
Egg Allergy
Egg allergy is the second most common allergy in children, however, approximately 68% of children outgrow this allergy by the time they are 16 years old [1].
It’s possible to be allergic to egg whites but not egg yolks, and even vice versa. However, it’s far more common to be allergic to only egg whites rather than only egg yolk, due to the high protein content in whites, while egg yolks have a very small amount.
Interestingly enough, some studies have indicated that introducing baked goods to children with an egg allergy can speed up the desensitisation process, helping them to outgrow the condition in a shorter time span [2].
Common symptoms of an egg allergy include;
- Vomiting and nausea
- Swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, or face
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
- Tight chest
- Hives
- Watery eyes
- Itching
Testing for an egg allergy
An allergy test can be conducted using a blood sample by testing for a type of immunoglobulin – IgE. This sample, taken at home and sent to a lab for testing, will highlight any potential allergies.
Helping you to help yourself, at Test Your Intolerance, we have created a food allergy & intolerance testing kit, highlighting which foods your body may be allergic or intolerant to, and what grains of wheat and gluten. In total, the tests can look at reactions in your blood against hundreds of food and non-food items and ingredients. This can be completed easily by sending us a sample of your blood for our scientists to analyse.
Egg Intolerance
Egg intolerance is where the body struggles to properly digest eggs or food containing eggs. This often results in digestive symptoms like bloating or diarrhoea. Studies indicate that following an elimination diet based on food intolerance testing can help alleviate these symptoms.
Common symptoms of egg intolerance include;
Bloating
- Fatigue
- Skin Problems & Eczema
- Joint Pain
- Nausea
Testing for intolerance to egg
Testing for egg intolerance can be conducted through simple home-to-lab blood sample testing. A small blood sample can be taken at home, and then sent to a lab for analysis. These blood tests analyse the IgG (Immunoglobulin G) levels within the blood to determine if intolerance to various food items is present and uses a standardised benchmark for making these measurements [3].
Substitutes
Depending on what you are cooking, there are several egg substitutes available for you to use. These include;
- Aquafaba
- Egg substitute
- Commercial Egg Replacer (often made from potato starch, tapioca starch, and leavening agents.)
- Vinegar and baking soda