Egg Allergy

It is thought that around 10% of infants have an egg allergy but most can tolerate egg baked in foods or well-cooked forms of egg as an ingredient in dishes. Although most children outgrow this allergy, currently there is no treatment and avoiding the form of egg they react to is the only way to prevent symptoms.

What Foods Contain Egg?

Check food labels or recipes carefully:

• Egg noodles and pasta
• Frittatas or quiches
• Asian dishes such as pad thai
• Bakery items such as pastries, pies, flans, tarts, cakes, slices and cake mixes
• Choux Pastry (cream puffs, chocolate éclairs)
• Battered and crumbed foods, fritters
• Burgers, patties, meat balls, casseroles
• Custard, ice cream, gelato, some sorbets
• Dips and sauces
• Marshmallow, mousse, nougat
• Salad dressings (Coleslaw, Caesar, Béarnaise, Tartare, Hollandaise, Mayonnaise)

Baking without egg:

How to adapt recipes:

• Eggs are used to bind or aerate a recipe so the option you choose will depend on the recipe.
• 1 egg = 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1 tablespoon water + 1 tablespoon vinegar
• OR ½ cup mashed banana or puree apple
• OR A commercial egg replacer product such as Orgran® Egg Replacer. It is a powder made from potato starch, tapioca flour and vegetable gums.
• It can be purchased from allergy stores, health food stores and some supermarkets. When combined with water it can be used in place of egg in cakes, muffins and pancakes.
• For more ideas: Egg free recipes; https://www.egglesscooking.com/ Egg and Dairy free recipes; https://www.vegansociety.com/

How to re-introduce Egg SAFELY:

Once the allergy has been challenged by a doctor and it is confirmed that your child has outgrown egg allergy, you can begin to safely re-introduce eggs. Do this with the help of a qualified dietitian or trusted healthcare provider.

• Start with step 1 – manufactured or highly processed foods containing pasteurised or dried egg
• If this is tolerated, move on to step 2 then step 3 etc…
• Try a very small amount of the food first (a pea sized amount) and wait for 15-30 minutes before giving your child a second slightly larger amount
• Only try a small amount on the first day, then a larger amount the next day, you can gradually increase to a normal portion over the next few days
• Try a very small amount of food from each new step and gradually increase as above – if symptoms occur – move back to the previous step and continue to give the tolerated food for another 6-8 weeks and repeat this step’
• Try these challenges at home, in the morning, when your child is otherwise healthy and well.

What to do if your child has an allergic reaction:

If your child has a reaction to something, try and keep as calm as you can. In the first instance, giving them the age appropriate dose of the antihistamine should help them if the symptoms are mild, then call a Doctor or 000.

For more support and advice:

Home – Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (allergyfacts.org.au)
Adapted from:
Hospital Egg Allergy information leaflet and Egg Challenge leaflet, see www.allergynorthwest.nhs.uk