This page only relates to eggs - if you are interested in allergy to chicken you can visit that page HERE. Chicken eggs contain a lot of allergenic proteins and can cause very severe allergic reactions, as such they are on the EU list of 14 allergens which need to be declared in packaging.

There are 10 allergens associated with bird eggs, 4 of them are specifically linked to egg whites and the others are linked to egg yolk.

Egg yolk contains the allergen serum albumin, which is also found in meats and mammalian milks. This explains the small number of people who are allergic to both eggs and cow’s milk.

Eggs also contain aldolase and enolase proteins; these are considered to be minor panallergens. These proteins are resistant to heat, so survive cooking and processing, meaning they are still able to cause allergic reactions.

Chickens and eggs also both contain parvalbumin proteins, which are also found in most species of fish.

Fresh eggs are perfect for most food intolerances as they are low across the board.

Eggs are a low FODMAP food. FODMAP stands for Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. Foods high in FODMAPs can cause symptoms of food intolerance, affecting the gastro intestinal system and this can be mistaken for a true IgE food allergy.

Salicylates are phenolic compounds found in plants with the potential to cause gastrointestinal food intolerance symptoms in people who are sensitive to salicylates. As eggs are from an animal sources they are completely free of salicylates.

Pickled or preserved eggs are moderate in sulphites, but are OK fresh. Sulphites are inorganic salts used in preservations and have the potential to cause symptoms of food intolerance to those sensitive to sulphites, this food intolerance is more common in asthmatics. An improvement in symptoms can be made with a change to a low sulphite diet.

You can read more about Food Intolerances on the dedicated Food Intolerance Page.

An allergy to egg can sometimes be associated with an allergy to chicken, this is called Bird-Egg Syndrome. In these cases sensitivity to egg is to the proteins in egg yolk, alpha livetin (gal d 5), which is found in both chickens and eggs.

There is high cross reactivity with bird eggs from other species, such as duck, turkey and goose as they all have a similar composition of proteins.

Egg allergy is seen sometimes in patients who suffer from a chicken food allergy and also in combination with a fish allergy.

Other foods containing aldolase and enolase proteins include chicken, cod, catfish, salmon and tuna.

Beef, chicken and pork are other foods containing serum albumin proteins.

You can download an Egg Allergy Factsheet from the Allergy Resources Ko-fi Shop for just $0.50 (£0.40 or €0.45). This has up to date information on which foods contain linked allergens and what foods to avoid if you think you have an allergy to egg.

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