Egg allergy includes a true type 1 allergy, (caused by antibodies of the IgE type), and can therefore be life threatening. False food allergy, (where substances within the egg can trigger the same response without the aid of an IgE antibody), is also fairly common. Because antibiotics are often included in chicken feeds, small amounts of antibiotic may end up in eggs. People with a severe allergy to antibiotics may therefore react if exposed to contaminated eggs, even if they are not allergic to the egg protein itself.

We suggest that you avoid all food items with a label containing any of the following names: eggs, albumin, ovoalbumin, vitellin, ovomucoid, globulin and livetin.

The eggs of other birds, such as ducks and quail may be useful substitutes for some people, although they are likely to cross-react with chicken eggs. People with a severe egg allergy should therefore not attempt this experiment.

Nothing can replace the taste of eggs, but some other foods mimic their cooking qualities. Gelatine can be used to set puddings, and one teaspoon is usually equivalent to one egg. In biscuit recipes, one egg can be replaced by 2 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and ½ teaspoon of baking powder. Commercial egg-replacers and egg-white-replacers can also be found at specialist stores.