Food allergies and sensitivities are serious, and for some readers a matter of safety, not preference. This page explains how the site flags allergens on recipes, what those flags do and don’t promise, and the steps every reader with an allergy must take to stay safe.
The most important thing on this page: our allergen flags are a helpful starting point, never a guarantee. If you have a serious food allergy, you must always read the full ingredient label on every product you use. Brands change formulations, and cross-contamination happens.
The Big 9 Allergens
The allergens we tag
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Dairy (milk)
- Eggs
- Soy
- Wheat and gluten
- Shellfish
- Fish
- Sesame
On a recipe card, allergen flags appear at a glance so you can immediately see whether a recipe is worth a closer look. On the recipe page itself, a clearer panel lists which of the Big 9 are present in that recipe as written.
How to Use the Allergen Filter
On the main recipe library page, you can exclude recipes containing any of the Big 9. A reader with a shellfish allergy — which includes one of the people building this site — can filter out every recipe containing shellfish in a single click. The filters combine, so you can exclude more than one at once.
What Our Flags Cannot Do
The honest limits of any tagging system
- Allergens hide — in sauces, broths, seasonings, and processed ingredients under names you wouldn’t expect. The products you buy carry the final truth.
- Brands change — a product that was dairy-free last year may be reformulated. Only the current label is authoritative.
- Cross-contamination is real — shared equipment and facilities can introduce trace allergens no flag can capture.
- Substitutions change everything — the moment you swap an ingredient, the allergen profile changes and our flag no longer describes your version.
If you have a serious allergy: treat our flags as a first filter, then verify every ingredient label yourself, every time. When in doubt, leave it out, and talk to your allergist about your specific risks.
Sensitivities and Intolerances
Beyond true allergies, many readers have sensitivities or intolerances — to lactose, gluten, FODMAPs, or specific foods that trigger IBD symptoms. These are real and worth respecting, even though they work differently from an immune-system allergy. Where relevant, our recipe notes and the Gentle on the Gut lens flag preparations that tend to be easier to tolerate.
This page describes how the site handles allergens. It is not medical advice about allergy management. If you have or suspect a food allergy, please work with an allergist or your physician.