Allergen Free Supplements
Supplements made without the 14 allergens UK law requires on labels, from capsules and powders to liquids. We explain which fillers hide dairy, soya or wheat, and how 'may contain' labels change your choice.Read more →
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What free from the 14 major allergens means in practice
The 14 allergens UK law makes you declare
UK food law names 14 allergens that must be declared on a label: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin and molluscs. Food supplements follow the same labelling rules as food. Products in this collection use none of those 14 as an ingredient, which is why you will find capsules, tablets, powders and liquids here rather than one single format. If you need to combine requirements, our supplements by diet pages let you filter further.
The allergen is rarely the nutrient itself
Magnesium, vitamin C and B12 are not allergens. The risk sits in the ingredients around them. Lactose from milk is a common tablet filler. Soya lecithin turns up in softgels. Starch used as a binder can come from wheat. Sulphites act as a preservative in some plant extracts, and fish oil is, of course, fish. So the "other ingredients" line on the back tells you more than the claims on the front. A gelatine-free capsule made from HPMC, a plant-based film, avoids animal gelatine and the lactose that often travels with it.
Powders and liquids widen the options
Tablets need binders, flow agents and coatings, so they carry the longest ingredients list. Powders and drops need fewer helpers, which is why several of the strictest products here are unflavoured powders or plain oils. The trade-off is practical: a powder means measuring a scoop, and many liquids need refrigeration once opened. Flavoured powders raise their own question, because some natural flavours are carried on maltodextrin or lecithin. We check that carrier before a product goes live.
How we choose the products on this page
We normally judge a supplement on three things: the form, the dose and the combination. Here we add a fourth, the full list of other ingredients. We prefer HPMC plant capsules to gelatine, algae oil to fish oil for omega-3, and rice or acacia fibre to wheat-derived starch as a filler. We turn down products that get the dose right but carry a broad precautionary warning the brand cannot explain to us. We buy directly from brands, our compliance team checks every label, and independent labs spot-check batches. You can read how we select brands and products.
Who this selection suits, and what it cannot promise
This page is for you if you have a diagnosed food allergy or coeliac disease, if you are buying for a child with several allergies, or if you simply want a shorter ingredients list. Be clear with yourself about the certainty you need. An ingredients list tells you what was added on purpose. It does not tell you what a shared production line may have left behind, and precautionary "may contain" labelling in the UK is voluntary rather than required.
- Named exclusions on every product page, so you can see which of the 14 are ruled out.
- Precautionary notes kept visible where a brand states them, instead of hidden.
- One new product at a time is the sensible way to start if your reactions are severe.
Many of our vegan supplements fit here too, but vegan on its own still allows soya, wheat and sesame, so the two labels are not interchangeable.
Frequently asked questions
What does "free from the 14 allergens" actually mean?
It means none of the 14 allergens that UK food law requires to be declared is used as an ingredient. Those 14 are:
- Cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish
- Peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts
- Celery, mustard, sesame
- Sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin, molluscs
Food supplements follow the same rules as food, so these must appear in the ingredients list and be emphasised there. It is a statement about the recipe, not about the factory.
Is an allergen free supplement the same as a vegan or gluten free one?
No, and mixing them up is a common mistake. Vegan only rules out animal ingredients, so soya lecithin, wheat starch and sesame are all still allowed. Gluten free is a measured claim about one thing: gluten below a legal limit. A product can be gluten free and still contain milk or soya. Free from the 14 allergens is the widest of the three, because it covers all of them at once.
Which form should I choose: capsule, tablet, powder or liquid?
The fewer helper ingredients a form needs, the fewer places an allergen can hide. Tablets need the most, plain powders and oils the least.
| Form | Usual extra ingredients | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Capsule | HPMC or gelatine shell, small filler | Most people, easy dosing |
| Tablet | Binder, filler, coating, flow agent | Higher doses, lower cost |
| Powder | Often none, or a flavour carrier | Strictest ingredients lists |
| Liquid or drops | Carrier oil, sometimes flavour | Children, trouble swallowing |
If your list of exclusions is long, start with unflavoured powders and plain oils.
Where do allergens usually hide in a supplement?
Almost always in the parts that are not the nutrient. Lactose from milk is used as a tablet filler. Soya lecithin is common in softgels and in flavour carriers. Starch and dextrin can be wheat-derived. Sulphites appear as preservatives in some plant extracts and juices. Fish and crustacean sources sit in omega-3 and glucosamine products. Read the "other ingredients" line, not just the nutrient table.
Does a "may contain" warning mean I should avoid the product?
Not automatically, but it deserves your attention. Precautionary labelling in the UK is voluntary, so its absence does not prove a clean line, and its presence does not tell you how much risk there is. It should only be used after a real risk assessment. If your allergy is severe, treat any "may contain" note for your allergen as a reason to ask the brand or choose a product without it. For milder sensitivities, many people accept it.
Can I trust a "gluten free" label if I have coeliac disease?
Yes, because it is a regulated claim with a measured limit rather than a marketing word. It is a threshold, not absolute absence, which is worth knowing if you are extremely sensitive.
| Label claim | Maximum gluten |
|---|---|
| Gluten free | 20 mg/kg |
| Very low gluten | 100 mg/kg |
| Gluten cereal as ingredient | Must be declared, no threshold |
Source: Food Standards Agency
How long should I keep taking a supplement before I judge it?
Give it two to three weeks of consistent daily use before you form an opinion, and change only one product at a time. That matters more here than elsewhere: if you start three new products in a week and something bothers you, you have no way of knowing which ingredients list to look at. Keep a short note of what you started and when. It makes the next choice much easier.
I have cut out several food groups. Which nutrients do people usually look at?
It depends entirely on what you have removed, so this is a question for your GP or a dietitian, ideally with a blood test rather than guesswork. In practice, people on milk-free diets ask about calcium and iodine, those avoiding fish ask about omega-3 from algae oil, and people avoiding cereals often ask about B vitamins and iron. A broad multivitamin is often the starting point, then single nutrients where a gap is confirmed.
