'May Contain' Statements

❓ What Does 'May Contain' Mean?

'May contain' statements on food labels are warnings to indicate the possible presence of allergens - such as gluten - due to unintentional cross-contamination during production. When it comes to gluten, you might see statements like:

• "May contain gluten"
• "May contain traces of wheat, barley, or rye"
• "Produced in a factory that also handles gluten-containing ingredients"
• “Not suitable for those with a wheat allergy and coeliacs”

These statements help people with allergies or intolerances make informed, safe choices.

🤷🏻 When Would They be Used?

'May contain' labels are used when there is a real risk that a product could contain allergens unintentionally. This can happen when:

• The same equipment is used for gluten and non-gluten foods
• Gluten is present in the production environment (e.g. airborne flour)
• Ingredients come from suppliers who also handle gluten

Including these warnings allows brands to be honest about potential risks and shows due diligence in protecting customers.

🧑🏼‍⚖️ Are 'May Contain' Statements Legal Required?

Not exactly - in the UK, precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) is voluntary. However, under UK food safety law, manufacturers must:

• Avoid producing misleading labels
• Ensure labels don't endanger health

That being said, don't let the fact that 'may contain' statements are voluntary send you into a panic about trusting UK product labelling. If there's a genuine risk and it's not declared, a company could still face serious consequences

• Legal action under food safety laws
• Product recalls or fines
• Reputational damage
• Loss of consumer trust - especially from the gluten free and coeliac community

🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 Why You Can Generally Trust These Warnings

Despite being voluntary, there are strong reasons why manufacturers don't ignore allergen risks:

1️⃣ Legal & Reputational Risk

If undeclared gluten causes harm, it can trigger serious legal action and brand damage

2️⃣ Industry Standards

Many companies follow Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance and strict retailer allergen processes

3️⃣ Consumer Loyalty

People who are gluten free or have coeliac disease are highly label-conscious. Losing trust = losing customers

4️⃣ Testing & Audits

Many brands carry out internal audits, third-party inspections, and even gluten testing. If a contamination risk is found, they're likely to apply PAL out of transparency and safety

🙅🏼 Are 'May Contain' Products Safe for Coeliacs?

In short, no. If you have coeliac disease, it's strongly advised by industry specialists to avoid any product with a 'may contain gluten' warning.

Even small traces of gluten can cause:

• Autoimmune responses
• Gut damage
• Long-term health risks

Think of it this way: if a label said "may contain poison", would you eat it? For someone with coeliac disease, gluten carries that level of danger.

❌ Common Myths

“My GP said that ‘may contain’ are fine”

Not all GPs are fully informed about trace gluten exposure. Specialist coeliac dietitians and national coeliac charities strongly advise avoiding products with PAL for gluten.

“There was no such thing as ‘may contain’ in the past”

Just like seatbelts, safety measures evolve. These warnings exist to protect health, not to inconvenience.

“It’s just brands covering their own backs”

Brands must follow strict regulatory standards. Over-labelling creates consumer distrust and a risk of alienating their audience, so manufacturers aim for balance and accuracy.

“I’m coeliac and I eat may contains with no symptoms”

It's a common comment, but it's important to understand the risk and the science behind it.

You may feel fine, but that doesn't mean your gut is fine. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition, and even small traces of gluten - the kind that sneak in through cross-contamination - can still trigger internal damage without causing immediate or obvious symptoms.

The nature of 'may contain' statements means sometimes the product is safe, sometimes it's not. It's a gamble. Once batch might be fine, the next batch might not.

Being lucky is not the same as being safe.

If you choose to eat products with 'may contain gluten' warnings, that's a personal decision - but should be an informed one made after fully understanding the risks. And personally, why wouldn't you want what's best for your body, especially when there are so many safer alternatives out there!

The most important thing is this: Don't try to convince others to do the same.

'May contains' don't truly work for anyone - they just haven't caught you out yet. Everyone with coeliac disease deserves to make safe, informed decisions for themselves, without pressure or misinformation. What feels harmless now could still be causing silent harm.

🤔 What About Gluten Intolerance?

If you have gluten intolerance (non-coeliac gluten sensitivity), your reaction threshold may vary.

• Some people tolerate small traces
• Others still experience symptoms from minor exposure

There's no immune damage, unlike coeliac disease, so you may experiment cautiously or speak to a healthcare provider to find out what works for you.