It’s tough enough having food allergies, but these patients now appear to face additional, potentially fatal, risks if they try to follow a vegan diet, a UK doctor has warned.

London allergy specialist Dr Cecilia Trigg says reactions to vegan food has recently emerged as a common theme during consultations with her patients.

As more people move to eating a more plant-based diet, those with food allergies negotiate an increasing array of food hazards, Dr Trigg writes in a blog for the BMJ.

These include cross-contamination, a need for better labelling, and improved restaurant staff training relating to ingredients in vegan foods.