Is it safe for your diet?

NONG stands for No Onion No Garlic. An ingredient is NONG safe only when it is completely free of onion, garlic, and every other member of the Allium genus — including shallots, leeks, chives and spring onions — in any form, whether fresh, dried, powdered, extracted, or infused.

Pure asafoetida resin is an allium-free spice and is widely used as a NONG substitute for the savoury depth of onion and garlic. However, many commercial hing blends are cut with wheat flour and occasionally with onion or garlic powder, so always check the label or use the checker on the specific brand.

An ingredient is marked uncertain when its NONG status depends on how it is processed or which brand makes it — for example flavourings, stocks, masala blends and processed foods that may or may not contain hidden allium derivatives. For these, verify with the manufacturer before consuming.

NONG safe means free of onion, garlic and other alliums, which is a core requirement of a Jain diet. A strict Jain diet also avoids other root and underground vegetables such as potato, carrot and ginger, so a NONG safe label alone does not guarantee an ingredient is fully Jain — check the ingredient's full detail page for its diet tags.

Yes. Onion and garlic are among the highest-FODMAP foods, so the same allium-free filtering that makes an ingredient NONG safe also removes the most common high-FODMAP allium triggers, making the checker a practical first-pass tool for low-FODMAP eaters.