Travelling with food allergies: a practical country guide

Travelling with food allergies is doable. It just needs more planning than a non-allergic traveller would do — and the planning matters more the further from home you go.

This is a practical, country-aware guide to travelling with severe food allergies: what to pack, what to translate, what to watch out for in different cuisines, and how to handle the actual high-risk moments (airline meals, restaurant orders, unfamiliar packaged food).

Before you leave home

A few weeks before the trip:

• Generate translated allergy cards for every country on the itinerary. AllergIQ supports 100+ languages including all major travel destinations and many regional dialects (Spanish (Mexico) vs Spanish (Spain) actually matter for some ingredient names).
• Order printed plastic chef cards in the local language. Carry one per country. Paper versions get soaked, lost, or torn — printed plastic chef cards survive a holiday.
• Renew your EpiPens if they expire within 6 months of your travel date. Customs will sometimes confiscate near-expiry medical supplies.
• Get a doctor’s letter for the EpiPen, especially for international flights. Most airlines don’t ask, but airport security occasionally does — the letter prevents a 20-minute argument at a screening lane.
• Buy travel insurance with explicit allergy cover. Read the fine print. Some policies exclude “pre-existing conditions” which can include known severe allergies.
• Research the destination’s food culture. See the country-specific notes below.

On the flight

Airline allergy policies vary wildly. Some let you pre-order an allergen-free meal; some refuse to make any guarantees because they can’t control all suppliers; some have “no peanut” cabin policies for severe allergies on request.

Practical tips:

• Pre-order a special meal at least 48 hours before departure where the airline supports it. “Gluten-free”, “no nuts”, “vegan” all map to different things on different airlines.
• Bring safe snacks in your hand luggage. Customs usually allows sealed packaged food across most borders, and you’ll be glad to have a known-safe option mid-flight.
• Tell the cabin crew on boarding if you have a severe allergy. Not as a threat — they want to know in case of emergency.
• EpiPen goes in hand luggage, not checked. Always. Two EpiPens if you can — one for you, one for a companion in case the first malfunctions.
• Wipe your tray table. Trace allergens from previous flights can linger.

For UK travellers, the CAA’s medical equipment guidance covers what you can bring through security.

Country-specific risks

A non-exhaustive but practical list of the cuisines most likely to surprise you with hidden allergens.

Italy

Watch for: Wheat (pasta, pizza, bread is everywhere), pine nuts (pesto), almonds (amaretto, marzipan), eggs (carbonara, tiramisu).

A coeliac-safe Italy is possible — Italy has one of the best gluten-free retail networks in Europe — but every kitchen will assume you can eat wheat unless told otherwise.

Spain

Watch for: Wheat (most tapas), nuts (turron, romesco sauce, picada), fish (anchovies hidden in many sauces and stews), shellfish, olives (olive paste in seemingly unrelated dishes).

Spanish kitchens are generally friendly to allergy requests, but the “una pizca” (a pinch) attitude can mean a chef sprinkles a garnish without thinking.

France

Watch for: Wheat (everything baked), egg (custards, sauces, baked goods), dairy (vast use of butter and cream), mustard (in vinaigrettes), nuts (pralines, macarons).

French food often involves butter and dairy in places you wouldn’t expect — even savoury dishes. A clearly written chef card is essential.

Germany / Austria / Switzerland

Watch for: Wheat (sauces, dumplings, schnitzel breading), egg, dairy, mustard (very common), celery (in many soups and stocks).

German kitchens are generally good at responding to written allergy lists.

Japan

Watch for: Soy (everywhere — soy sauce in everything), wheat (soba is not gluten-free unless explicitly labelled jūwari/100%; soy sauce often contains wheat), fish (dashi stock is in most savoury dishes), eggs, sesame.

Japan is one of the most challenging destinations for severe soy or wheat allergies, but Japanese kitchens are exceptionally diligent once they understand the request. A clearly translated chef card with severity language is non-optional.

Thailand and Southeast Asia

Watch for: Peanuts (a base ingredient in many sauces), fish (fish sauce in nearly every savoury dish), shellfish (shrimp paste), soy, sesame, coconut (cross-reacts for some).

Thai cuisine is built on peanut and fish sauce. A peanut-allergic traveller in Thailand needs a translated chef card with strong cross-contamination language.

China / Hong Kong / Taiwan

Watch for: Soy (soy sauce, MSG often contains traces), wheat (in many sauces and dumplings), peanut (sauces, fillings, oils), sesame oil, shellfish stocks.

Chinese kitchens vary enormously in their willingness to adapt — high-end restaurants generally manage well, street food is high-risk.

India

Watch for: Dairy (ghee, paneer, yoghurt in many dishes including ones marketed as vegan), nuts (cashews ground into many curry bases), peanuts, sesame, wheat (chapati, paratha), legumes (lentils, chickpeas).

Indian vegetarian/vegan cuisine is allergy-rich territory — many “vegan” dishes still contain milk-derived ingredients unless explicitly verified.

United States

Watch for: Peanuts (still very common in baked goods despite increased awareness), wheat (sandwiches everywhere), high-fructose corn syrup (different metabolic concerns for some), dairy (huge portions of cheese).

US restaurants generally have decent allergen training but the cuisine itself is heavy on the major allergens.

Middle East and North Africa

Watch for: Sesame (tahini is everywhere — hummus, baba ganoush, many dressings), nuts (in tagines, pastries, baklava), dairy (yoghurt in cooked dishes), wheat (couscous, bulgur).

A chef card translated into Arabic (we support several regional Arabic dialects including Egyptian, Saudi, and Moroccan) is essential.

At the restaurant

The cardinal rule everywhere: hand over your translated chef card before you order, not with your order. See our full guide on how to use an allergy card in a restaurant.

Quick extras for travel:

• Pick restaurants that aren’t busy. A relaxed kitchen has time to plan around your allergens. A 9pm Saturday rush is the worst possible time for a complicated allergy.
• Ask for the chef directly in fine dining. Most are willing to come out and confirm what’s safe — many appreciate the chance.
• Avoid buffets. Cross-contamination between dishes is essentially guaranteed.
• Trust your gut. If something looks or smells wrong, don’t eat it.

Buying packaged food abroad

Labelling laws differ. The EU’s “14 major allergens emphasised” rule doesn’t apply outside the EU. Some countries have looser rules, particularly around “natural flavourings” which can hide allergens.

A few habits:

• Scan everything new with the AllergIQ allergen scanner — it works across major European and Asian languages.
• Stick to known brands where possible. A multinational brand’s recipe is generally consistent across countries; a local brand may have different formulations.
• Read every label even if you’ve bought the product before. Reformulations happen.

When something goes wrong

If you have a reaction abroad:

1. Use your EpiPen at the first sign of anaphylaxis. Don’t wait for “real” symptoms.
2. Call the local emergency number. Pre-save these in your phone for every country on your trip. (112 works in most of Europe; 999 in the UK; 911 in the US; 119 in Japan; 120 in China.)
3. Tell paramedics what allergen — most chef cards have this info already. Show them the card.
4. Inform your insurance as soon as possible. Most policies require notification within 24 hours of treatment.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office maintains country-by-country advice including emergency contact numbers and hospital quality notes.

What to pack

Minimum allergy kit for international travel:

• 2× EpiPens (or equivalent local-brand adrenaline auto-injector)
• Doctor’s letter (paper, plus a photo of it in your phone)
• 3-5 printed plastic chef cards in the local language
• A digital chef card in the AllergIQ app as backup
• Antihistamines (oral, for mild reactions)
• A small note in your wallet/passport pouch with your allergens in English and the local language
• Travel insurance card and emergency contact numbers
• Pre-screened safe snacks for the flight and arrival

Travel insurance, a translated chef card, and an EpiPen in your pocket cover almost every realistic scenario.

The takeaway

Most allergic travellers don’t have incidents — but only because they did the prep. A few hours of planning (translated cards, printed chef cards, packed EpiPens, researched cuisines) makes the actual holiday significantly easier and safer.

Make your translated cards before you leave the country, not at the destination airport. Carry the EpiPens always. And when in doubt, the international restaurant goes hungry on you, not the other way round.