Food Allergy in China: Complete Guide (Prevention + Emergency Response)

Food allergies in China require a different level of preparation than ordinary “I do not eat this” dietary requests. In many restaurants, staff understand preference, religion, and obvious ingredients better than hidden allergens, cross-contact, or anaphylaxis. A waiter may say “no peanuts” because no peanuts are visible on top, while the sauce contains sesame paste, the wok used peanut oil earlier, or the broth was prepared with shrimp shells.

This guide is written for travelers who need both prevention and a clear reaction plan. It is practical travel guidance, not medical advice. If you have a history of anaphylaxis, follow your clinician’s written plan and carry the medication prescribed for you.

Before flying to China

Prepare before you board your flight with United, Delta, American, Air Canada, British Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qatar Airways, ANA, or any other carrier. Airline special meals reduce risk in the air, but they do not solve restaurant risk after landing.

Pack these items in your cabin bag, not checked luggage:

• Two prescribed epinephrine auto-injectors, if prescribed.
• Your normal antihistamine and any asthma inhaler.
• A doctor letter listing your diagnosis and medicines.
• Printed allergy cards in Chinese and English.
• Safe snacks for arrival day, train rides, and late-night check-ins.
• Travel insurance details and emergency assistance phone number.
• Hotel address in Chinese.
• Passport copy and emergency contact card.

Keep medicines in original packaging. If your epinephrine is temperature-sensitive, use an insulated medication pouch, but do not freeze it.

Chinese-English allergen card

Show this card before ordering. For severe allergies, do not soften the wording. Use “severe allergy” and “can cause breathing difficulty” rather than “I cannot eat.”

I have a severe food allergy. If I eat this food, I may have trouble breathing and need emergency treatment. Please tell the chef. Please do not use this ingredient, its oil, powder, sauce, broth, or any cooking tools that touched it.

我有严重食物过敏。如果我吃到这种食物，可能会呼吸困难，需要急救。请告诉厨师。请不要使用这种食材、它的油、粉、酱、汤底，或接触过它的厨具。

Customize the last line:

Allergen	Chinese to show staff	Ask about hidden forms
Peanut	花生, 花生油, 花生酱	peanut oil, crushed peanut, peanut sauce
Tree nuts	坚果, 腰果, 杏仁, 核桃	nut paste, dessert topping, stir-fry garnish
Sesame	芝麻, 芝麻酱, 香油	sesame paste, sesame oil, hot pot dip
Milk/dairy	牛奶, 奶油, 黄油, 奶粉, 奶酪	milk powder in bread, butter, cream sauce
Egg	鸡蛋, 蛋黄, 蛋清	egg wash, batter, fried rice, noodles
Wheat/gluten	小麦, 面粉, 面条, 馒头, 饺子皮, 酱油	soy sauce, wheat starch, dumpling skins
Soy	大豆, 黄豆, 豆腐, 豆浆, 酱油	soy sauce, tofu, soybean paste
Shellfish	虾, 蟹, 贝类, 蚝油	shrimp paste, oyster sauce, seafood broth
Fish	鱼, 鱼露, 鱼丸	fish sauce, fish balls, soup base

Useful restaurant sentence:

Can you make a simple dish with only rice, plain vegetables, salt, and fresh meat, cooked in a clean pan?

可以只用米饭、普通蔬菜、盐和新鲜肉类，用干净锅做一个简单的菜吗？

How to communicate with restaurants

Choose restaurants where communication is possible. Hotel restaurants, international hospitals’ nearby cafes, higher-end malls, and chain restaurants are usually easier than tiny street stalls. Busy local places can be excellent, but they may not have time to discuss ingredients during peak hours.

Use this process:

1. Show the card before sitting down.
2. Ask whether they can safely cook for you.
3. Keep the order simple: plain rice, steamed vegetables, boiled eggs if safe, clear soup if ingredients are confirmed, grilled meat without sauce.
4. Avoid shared dipping sauces, buffet serving spoons, hot pot sauce bars, and unknown marinades.
5. If staff look uncertain, thank them and leave.

Do not ask only “does this contain peanuts?” Ask “does it contain peanuts, peanut oil, peanut sauce, peanut powder, or was it cooked in the same oil or wok?”

Chinese dishes that often contain common allergens

Some dishes are riskier because the allergen is hidden in oil, paste, stock, batter, or garnish.

Dish or food	Risk to check
Dan dan noodles, hot dry noodles, cold noodles	sesame paste, peanut, wheat noodles
Kung pao chicken	peanuts, soy sauce, wheat-containing sauce
Mapo tofu	soy, chili bean paste, possible wheat in sauce
Hot pot	sesame dip, peanut dip, seafood broth, shared utensils
Dumplings and wontons	wheat wrapper, egg, shrimp, pork, soy sauce
Baozi, mantou, scallion pancakes	wheat flour, milk powder, egg wash
Fried rice	egg, soy sauce, shrimp, shared wok
Sweet and sour dishes	wheat batter, egg, soy sauce
BBQ skewers	sesame, peanut powder, cumin spice mixes
Mooncakes and pastries	nuts, sesame, egg, milk powder, wheat
Bubble tea and desserts	milk powder, cream, nuts, taro powders
Oyster sauce vegetables	shellfish-derived sauce

Safer starting points, after confirming ingredients, are plain steamed rice, congee made with water, fresh fruit you peel yourself, steamed greens with salt only, hard-boiled eggs if egg is safe, and simply steamed fish or chicken without sauce.

Menu keywords to recognize

Save these in your phone:

• 过敏: allergy
• 严重过敏: severe allergy
• 不能吃: cannot eat
• 花生: peanut
• 坚果: tree nuts
• 芝麻: sesame
• 牛奶 / 奶制品: milk / dairy
• 鸡蛋: egg
• 小麦 / 面粉: wheat / flour
• 面条: noodles
• 酱油: soy sauce
• 大豆 / 黄豆: soy / soybean
• 虾 / 蟹 / 贝类: shrimp / crab / shellfish
• 蚝油: oyster sauce
• 鱼露: fish sauce
• 汤底: soup base
• 调料: seasoning
• 共用油: shared oil
• 干净锅: clean pan

If you use translation apps, keep sentences short. “Severe peanut allergy. No peanut, peanut oil, peanut sauce, peanut powder, shared oil.” translates better than a long paragraph.

What to do during an allergic reaction

Use your own emergency action plan first. For many travelers, the basic travel sequence is:

1. Stop eating immediately.
2. Tell someone: “I am having an allergic reaction. Please call 120.”
3. If symptoms suggest anaphylaxis, use your prescribed epinephrine auto-injector immediately.
4. Call 120 for an ambulance, or ask hotel staff, restaurant staff, or a bystander to call.
5. Lie down with legs raised if possible. If breathing is difficult, sit upright. Do not stand or walk around.
6. Use your second auto-injector if symptoms continue or return according to your doctor’s instructions.
7. Go to hospital even if you feel better, because symptoms can return.

Warning signs include trouble breathing, throat tightness, voice change, repeated vomiting, faintness, widespread hives, swelling of lips or tongue, wheezing, confusion, or symptoms involving more than one body system.

Chinese emergency sentence:

I am having a severe allergic reaction. I may need epinephrine. Please call 120 and take me to the nearest hospital emergency department.

我正在发生严重过敏反应。我可能需要肾上腺素。请拨打120，送我去最近医院的急诊科。

Where to find medicine in China

Pharmacies are common and marked 药店 or 药房. Large chains in cities often have a green cross sign. You can ask for:

• Loratadine: 氯雷他定
• Cetirizine: 西替利嗪
• Fexofenadine: 非索非那定
• Diphenhydramine: 苯海拉明
• Hydrocortisone cream: 氢化可的松乳膏
• Salbutamol/albuterol inhaler: 沙丁胺醇吸入剂
• Epinephrine/adrenaline: 肾上腺素

Antihistamines may help hives or itching, but they are not a substitute for epinephrine in anaphylaxis. If you need emergency injection medicine, hospital emergency departments are the right place.

How to talk to a doctor

Bring your passport, insurance card, medicine packaging, allergy card, and a short timeline. Show this:

Food eaten: ______

Time eaten: ______

Symptoms started: ______

Symptoms: rash / swelling / vomiting / breathing difficulty / dizziness

Medicine already used: epinephrine auto-injector / antihistamine / inhaler

Chinese version:

吃了什么：______

进食时间：______

症状开始时间：______

症状：皮疹 / 肿胀 / 呕吐 / 呼吸困难 / 头晕

已用药物：肾上腺素自动注射器 / 抗组胺药 / 吸入剂

Ask the doctor:

• Do I need observation for several hours?
• Do I need another dose of epinephrine?
• Can you write the diagnosis in English or simple Chinese for insurance?
• Can I get a receipt and medical record?
• Should I avoid travel today?

Hospital process in China

For a severe reaction, go to 急诊科, the emergency department. In large cities, international hospitals or VIP/international clinics may have more English support, but in a true emergency the nearest capable emergency department matters more than comfort.

Typical process:

1. Arrival by ambulance, taxi, DiDi, or hotel car.
2. Triage at emergency reception.
3. Registration with passport.
4. Deposit or payment setup.
5. Doctor assessment and treatment.
6. Observation, tests, or discharge.
7. Pay, collect receipt, collect medical record, contact insurer.

Payment is often required during the visit. Alipay, WeChat Pay, cards, and cash support vary by hospital. Keep some RMB cash and a working payment app.

Must-carry checklist

• Two epinephrine auto-injectors if prescribed.
• Antihistamine, inhaler, and any steroid prescribed by your doctor.
• Chinese-English allergy cards, printed and saved offline.
• Translation app with offline Chinese.
• Safe snacks.
• Travel insurance hotline.
• Passport and hotel address in Chinese.
• Emergency contacts on lock screen.
• List of medicine Chinese names.
• Power bank, because your phone is your translator, map, payment tool, and emergency contact device.

Emergency contacts

• Ambulance: 120
• Police: 110
• Fire: 119
• Traffic police: 122
• Hotel front desk: save the number after check-in
• Travel insurance assistance: save before departure
• Your embassy or consulate: save the nearest office number

Food allergy travel in China is manageable, but it rewards conservative choices. Eat simple, ask specific questions, leave when staff are unsure, and keep emergency medication within reach at all times.