Your Novotel Guide to Carefree Travel With Food Allergies

If you’re travelling with food allergies, a little planning ahead will help you to enjoy a stress-free trip and plenty of wonderful food. Find out how to locate and identify allergy-friendly restaurants, and learn more about food allergy symptoms and treatments in case you’re travelling with a friend or family member who has allergies. You might even help out a new friend you meet on the road!

There are more than 150 foods that could potentially cause allergies, but learning about the most common ones will help you assist travelling companions who have food allergies.

• Peanut allergies are very common and can be serious for people of all ages.
• Other tree nuts and seeds related to allergies include almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, pistachios and macadamia.
• Egg allergies are common in children. Many grow out of their allergy, but it can continue into adulthood.
• Being allergic to cow’s milk and related dairy products like cheese and butter is also most common in childhood.
• Allergies to shellfish like shrimp, prawn and squid are important to be aware of, as these are popular restaurant foods.
• Fish allergies are unlike many allergies in that symptoms often appear in adulthood.
• Wheat allergy is related to one of the proteins found in wheat.
• People with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (gluten intolerance) avoid wheat and other products containing gluten.
• Soy allergies are related to soybeans, with foods including tofu, edamame beans, and many other dishes popular in East Asia.

Many signs of an allergic reaction are immediately obvious – allowing you to get medical help for yourself or a travelling companion – but can also appear days after consuming the food. The most common symptoms include:

• Itchy skin or a raised rash (hives).
• Stomach pain, nausea and diarrhoea.
• Coughing, wheezing and being short of breath.
• Swelling around the face, especially the lips and eyes.
• Feeling dizzy or light-headed.
• Low blood pressure is also a symptom, though this would be more difficult to notice quickly when you’re travelling.

Most people experiencing an allergic reaction may only have some of these symptoms at any one time. However, it’s important to be aware that, in extreme cases, a food allergy can cause anaphylaxis, which is very serious and requires immediate medical attention. With anaphylaxis, the symptoms described above appear very quickly and might also include fainting, unresponsiveness, rapid breathing, a tight throat, and lips turning blue or pale.

Being aware of someone’s allergies and taking steps to avoid consuming restricted foods is by far the best way to prevent an allergic reaction when travelling. Antihistamines can be used to treat symptoms of less severe allergic reactions, and corticosteroids can reduce swelling.
 

Adrenaline autoinjectors (such as EpiPen®) are used in response to anaphylaxis. Individuals with serious food allergies may carry these devices to administer themselves in the event of a reaction, but they may need help if their symptoms are too severe to focus on the treatment. For this reason, it’s advisable to ask any travelling companions with food allergies how the device should be used – before you set off on your trip.

Communicating dietary restrictions often starts with contacting your airline. Policies on allergy-related foods vary considerably, so it’s best to check the website of the airline you’re using and get in contact with them in good time before your flight. Most companies don’t provide allergen-free menus to all passengers, but they will hopefully accommodate passengers who make them aware of allergies with plenty of notice. Other options for avoiding problems with communication include:

• Checking with the airline whether you can take your own food on board and if any foods are prohibited.
• Asking for permission to board a little early to use sanitising wipes on your seat and meal tray.
• Mentioning allergies to nearby passengers who may then choose not to eat nuts or other allergens.
• Taking prescriptions and other medical documentation for adrenaline autoinjectors.

Once you arrive at your destination, there’s plenty more you can do to ensure a trouble-free and enjoyable visit. This includes:

• Preparing a laminated card with a written explanation of any relevant allergies, and asking a native speaker at your hotel to check any translations created by technology. 
• Asking a native speaker to make an audio recording explaining your allergy and asking for safe meal options.
• Preparing a picture card explaining your allergy. For example, photos of fish and seafood with a large, red X next to them.
• Researching local cuisine before you go so you’ll know what kinds of foods you’ll encounter regularly. 
• Learning the local translation for “hypoallergenic” – which means products containing little to no allergens. You may find it on labels.
• Staying in self-catering accommodation in case you need to prepare your own food.
• Carrying translation cards for food allergies, such as those prepared by AllergyUK.

There are still plenty of opportunities to eat in great restaurants when you’re travelling abroad with food allergies. Even smaller restaurants in rural areas have some kind of online presence, so you’ll just need to plan ahead by a day or two, or maybe even a few hours. Start by doing an online search for “allergy-friendly restaurant” with the name of the area you’re staying in, then read relevant reviews from previous customers. Be sure to look for posts by local bloggers along with more familiar review sites. Once you have found somewhere that sounds good, check the menu on the restaurant website and send an email to the restaurant using translation technology.
 

A good restaurant should be happy to inform you if they have an allergy-friendly menu, how they avoid cross-contamination, and whether they have staff to help you further when you arrive. Any restaurant that is caring in this way probably cares about the overall quality of their food, too! Many restaurants are now aware that diners want cuisine that’s beneficial to their health and well-being, and not only in relation to allergies. 

You might like to eat at a time when the restaurant is not so busy, which will give you more time to talk to the staff. It’s also important to check your food carefully when it arrives to make sure you received what you ordered. If you have any doubts, send it back. If you’re not sure what you’re reading on a menu, the Google Lens element of the Google Translate app allows you to point your phone camera at the text and get an immediate translation. Ordering simple dishes, such as grilled items without sauces, is another way to avoid uncertainty.

With just a little planning, you’ll be able to travel without food allergies being a concern. You can choose any destination you like and look forward to your trip!