Food allergies and eating in Europe

[Anonymous]

Sure, even the developing countries have crackers. What I wouldn't bet on (and certainly stake my child's well-being on if my child were allergic) is that everything is well-labeled, especially in developing countries. And again there's the issue of cross-contamination etc. Hence my suggestion of bringing some "safe" food along. *I* don't bring crackers for myself when I travel, but that's because I am not allergic to anything, so I don't need to worry about spending half of my vacation in a hospital after a severe allergic reaction. If I were travelling with a small child, I would have some snacks for them (I have a 10-month old and I never leave the house for a long period of time without having some food/snacks with me, never mind if I were going abroad).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, I figured there would be little sympathy and understanding. I guess we'll stick to plain meats, breads (though milk, butter in breads concerns me), fruits and vegetables. Is lactaid widely available in Europe?

Actually Europeans suffer quite a bit as well. And in fact, the EU introduced stricter allergen labelling laws BEFORE the US. So you will find understanding and sympathy. And just like anywhere, avoiding processed foods is safer. Just do some homework. (Again, like you would anywhere.) You can pick up food at big supermarkets with international brands which are clearly labelled. In multiple languages. (Coincidentally, a company in Finland was the first to produce lactose free everything that tastes and acts like regular dairy.)

Turkey is of course a major European tourist destination (including hordes of English speaking Brits, some with allergies) and food exporter to Europe. So there is awareness. (And a strong tradition of hospitality and sympathy with tourists who can't grasp their language.)

Here is a good link for Turkey.
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/details/Food/allergies.html

[Anonymous]

For France, Spain & Italy, you can find soy milk & soy based products in many grocery stores - particularly the ones that attract an "international" crowd in city centers etc. (El Cort Ingles, Marks&Specer, Monoprix, etc.)

In aiming for "plain" foods, do be a bit careful of meats cooked in restaurants - many of the steaks, lamb chops etc. are seared and served w/ a little butter, which disappears visually once served.

Will you have access to cooking facilities? Over the past years, we have done a lot of apt rentals in all three countries, including a 6-month stint in Paris. It is super! You can go to the local markets and buy all ingredients you need & cook them at home. It is really fun to explore new herbs & spices and other ingredients.

Some good agencies that we've used are friendlyrentals.com for Spain and nyhabitat.com for France and Rome.

Bon Voyage!

[Anonymous]

I suggest bringing lactaid tablets with you, as they can be very, very expensive, especially in the UK. I agree you can find safe foods in groceries, and the packaging often has warnings and ingredients lists in multiple languages. I would bring benedryl, and see about getting some epi pens before going as well. These can be life saving.

Anonymous wrote:
Btw, I had a couple of bad experiences in the US too, went to a Korean place and literally everything they made was cooked in sesame oil. (Not cool when you're allergic to sesame). I couldn't believe they didn't have regular oil or butter for substitution.

For this poster, I would just suggest avoiding Korean food all together. There is sesame oil, or sesame seeds in nearly every dish. The sesame oil can't just be substituted, because it is, in part, what makes Korean food, Korean food. If you were to substitute, it wouldn't taste right. Just about every Koeran recipe I make has three staple ingredients, Sesame oil, soy sauce and brown sugar, and the majority of them also have sesame seeds.

[Anonymous]

i would also suggest finding a grocery store as soon as you arrive. you can always stock up on safe foods to tote around with you. and when you have the package at least you have an ingredients list. my son is allergic to nuts so i empathize with your concerns. i usually carry cereal bars, raisins, oatmeal, etc. with me because i know he'll eat these things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Btw, I had a couple of bad experiences in the US too, went to a Korean place and literally everything they made was cooked in sesame oil. (Not cool when you're allergic to sesame). I couldn't believe they didn't have regular oil or butter for substitution.

For this poster, I would just suggest avoiding Korean food all together. There is sesame oil, or sesame seeds in nearly every dish. The sesame oil can't just be substituted, because it is, in part, what makes Korean food, Korean food. If you were to substitute, it wouldn't taste right. Just about every Koeran recipe I make has three staple ingredients, Sesame oil, soy sauce and brown sugar, and the majority of them also have sesame seeds.

Not only that sesame oil is what makes korean food taste korean. They aren't able to easily substitue it with something else (aside from it not tasting right) on the spot because most korean food is marinated or pickled - which takes hours of prep time - before it is even cooked. They wouldn't be able to just whip something up on the spot using butter or whatever. And I had to chuckle a little bit there at the thought of using butter on korean food.