severe peanut allergy in italy

In case you may eat somewhere where the service has limited English please at least take the time to learn how to communicate that you are allergic to peanuts which is: Ho una grave allergia a noccioline.

We were in Orvieto last week and the management was pretty aware of food allergies as the ingredients were spelled out in English in the menu; and my friend is gluten intolerant. We ordered bruschetta and the waiter asked do you want it prepared on gluten free bread or regular.

I do not know about Italy, but on a plane trip to Istanbul from Chicago this fall the announcement was made that no peanuts would be served on the entire flight and if you have peanuts please do not eat them or remove them from your luggage. WOW! Someone was highly allergic to peanuts.

What is your concern? They won't serve you peanuts if you tell them you are allergic. Just don't order dishes with peanuts.
Besides, although peanuts are available if you want them, I can't think of any Italian dishes that use peanuts.
Peanuts are a much more common nut in American restaurants and bars than in Italy.
The Italian word for peanuts is 'noccioline Americane" (American nuts) or also "arachidi"

Lol at "Just don't order dishes with peanuts." Good lord.

Roberto, I think you need to read up on how serious a peanut allergy can be. If you had a similar life threatening allergy, I think you would me a little more understanding of the aquinod33's concerns.

You might want to print out a small card with your allergies written in Italian. You could use Google Translate, or better, search on line for this information. It will be in the proper idiom, not necessarily what you'll get with Google Translate.

Thanks, I actually already have cards with translations, know how speak about it in Italian, etc. I've been to Italy several times but this will be the first time with my three year old daughter with the allergy. We are those people that have to have the entire plane peanut free as someone mentioned above.

I wonder if the original poster is allergic only to peanuts (arachidi, noccioline) or nuts in general (frutta a guscio). While peanuts are rarely used in Italian cooking, peanut oil is relatively common and contamination from peanut traces a possibility in industrial food. If the allergy is really severe I would consider cooking on my own - food labelling in Italy is very detailed and if traces of allergenes are possible they are declared (but of course labels are in Italian).

She is actually only allergic to peanuts, not tree nuts. For example, nutella is good because it is completely peanut free with no cross contamination with peanuts. Gelato is often a problem for us because of cross contamination on the equipment used.

i have a peanut allergy and have traveled all over Europe and lived in Switzerland for a chunk of my life. Peanuts are relatively uncommon (compared to the US) in Europe and I know of no Italian dishes with peanuts in them. Most packaged foods are labeled the same way they are in the US with allergen information. I've done just fine knowing the words for the allergens in question and carrying an Epi-Pen. I'm also allergic to walnuts (which are relatively common in European cooking). Nut allergies are a worldwide thing and you'd be surprised how accommodating and knowledgeable wait staff are in Europe. Carry an Epi-Pen and enjoy Europe!

I travel with a severe food allergy but it's not peanut. I've found people accommodating everywhere but there's always an element of apprehension for me that people don't really understand the allergy...that they think it's a dislike or something that I try to avoid vs. something that I cannot eat.

So you've been given good advice above but I have a couple of other thoughts. I take a daily Zyrtec when I travel as it gives me a little protection - I don't know if you would get a similar tiny bit of protection because peanut allergy is so severe. When I get a little bit of corn in, I can feel it in a swelling in my throat but I've never had my airway close completely. So the Zyrtec gives me a little peace of mind.

Likewise, I carry A LOT of Benadryl and I know your daughter is quite little so perhaps you don't use it very often but you should know that Benadryl is not available AT ALL in Italy - so bring some with you.

Lastly, I know people commonly carry food cards listing the allergy and I do as well, but I make mine more specific so people will know I am not just a "fussy eater" or going through a phase. My cards say "I am allergic to corn. If I eat it, I will need to go to the hospital". Given your daughter's peanut allergy, you could even put something more specific.

It's a pain to travel with a food allergy but I've done it successfully for many years. Have a great time - and bring a second Epi-pen in case you use the first one.

Yosemite1, I know about the anaphylaxis caused by some allergens. I have worked in hospitals all my life for God's sakes and I'm confident that I can spell the most complex medical terms better than you in both Italian and English. The word in Italian is anafilassi and some Italians suffer from it too, especially young kids.

The issue should be why so many people ask in this forum if Italians would be sensitive or understanding or accommodating of people with allergies, whether it's nuts or gluten or crustaceans. Every other day there are posts by people who ask whether Italians would be sensitive or accommodating to people with allergies to one allergen or another.

People would not be asking this question in a travel forum if they were thinking of visiting California or Florida from New York or Texas. So why are these questions asked so often about Italy? Why wouldn't an Italian restaurateur or whatever be accommodating to someone who tells them they are allergic to something? Are Italians assumed to be people immune to all common allergies that affect the rest of humanity? Or are Italians assumed to be a callous troglodyte people living in the jungle who have never heard of these rather common conditions? I'd like to think that Italy is a reasonably advanced nation with a healthcare system that is rated as the second most advanced in the world (after France) by the World Health Organization. Maybe it is others who should do some reading.

People are probably asking about Italy because this is the Italian forum.

You can ask the waiter to be sure, but I don't think you will have any trouble avoiding peanuts. They are just not part of Italian cuisine. And they wouldn't normally use peanut oil either---olive oil is by far the most common oil, followed by canola oil if the dish is deep fried. I had trouble finding peanut oil in a grocery store when I was hungry for Asian food and wanted to cook in our apartment.

Do bring Epi-Pens. Or maybe buy them there? There was a recent discussion on this, apparently they are much cheaper in Europe than in the US.

I will be bringing 6 epipens.