Italy takes food allergies seriously. EU Regulation 1169/2011 requires ALL Italian restaurants, bars, and food establishments to provide allergen information for 14 major allergens. By law, every menu must indicate which allergens are present — either on the menu itself (symbols or text) or in a separate document available on request. This isn't optional — it's enforced. Italian restaurateurs may not understand why you won't eat gluten (they'll look sad), but they WILL tell you exactly what's in every dish. This guide covers every common allergy with the exact Italian phrases, safe dishes, and pharmacy alternatives. Gluten-free specific guide →
Plan my allergy-safe Italy →1. Glutine (gluten) — full celiac guide →. 2. Latte/Lattosio (milk/lactose). 3. Uova (eggs). 4. Frutta a guscio (tree nuts — nocciole/hazelnuts, mandorle/almonds, noci/walnuts, pistacchi, anacardi/cashews). 5. Arachidi (peanuts — rare in Italian cooking). 6. Soia (soy). 7. Pesce (fish). 8. Crostacei (shellfish/crustaceans). 9. Molluschi (mollusks). 10. Sedano (celery). 11. Senape (mustard). 12. Semi di sesamo (sesame). 13. Lupini (lupin). 14. Anidride solforosa/solfiti (sulfites — in wine, dried fruit).
"Sono allergico/a a..." (I'm allergic to...) + the allergen name above. "È pericoloso per me, non è una preferenza" (It's dangerous for me, it's not a preference — this signals ALLERGY not dietary choice). "Questo piatto contiene [allergen]?" (Does this dish contain...?). "Potete prepararlo senza [allergen]?" (Can you prepare it without...?). "Ho un'allergia grave, posso parlare con lo chef?" (I have a serious allergy, can I speak to the chef? — for anaphylaxis-level allergies). More phrases →
LACTOSE INTOLERANT: Good news — aged Italian cheeses (Parmigiano Reggiano 24+ months, Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano) are naturally very low in lactose. Carbonara uses pecorino (minimal lactose) + egg (no lactose). Pizza marinara (no cheese). Any grilled meat/fish + vegetables. Gelato: many shops offer sorbets (fruit-based, no dairy). Ask for "senza latticini" (without dairy products).
NUT ALLERGY: Italian cuisine uses hazelnuts (in Nutella, gelato, pastries), almonds (in marzipan, amaretti, Sicilian cuisine), pine nuts (in pesto, salads), and pistachios (in Sicilian pastries, gelato, mortadella). Pesto = pine nuts. Mortadella = pistachios. Many gelato flavors = nuts. Ask: "Contiene frutta a guscio?" (Contains tree nuts?) for EVERY dish and gelato flavor. Carry your EpiPen.
SHELLFISH/SEAFOOD: Easier to manage — Italian menus clearly separate meat and fish sections. Avoid: "frutti di mare" (mixed seafood), "zuppa di pesce" (fish soup), and any "fritto misto" (may mix seafood with vegetables). Safe: all meat dishes, vegetarian dishes (confirm no anchovy — acciughe hide in many sauces including bagna cauda and some pizza).
EGG ALLERGY: Challenge in Italy — eggs are in: fresh pasta (all egg-based), carbonara, tiramisu, many cakes, mayonnaise, some gelato. Safe: pizza (no egg in dough), risotto, grilled meat/fish, dried pasta (most dried pasta is egg-free — check "senza uova"). "Contiene uova?" for every dish.
Italian pharmacies (farmacie) stock: antihistamines (Zirtec/cetirizine — no prescription), lactase enzyme tablets (Lactofree, Lacdigest — take before eating dairy), EpiPen-equivalent (requires prescription — bring yours from home + prescription letter in Italian). Gluten-free products available in EVERY pharmacy.