Allergies in French: Phrases for Restaurants in France, Belgium and Quebec

In French you say « Je suis allergique à… » (zhuh swee ah-lehr-ZHEEK ah). The word does not change for men and women. Before a plural it becomes aux: Je suis allergique aux arachides means “I’m allergic to peanuts.”

The word that trips English speakers up is noix. On its own, noix means walnut. It also appears inside the names of other nuts (noix de cajou, cashew; noix de pécan; noix de coco, coconut). If you say “je suis allergique aux noix,” many people will hear “walnuts.” The safe word for tree nuts as a group is fruits à coque, the term French food labels use.

The phrases to learn first

Arachide is the formal word printed on labels; cacahuète is what people say. Use either.

Allergen words

Where these allergens hide in French food

• Mustard is in most vinaigrettes, many sauces and the coating on some meats. It is one of the 14 allergens restaurants must declare in the EU, and in France it turns up far more often than in the US.
• Almonds are in frangipane, financiers, macarons (made with almond flour) and galette des rois.
• Hazelnuts are in anything labelled praliné, including Paris-Brest and many chocolate fillings.
• Walnuts go on salads, especially salade de chèvre chaud and dishes from the Périgord.
• Lupin flour is sometimes added to bread and pastry in France. People with peanut allergy can react to lupin, so ask.
• Buckwheat (sarrasin or blé noir) is what Breton galettes are made of; despite the name blé noir, it is not wheat.
• Pistou in Provence is basil, garlic and olive oil, usually without pine nuts, unlike Italian pesto. Don’t assume either way; ask.

Questions waiters may ask

Label words to know: peut contenir des traces de… (may contain traces of…) and fabriqué dans un atelier qui utilise… (made in a facility that uses…).

In an emergency

In France, call 15 for the SAMU (medical emergencies) or 112, which works across the EU. In Belgium, 112. In Quebec and the rest of Canada, 911.

Common questions

How do you say “nuts” in French?

For tree nuts in general, say fruits à coque. In everyday speech people also say les noix, but that can mean walnuts specifically. Peanuts are separate: arachides or cacahuètes.

How do you say “I am allergic to shellfish” in French?

Je suis allergique aux crustacés for shrimp, crab and lobster, or aux fruits de mer to include oysters, mussels and squid as well.

How do you say “lactose intolerant” in French?

Je suis intolérant au lactose (man) or intolérante au lactose (woman). If it is a milk allergy rather than lactose intolerance, say je suis allergique au lait, because restaurants treat the two very differently.

Are French restaurants required to tell me about allergens?

Yes. Under EU rules, restaurants in France must be able to tell you which of the 14 regulated allergens are in each dish, either written down or on request. Ask: Vous avez la liste des allergènes ?