Italian allergy phrases
Allergies in Italian: What to Say at Restaurants and Gelaterias in Italy
How to say “I have a nut allergy” in Italian, the words for every allergen, which Italian dishes hide pine nuts, almonds and pistachios, and how to ask about shared gelato scoops.
Updated
The simplest way to say it in Italian is “Ho un’allergia a…” (oh oon ah-lehr-JEE-ah ah), “I have an allergy to…”. You can also say “Sono allergico a…” if you are a man or “Sono allergica a…” if you are a woman.
For nuts, the label word is frutta a guscio (literally “fruit in a shell”). In conversation Italians say frutta secca, which can include dried fruit, so name the nuts you react to. Peanuts are arachidi, or noccioline in casual speech.
Phrases for the table
| English | Italian | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| I have a serious food allergy. | Ho un’allergia alimentare grave. | oh oon ah-lehr-JEE-ah ah-lee-men-TAH-reh GRAH-veh |
| I’m allergic to nuts. | Sono allergico (allergica) alla frutta a guscio. | SOH-noh ah-LEHR-jee-koh AHL-lah FROOT-tah ah GOO-shoh |
| I’m allergic to peanuts. | Sono allergico alle arachidi. | …AHL-leh ah-RAH-kee-dee |
| Is there ___ in this? | C’è ___ in questo piatto? | cheh… een KWES-toh PYAHT-toh |
| Can you ask the kitchen? | Può chiedere in cucina? | pwoh KYEH-deh-reh een koo-CHEE-nah |
| Even a tiny amount is dangerous for me. | Anche una piccolissima quantità per me è pericolosa. | AHN-keh OO-nah peek-koh-LEES-see-mah kwahn-tee-TAH… |
| It’s not a preference, it’s an allergy. | Non è una preferenza, è un’allergia. | non eh OO-nah preh-feh-REN-tsah, eh oon ah-lehr-JEE-ah |
| Do you have the allergen list? | Avete la lista degli allergeni? | ah-VEH-teh lah LEES-tah DEHL-yee ah-lehr-JEH-nee |
Italian restaurants have to be able to tell you which of the 14 EU allergens are in each dish, so asking for the lista degli allergeni is normal and expected.
Allergen words
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| Peanuts | arachidi, noccioline |
| Tree nuts | frutta a guscio |
| Walnut | noce |
| Hazelnut | nocciola |
| Almond | mandorla |
| Pistachio | pistacchio |
| Pine nuts | pinoli |
| Cashew | anacardi |
| Milk / dairy | latte / latticini |
| Egg | uovo (plural uova) |
| Wheat | grano, frumento |
| Gluten-free | senza glutine |
| Coeliac | celiaco (man), celiaca (woman) |
| Fish | pesce |
| Crustaceans | crostacei |
| Molluscs | molluschi |
| Seafood | frutti di mare |
| Soy | soia |
| Sesame | sesamo |
| Mustard | senape |
| Celery | sedano |
| Lupin | lupini |
| Sulphites | solfiti |
Where nuts hide in Italian food
- Pesto alla genovese contains pine nuts; cheaper jars sometimes swap in cashews. Pesto trapanese from Sicily uses almonds.
- Sicilian sweets: cannoli often have pistachio, frutta martorana is marzipan (almond), and Bronte pistachio goes into everything from pasta to cream.
- Biscotti: cantucci are almond biscuits; amaretti are made with almonds or apricot kernels.
- Hazelnut is the base of gianduia, Nutella and many chocolate and gelato flavours.
- Gelato: the risk is the shared scoop, and nut flavours sit next to plain ones in the counter. Ask: Può lavare la paletta prima di servirmi? (Could you wash the scoop before serving me?) Some gelaterias keep sealed tubs in the back for allergic customers; it is worth asking.
- Fresh pasta (pasta fresca all’uovo) usually contains egg; dried pasta usually does not.
- Lupini beans are sold as a salty snack at markets and festivals, and people with peanut allergy can react to lupin.
What the waiter may ask
| They ask | Meaning |
|---|---|
| È un’allergia o un’intolleranza? | Is it an allergy or an intolerance? |
| Anche le tracce? | Traces too? |
| Può mangiare l’olio di semi? | Can you have seed oil? (Frying oil is often a seed blend.) |
On labels, può contenere tracce di… means “may contain traces of…”.
In an emergency
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| Call an ambulance! | Chiamate un’ambulanza! |
| I’m having an allergic reaction. | Sto avendo una reazione allergica. |
| I need my adrenaline pen. | Ho bisogno della mia penna di adrenalina. |
In Italy, call 112 (the European emergency number) or 118 for an ambulance.
Common questions
How do you say “nut allergy” in Italian?
Allergia alla frutta a guscio. If the waiter looks unsure, name the nuts: noci, nocciole, mandorle, pistacchi, pinoli, anacardi.
How do you say “dairy allergy” in Italian?
Allergia al latte or allergia ai latticini. If you are lactose intolerant rather than allergic, say sono intollerante al lattosio; many places stock lactose-free milk (latte senza lattosio), but that is not safe for a milk allergy.
Is Italy easy for coeliacs?
Easier than most countries. The Italian Coeliac Association (AIC) runs a programme for restaurants trained to cook gluten-free, and pharmacies and supermarkets sell gluten-free pasta and bread. Say sono celiaco rather than “no gluten,” and ask whether the pasta is cooked in separate water (acqua separata).
This page helps you communicate about a food allergy. It is not medical advice: follow your allergist’s plan, and always confirm ingredients with the restaurant or the label.
Keep reading
Italian Food Allergy Card
Create a bilingual English-Italian food allergy card for safe dining across Italy.
Traveling to Italy with Food Allergies: Nuts, Gluten and Dairy
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Allergies in French: Phrases for Restaurants in France, Belgium and Quebec
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Gluten Free in Spanish: Coeliac Phrases for Spain and Latin America
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