Traveling to China with a Peanut Allergy: Peanut Oil, Sauces and What to Say

China is one of the harder countries for a peanut allergy, mainly because peanut oil (花生油) is a common cooking oil, and food allergies are less widely recognised than in the West. Restaurants are not required to tell you about allergens, and “no peanuts” is often understood as leaving off the topping. Explain that it is a medical problem, ask about the oil, and carry a card in Simplified Chinese.

Where peanuts and other allergens appear

How to explain it

In China, many people have never met someone with a severe food allergy. A short explanation that it is about health, not taste, works better than a list of foods:

• 我对花生严重过敏。 (Wǒ duì huāshēng yánzhòng guòmǐn.) I have a serious peanut allergy.
• 不是不喜欢吃，吃了会有生命危险。 (Bú shì bù xǐhuan chī, chī le huì yǒu shēngmìng wēixiǎn.) It’s not that I don’t like it; eating it is life-threatening.
• 请问是用花生油炒的吗？ (Qǐngwèn shì yòng huāshēng yóu chǎo de ma?) Is it cooked in peanut oil?
• 锅和油也不能有花生。 (Guō hé yóu yě bù néng yǒu huāshēng.) The wok and the oil can’t have peanuts either.

Labels

Allergen labelling on packaged food in mainland China has been voluntary. The new national labelling standard, GB 7718-2025, makes it mandatory for eight groups (gluten cereals, crustaceans, fish, eggs, peanuts, soy, milk and tree nuts) from March 16, 2027. Until then, imported products may carry better allergen information than local ones.

Medicine and emergencies

• Ambulance: 120.
• Adrenaline auto-injectors are hard to obtain in mainland China. Bring enough for the whole trip, in your carry-on, with a prescription or doctor’s letter.
• International clinics in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have English-speaking doctors; save the address of the nearest one.

Common questions

Can you travel to China with a peanut allergy?

Yes, but plan meals more than you would elsewhere. Hotel restaurants and international chains are usually easier to talk to; for local food, choose dishes that are steamed or boiled to order, and ask about the cooking oil every time.

How do you say “I’m allergic to peanuts” in Chinese?

我对花生过敏 (Wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn). Add 严重 (yánzhòng, serious) before 过敏 to make the point.

Is peanut oil safe for someone with a peanut allergy?

Highly refined peanut oil contains very little protein and many people with peanut allergy tolerate it, but cold-pressed or unrefined peanut oil does contain allergen, and in a restaurant you cannot know which one is used. Most allergists advise avoiding it when you can’t be sure.