Phrases › Allergies and Medications › Ho un'allergia alimentare grave.

Ho un'allergia alimentare grave.

I have a severe food allergy.

Pronunciation

a-li-men-TA-re — five syllables, stress on fourth. 'Grave' — GRA-ve.

When to use it

Inform restaurants, hospitals, and anyone preparing food. Carry an allergy card ('carta delle allergie') in Italian when travelling.

What it means

'Allergia alimentare grave' = severe food allergy. The 14 major allergens regulated by EU law: grano (wheat), crostacei (crustaceans), uova (eggs), pesce (fish), arachidi (peanuts), soia (soy), latte (milk), frutta a guscio (tree nuts), sedano (celery), senape (mustard), sesamo (sesame), anidride solforosa/solfiti (sulphites), lupino (lupin), molluschi (molluscs). Italian restaurants must disclose these.

Variations

Sono gravemente allergico alle arachidi.

I am severely allergic to peanuts.

Peanut allergy — one of the most dangerous. Always carry EpiPen in Italy.

Ho un'allergia al glutine. Sono celiaco.

I have a gluten allergy. I am coeliac.

Coeliac disease vs wheat allergy — different immunological mechanisms, same dietary restriction

Posso vedere la lista degli ingredienti?

Can I see the list of ingredients?

Your legal right in Italian restaurants under EU Regulation 1169/2011

Mini Dialogue

— Ho un'allergia alimentare grave alle arachidi. C'è modo di mangiare sicuro qui? — Certamente. Il nostro menu ha l'elenco degli allergeni per ogni piatto. — E siete sicuri di non avere contaminazione crociata? — Facciamo il possibile, ma non possiamo garantire al cento per cento. — Lo capisco. Mi può indicare i piatti più sicuri? — Sì, questi tre non contengono arachidi e non vengono preparati vicino ad esse.

— I have a severe food allergy to peanuts. Is there a way to eat safely here? — Certainly. Our menu has the list of allergens for each dish. — And are you sure there is no cross-contamination? — We do our best, but we cannot guarantee one hundred percent. — I understand. Can you point me to the safest dishes? — Yes, these three do not contain peanuts and are not prepared near them.

Cultural Note

EU Regulation 1169/2011 requires Italian restaurants to declare the 14 major allergens in all menu items. Italian restaurants typically list allergens with letter codes (A=cereali con glutine, B=crostacei, etc.) on menus or upon request. Enforcement is monitored by Italian health authorities ('NAS' — Nucleo Antisofisticazioni). However, compliance and cross-contamination control vary widely — particularly in smaller family restaurants ('trattorie').

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