Phrases › At the Supermarket › Posso controllare gli ingredienti?

Posso controllare gli ingredienti?

Can I check the ingredients?

Pronunciation

'Ingredienti' — 'in-gre-DYEN-ti'. Five syllables. The 'ie' glides quickly. Stress on fourth syllable.

When to use it

For allergy checking or dietary requirements. Italian food labelling is detailed and in Italian — knowing how to ask for help is important for travellers with specific needs.

What it means

'Controllare' = to check/verify. 'Gli ingredienti' = the ingredients. Italian food law requires complete ingredient listing with allergens highlighted in bold. Useful for lactose, nut, egg or soy allergies.

Variations

Sono allergico alle noci.

I'm allergic to nuts.

Stating your allergy directly — staff take this very seriously in Italy

Contiene lattosio?

Does it contain lactose?

'Lattosio' = lactose — important for lactose intolerant shoppers

Gli allergeni sono indicati in grassetto?

Are allergens indicated in bold?

EU law requires allergens in bold — knowing this helps you read labels

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Posso controllare gli ingredienti? Sono allergico alle arachidi. Commessa: Certo. Guardi in grassetto — gli allergeni sono sempre evidenziati per legge. Cliente: Vedo che contiene tracce di frutta a guscio. Commessa: Allora non è sicuro per lei. Proviamo questo altro prodotto.

Customer: Can I check the ingredients? I'm allergic to peanuts. Assistant: Of course. Look at the bold text — allergens are always highlighted by law. Customer: I can see it contains traces of tree nuts. Assistant: Then it's not safe for you. Let's try this other product.

Cultural Note

EU Regulation 1169/2011 requires the 14 main allergens to be highlighted in bold, capitals or contrasting colour on all food packaging in Italy. Italian food labelling is comprehensive — but it's all in Italian, so basic vocabulary helps.

← Previous

Avete vino locale?

Posso avere lo scontrino separato?

← All phrases: At the Supermarket