Make the risk clear.
Never guess the answer.
A medically cautious restaurant communication guide for food allergies in China, with a printable Chinese card and a separate emergency route.
我对以上食物严重过敏。
吃了可能会危及生命。
Follow the traveler’s prescribed emergency plan, use prescribed epinephrine/adrenaline as trained, and call 120 immediately. This page does not diagnose a reaction or replace medical care.
Open emergency help →A card makes the problem visible. It does not make the meal safe. The decision belongs at the point where someone can confirm the ingredients and preparation—or tell you they cannot.
If staff or the kitchen cannot confidently verify the ingredient and cross-contact questions, do not negotiate the risk down. Choose a safer known option or leave.
Prepare the medical plan before the translation
Clinician-approved plan
Discuss travel, known triggers, medication and when to use it with the clinician who manages the allergy.
Accessible prescribed medication
Carry it as instructed, check expiry and follow manufacturer or clinician storage guidance. Do not place the only supply where it cannot be reached.
Personalized card
Write the exact allergen in English and Chinese if known. Carry paper copies so communication does not depend on battery, data or app access.
Emergency coordinates
Save 120, your accommodation address in Chinese, insurer assistance and a local hospital plan appropriate to your trip.
Move the question from the menu to the kitchen
- 01先说明
Show the card before ordering
Do not wait until the dish arrives. Ask staff to show the card to the person who can verify ingredients and preparation.
- 02过敏原
Name the exact allergen
A broad word such as “nuts” may not communicate the traveler’s actual trigger. Use the exact clinician-confirmed allergen wording.
- 03配料
Ask about ingredients
Check the dish, sauce, seasoning, garnish and packaged components. Photos and translated names are not ingredient lists.
- 04交叉接触
Ask about cross-contact
Shared oil, cookware, grills, cutting surfaces or utensils may matter. Ask the kitchen whether the identified risk can be avoided.
- 05要确认
Require a clear answer
“Probably,” “usually” and “just a little” are not confirmation. If the kitchen cannot confirm, do not order the dish.
Personalized Chinese allergy card
Eating it may be life-threatening.
吃了可能会危及生命。
这道菜里有以上食物或其配料吗？Does this dish contain it or an ingredient made from it?
请让厨师确认所有配料。Please ask the chef to confirm every ingredient.
制作时能避免与以上食物交叉接触吗？Can cross-contact with it be avoided during preparation?
如果不能确认，我不会点这道菜。If this cannot be confirmed, I will not order this dish.
Fill in the allergen before travel and ask a qualified native speaker or clinician familiar with the allergy to review the personalized wording. This card cannot certify a meal as safe.
Dietary labels do not replace the allergy statement
Potential emergency
Use the severe-allergy card, exact allergen and cross-contact questions. Do not merge it into a preference list.
Different mechanism, still specific
State the exact ingredient and the consequence relevant to the traveler’s care plan; do not call it anaphylaxis unless medically diagnosed.
Define what is excluded
Clarify whether meat, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, animal stock and lard are excluded. A dish name alone may not reveal stock or seasoning.
Ask for the standard you require
Ask about ingredients and preparation and look for the certification or restaurant information you personally rely on. “No pork” is not the same as halal.
Do not turn a restaurant page into a dosing guide
Follow the prescribed action plan
Use the recognition and treatment instructions given for the traveler by their clinician.
Use prescribed epinephrine as trained
World Allergy Organization guidance identifies intramuscular epinephrine/adrenaline as first-line treatment for anaphylaxis. This page does not provide a dose.
Call 120 immediately
Say “严重过敏反应” (severe allergic reaction), give the exact location and keep the line available. Language and response time are not guaranteed.
Continue professional care
Follow emergency-dispatch and medical-professional instructions. Antihistamines do not replace first-line epinephrine for anaphylaxis.
Food allergy travel FAQ
Can I rely on a Chinese allergy translation card?
Use a card to start a direct conversation with restaurant staff and the kitchen. It cannot prove ingredients, substitutions, shared equipment or cross-contact, and it is not a guarantee that a restaurant can serve you safely. If staff cannot confirm, do not order the dish.
What should I prepare before traveling with a severe food allergy?
Follow the travel and emergency plan made with your clinician. Carry prescribed medication as instructed, check expiry and storage requirements, keep it accessible, save China’s medical emergency number 120 and prepare a personalized written Chinese allergy card.
What should I do if I may be having anaphylaxis in China?
Suspected anaphylaxis is a medical emergency. Follow your prescribed emergency plan, use prescribed epinephrine or adrenaline as you were trained, and call China medical emergency services on 120 immediately. Do not wait for an antihistamine to replace first-line emergency treatment.
Does vegetarian or halal mean allergy-safe?
No. Vegetarian, vegan, halal and other dietary labels describe different needs and do not prove absence of an allergen or cross-contact. Communicate a medical allergy separately and ask about the exact ingredient and preparation risk.
Sources checked for this safety guide
Reviewed 23 August 2026. This page provides travel communication and emergency routing, not diagnosis or individualized treatment. The traveler’s clinician-approved plan and emergency professionals control medical decisions.
- World Allergy Organization — Anaphylaxis Guidance 2020Medical-emergency status, first-line epinephrine, personalized action plans and limitations of antihistamines.
- National Health Commission of China — severe allergy emergency guidanceChinese medical terminology and first-line treatment confirmation; no public dosing copied into this page.
- Shenzhen Government health knowledge base — anaphylaxisChinese public-health terminology and the need for rapid emergency action.
- State Council / Ministry of Commerce — 2025 visitor guideChina medical first-aid number 120.
- NHS-hosted Allergy UK travel guidanceTranslation cards, medication preparation and emergency-care planning.