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Traveling to Greece & Italy with FOOD allergy (tree nuts)

Traveling to Greece & Italy with FOOD allergy (tree nuts)

Old Apr 24th, 2015, 10:54 PM
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Traveling to Greece & Italy with FOOD allergy (tree nuts)

Hello friends!

My fiancé and I are planning our honeymoon to the Greek Ilses and the Amalfi Coast for late summer/early fall.

He has a severe tree nut allergy. Totally fine with peanuts, peanut oil, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and coconut (surprisingly people ask about the last one all the time, too).

Big problem: ALL other nuts - walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pecans, almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, macadamia, etc.

He can be around them and even touch them, but absolutely cannot ingest them or have any cross contamination, or else he has to use an epi-pen immediately and take massive amounts of Benadryl. His throat closes, can't breathe, breaks out in hives and gets very swollen. Hospital trips are sometimes necessary if it's super serious and that's the last place we want to visit on our honeymoon. We will be bringing two dozen epi-pens with us just in case!!

Any recommendations of what to say or specific phrases? How familiar are people with this type of allergy? What should we avoid? (Other than my beloved baklava and favorite Nutella coated snacks )

Thanks!!
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Old Apr 24th, 2015, 11:29 PM
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Ι recently compose a sort message in Greek for someone with similar issues, so he can carry with him and show to the hotels and restaurants waiters. You may find it useful too:

Είμαι αλλεργικός στα εξής: κάστανα, καρύδια, κουκουνάρι, φιστίκια Αιγίνης, φουντούκια, φιστίκια κάσιους, αμύγδαλα και όλους τους ξηρούς καρπούς. Αν φάω φαγητό που περιέχει αυτά τα συστατικά, κινδυνεύω να πάθω αναφυλακτικό σοκ. Αν συμβεί αυτό, θα χρειαστώ αμέσως ιατρική φροντίδα.

It means
"
I am allergic to the following: chestnuts, walnuts,pine nuts, Aegina pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews,almonds and all kind of nuts. If I happen to eat any food that contains any of those ingredients,I am in danger of a anaphylactic shock. If this happens, I will immediately need medical care. "

If you travel along most tourism destinations in Greece, people are know more familiar with such allergies as they serve foreigners who suffer from such conditions from time to time. If travel outside the beatten track it worths to add something dramatic like "If I eat those and I do not see a doctor immediately I may die" . Maybe this is not completely true but it makes an effect. Food allergies are very very rare among Greek population and most people relate the world "allergy" with sneezing due to flowers'pollen in spring time or getting bery light skin rushed due to eating something or getting contact with a weed you are allergic to.
I do not know what about Italy, but I think the same may apply.
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Old Apr 24th, 2015, 11:31 PM
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Excuse the types by the way....
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Old Apr 24th, 2015, 11:32 PM
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TYPOS! Jesus, is it so hard to get an edit button in this forum???
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 12:10 AM
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How valuable it is to have you on Fodor's, mariha2912! I think we can excuse the occasional typo, which we all make anyway. I do agree about an edit, button, though.

If I were the OP I would print out your notice written in Greek, have it laminated, and carry it everywhere while in country. Hopefully someone will provide a similar translation in Italian.
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 12:25 AM
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I have a friend in Athens, who has exazctly the same type of allergy, and has no particular problems when eating out.

The Greek cuisine doesn't use nuts very much with a few exceptions, like pine nuts, almonds and maybe walnuts....

Sweets like baklava are a different chapter, as they might contain all possible nuts.

The waiter will help you for sure, some menues even mention if and what kind of nuts are being used.

I can't recall which Greek plates might contain nuts.... which is an indication, that their use is pretty rare... i could eventually mention stuffed tomatoes, that might have pine nuts or some salads with walnuts....

This applies to simple tavernas, as fusion restaurants and restaurants that offer gourmet Greek cuisine ( you will most possibly not visit them) do use nuts.
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 03:12 AM
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This is going to be tough, in the UK there is a restauranteur in a court case for attempted murder after ignoring the customer's information. You are unlikely to get this level of support in Greece. Italy will be a bit better as Italy has high levels of celiacs amongst the population and are aware of cross contamination.

For myself I'd reconsider Greece.
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 07:31 AM
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THank you again, Mariha, once again invaluable help. I've been asked that question a number of times... now I have it on MS word, thanks to you, for them to print & take. U r a gem.
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 08:01 AM
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Thank you so much for everyone's input! Thank you SO much Mariha for the helpful translation!!! I know that it will truly be a lifesaver.... When we are eating out, should we mention that peanuts are okay? Is there a translation for that in Greek that you could provide?

I hope someone has an Italian translation as well!
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 08:28 AM
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I am not allergic to peanuts and peanut oil.

Δεν είμαι αλλεργικός στο αράπικο φιστίκι και στο αραχιδέλαιο.
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 09:35 AM
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It's ok you won't find many Greek recipes containing nuts. Just don't eat any kind of nut, not even the ones he's not allergic to as there might be a confusion with the type of the nut. Some Greek foods, mainly sweets, containing nuts are: Baklava, Karydopita, and a kind of sweets called Amygdalota (nut-made)... Just tell the waiter in Greek: Horis katholou fistikia i xirous karpous. (Without any nuts or any kind of nut).

And in Italy don't eat Pesto, it contains pine nuts.
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 09:35 AM
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Thanks!!
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 10:00 AM
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No advice, but a I feel for you and your fiancé and all other nut allergy sufferers! I've posted this question before but wonder why some airlines still serve peanuts on their flights considering people that are deathly allergic! What's wrong with a pack of pretzels instead?!
End of rant. Enjoy your trip!
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 10:01 AM
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Thank you for your kind words Heimdall, travelerjan and Ls6989!

Bilbobugler, as per clausar's and PetrosB3's explanation, most food items in Greece do not contain nuts and there are many many people with such allergies that travel here and face no problem at all.
I would advice anyone with food allergies to educate his self a bit on Greek cuisine before visiting and to take some precautions as carring a note around, but I would never advice someone with nut allergy not to pay a visit here. If one had say an olive oil allergy, then yes, that could be quite hard I guess...
By the way, I think there are a few websites doing exactly this.
Translating and preparing cards in several languages for people with allergies to carry with them. You may google and check.

αραχιδέλαιο clausar? While this is techically correct, I think φυστικέλαιο would be better because I doupt many people will understand this term and you know what many will relate it to... lol
That said, peanut oil is extremely rare in Greece, personaly I did not even know peanuts may produce oil before someone mentioned it in an other travelers' forum, on thread related exactly on food allergies...
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Old Apr 25th, 2015, 10:22 AM
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Yes mariha, this is the correct name, and how the oil is mentioned on the label of the bottle.... ( i should also add, that i've studied chemistry)

Now that you mention it... i would like to be there, when an english speaker will try to pronounce it..... l LOL

But you are right.... peanut oil has no use that i know of in the greek cuisine.... and peanuts are not being used either...perhaps only in sweets like pastelli.. ( peanuts with honey bars )
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Old Apr 26th, 2015, 07:25 AM
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"I am allergic to the following: chestnuts, walnuts,pine nuts, Aegina pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews,almonds and all kind of nuts. If I happen to eat any food that contains any of those ingredients,I am in danger of a anaphylactic shock. If this happens, I will immediately need medical care."

In italian:

Sono allergico a: castagne, noci, pinoli, pistacchi, nocciole, anacardi, mandorle e tutti i tipi di noci in genere. Se mi capitasse di mangiare un cibo che contenga uno di questi ingredienti, sarei a rischio di shock anafilattico. Se questo capitasse avrei bisogno di immediate cure mediche.
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Old Apr 26th, 2015, 08:09 AM
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mariha, I understand your point of view and I'm aware that nuts are used in a limited way, but I would still worry about cross contamination, I have a friend with this allergy and is the mother of a major UK diplomat. She has been to most of his postings. Guess which country she ended up in hospital.....? Not Isreal, Not Saudi, Not Germany, but good old Greece.

Take care.
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Old Apr 26th, 2015, 08:23 AM
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bilboburgler
The fact that this happened to someone you know, doesn't mean it will hapen to anyone visiting Greece...
You mentioned it happened in the UK too?

As i mentioned , close friend of mine has nuts allergy and never had any problems when eating out. Many times i was there when he informed the waiter about it, and everything went well....
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Old Apr 26th, 2015, 08:42 AM
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Thank you for the Italian translation @Fire!!!
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Old Apr 26th, 2015, 08:55 AM
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clausar, I understand logic and even a little process engineering
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