Download & Print the FREE Useful Phrases Resource AND Travel Checklist for travelling Belgium here!
FREE Food Allergy Translation Card
Here’s all you need to know about traveling Belgium with allergies!
In advance of my trip, I spent hours researching the allergy scene in Belgium, Allergy Friendly restaurants, guidance and advice, however I couldn’t find anything that covered all the information I needed.
So I’m sharing my experience of traveling Belgium with food allergies and some information on allergy friendly restaurants, policies, overcoming the language barrier and travel tips that I found extremely helpful in the hope that it may help others.
It’s all you need in one place!
Before we dive in, it’s important to note that everyone’s allergies and dietary requirements are unique to them so what’s suitable for one person may not be for another with the same allergy/dietary requirement. Therefore, ensure to ask questions relevant to your dietary requirements and always speak directly with staff about your food allergies and check the ingredients before consuming food or drinks even if it’s recommended or you have had it before as recipes and ingredients can change.
Epidemiology (the study of food allergy in the Belgium population, how common it is)
There are limited research studies reporting on the epidemiology and prevalence of food allergy in Belgium however it is estimated that it is similar to that of other European countries with the overall pooled estimate for self-reported physician diagnosed lifetime prevalence of food allergy was 6.6% for children and 5.0% for adults(1).
A 2006 study investigating the distribution of food allergens in children shows that only four allergens (egg, tree nut, cow’s milk, peanut) are responsible for 78.4% of the reactions highlighting the emergence of tree nuts allergy, particularly hazelnuts, in Belgium(2).
An online survey in 2018 of 4,673 men and 5,079 women reported that up to 17% of men and 20% of women had an allergy in 2018. It is important to note that the term ‘allergy’ does not only indicate food allergy and may actually indicate any type of allergic disease that was self-reported by the individual who completed the online survey(3).
Food Labeling Laws
- EU Food Labelling Rules
- Complete list of allergens
- Allergens – EU Guidance
- European Commission Directive 2003/89/EC and 2006/142/EC
- Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011
These laws outline the requirements on the provision of food information to consumers which includes allergen labelling of food and drink sold non-packed or prepacked for direct sale. This is to ensure that all consumers are given comprehensive ingredient listing information to make it easier for individuals with food allergies/intolerances and dietary requirements to identify ingredients they must avoid.
The regulations for pre-packed and non-prepacked foods outline a list of 14 food allergens, which must be indicated by reference to the source allergen whenever they, or ingredients made from them, are used in pre-packed foods, including alcoholic drinks. The list includes; cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, molluscs, eggs, fish, peanuts, nuts, soybeans, milk, celery, mustard, sesame, lupin and sulphur dioxide.
Therefore pre-packed and non-prepacked foods in Belgium should have allergens used in the product indicated on the packaging. However this may be in Dutch/French/English so use your phone to take a picture of the ingredients list and translate it using google translate.
From September 2022, the Belgian law modified the food labelling laws as follows:
“The information that appears in the labeling and that is made mandatory in execution of this law, or by regulations and decisions of the European Union on this subject must at least appear in the language or languages of the linguistic region where the products are placed on the market” (unofficial translation).”
Therefore the food labels will appear in the language or languages of the region where the products are sold.
Dutch is the most spoken primary language of Belgium and spoken around the Flemish Region. Many Flemish people also speak French as a second language
French is the second-most spoken primary language and is the dominant language in Wallonia, as well as the Brussels-Capital Region. Almost all of the inhabitants of the Capital region speak French as either their primary language or as a second language. Belgian French is similar to Parisian French, but differs in some vocabulary, pronunciation, and semantics.
German German is the least prevalent official language in Belgium, spoken natively by less than 1% of the population.
In the Arelerland in the southern part of Belgium Luxembourgish is traditionally spoken.
Language: Dutch/French/German
The biggest challenge of traveling with food allergies is overcoming the language barrier. Many of the staff in restaurants and cafes spoke English, however some spoke only Dutch or French. So my Allergy Translation Card was absolutely vital in overcoming the language barrier when communicating my food allergies.
I also used google translate to communicate with staff which was extremely helpful. On google you can easily switch between languages and pass the phone to the staff member to reply by switching the order of the languages.
📲I kept the Translation Cards on my Home Screen on my mobile so I could access them quickly and easily. This was incredibly helpful for my travels!
Check out Allergy Act’s Useful Phrases for Dutch/French/German Restaurants Resource below that will help with some quick translations for your trip to Belgium.
Belgian Cuisine
It is important for individuals with food allergies to be aware of the potential presence of allergens in the traditional foods of the country they are visiting and to take necessary precautions to avoid allergic reactions.
Traditional Belgian dishes include potatoes, meat, cheese and butter, leeks, shrimp, white asparagus, Belgian endives and local beer. Belgians usually eat four meals a day, with a light breakfast, medium lunch, a snack, and a large dinner.
Allergens
Allergens that may be found in Belgian cuisine include milk, eggs, wheat, nuts, and shellfish.
Many Belgian dishes are made with butter or cream, which contain milk, and some dishes may also contain eggs as an ingredient.
Wheat is also a common ingredient in many Belgian dishes, including bread, pastries, and some sauces.
Some traditional Belgian dishes may contain nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts, and shellfish, such as mussels.
Belgian Fries
Fries, deep-fried chipped potatoes, are very popular in Belgium and are sold at fast-food stands or in dedicated fast-food restaurants called friteries, frietkot, or frituur (loosely: “fry shack”). The cooking oil most commonly used for fries is beef fat oil.
Traditionally, fries are usually served with a mayonnaise sauce such as:
There may be some discrepancies in this information below outlining the traditional Belgian sauces, savory and sweet dishes so if anyone has any additional information on this feel free to email and I will review the recommendations.
Here’s a rough guide of the ingredients in these traditional Belgian dishes however ingredients and recipe may change so always read the ingredient information and make sure to speak directly with staff regarding any dietary requirements.
Sauces (4):
- Aïoli / Looksaus: (garlic mayonnaise).
- Sauce andalouse: mayonnaise with tomato paste and peppers.
- Sauce americaine: mayonnaise with tomato, chervil, onions, capers, crustacean stock, and celery.
- Bicky sauce: a commercial brand made from mayonnaise, white cabbage, tarragon, dough, cucumber, onion, mustard, and dextrose.
- Brazilian sauce: mayonnaise with pureed pineapple, tomato, and spices.
- Cocktail sauce: one of several types of cold or room temperature sauces often served as part of the dish(es) referred to as a seafood cocktail or as a condiment with other seafood.
- Curry ketchup: a spiced variant on ketchup and a common sauce in Belgium, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
- Curry mayonnaise: mayonnaise with either turmeric, cumin, ginger, and fresh or dried hot chili peppers.
- Joppiesaus: a commercial brand made from mayonnaise, spices, onion, and curry powder.
- Ketchup: a sweet and tangy sauce typically made from tomatoes, sweetener, and vinegar with assorted seasonings and spices.
- Mammoet sauce: mayonnaise with tomato, onion, glucose, garlic, and soy sauce.
- Mayonnaise: a thick cold sauce or dressing usually used in sandwiches and composed salads.
- Pepper sauce: mayonnaise or hot sauce with black pepper.
- Relish: a cooked and pickled product made of chopped vegetables, fruits, or herbs, and is a food item typically used as a condiment, in particular, to enhance a staple.
- Sauce lapin: A sauce made from sirop de Liège, cooked with raisins, onions, prunes, and cloves, typically served with boulets à la Liégeoise.
- Sauce Riche: a pink, tartar-based sauce.
- Samurai sauce: mayonnaise with Tunisian chili, spices, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
- Tartar sauce – a mayonnaise or aïoli-based sauce of French origin, and is typical of a rough consistency due to the addition of diced gherkins or other varieties of pickles.
- Zigeuner sauce: a “gypsy” sauce of tomatoes, paprika, and chopped bell peppers, borrowed from Germany.
Savory Dishes(4):
- Moules-frites / Mosselen met friet: mussels cooked or steamed with onions and celery served with Belgian fries. The recipe has often been referred to as the country’s national dish[3] but is also popular in the neighboring Nord region of France.
- Carbonade flamande / Vlaamse karbonaden/stoofvlees: a Belgian beef stew, similar to the French beef bourguignon, but made with Belgian beer instead of red wine. Served with bread or fries and mustard. Usually accompanied by a beer. This is also considered one of the national dishes, along with moules-frites.
- Steak-frites / Biefstuk met friet: a very common and popular dish served in brasseries throughout Europe consisting of steak paired with fries.
- Waterzooi: a rich stew and soup of chicken or fish, vegetables, cream, and eggs, usually associated with Ghent.
- Chicons au gratin / Gegratineerd witloof: Belgian endives au gratin in béchamel sauce with cheese. Often the endives are wrapped with ham.
- Kip met frieten en appelmoes / Poulet avec des frites et compote: dish consisting of chicken, fries, and compote, which is very common in and around Brussels.
- Konijn in geuze / Lapin à la gueuze: rabbit in gueuze, which is a spontaneously fermented Belgian beer from the area in and around Brussels.
- Filet américain: very finely minced ground beef eaten raw and cold. It is spread on a sandwich or bread with and sometimes topped with a sauce, usually sauce américaine, and served with fries. When served as a dinner, it is mixed with onions and capers like steak tartare, but it retains the name américain.
- Paling in ‘t groen / Anguilles au vert: eel in a green sauce of mixed herbs (including chervil and parsley). Served with bread or fries. Usually accompanied by a beer or (sometimes) an Alsace wine.
- Pêche au thon / Perzik met tonijn: halved canned or fresh peaches stuffed with a mix of tuna and mayonnaise, i.e. tuna salad.
- Boudin / Pens: a type of sausage in which the meat, or blood, is mixed with fine breadcrumbs that is often eaten with potatoes and apple sauce, sometimes eaten raw or barbecued.
- Stoemp: a potato that is mashed with vegetables (usually carrots or cabbages), often served with sausages.
- Vol-au-vent: a small hollow case of puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms, small meatballs cooked in a white sauce, and typically served with fries.
- Boulets à la Liégeoise / Luikse balletjes: two big meatballs into a sweet and sour sauce called sauce lapin, served with fries.
- Lokerse paardenworst: minced horse sausages with peeled tomatoes, onion, celery, herbs, originally from Lokeren
Sweet Dishes(4):
- Gaufres / Wafels: Belgian waffles, sometimes eaten as a street snack and sold by ice-cream vans. Among the better-known styles are the Gaufre de Liège or Liège waffle, Brussels waffle, and the stroopwafel.
- Speculoos: a shortcrust cinnamon biscuit, traditionally baked for consumption on or just before Saint Nicholas Day (Dutch: Sinterklaas, French: la Saint-Nicolas) on 6 December.
- Croustillons / Smoutebollen: deep-fried balls of dough, eaten at fairgrounds or on special occasions like the October fair.
- Rijstevlaai / Tarte au riz : a pie with a filling based on rice pudding, native to Verviers.
- Sirop de Liège / Luikse siroop: a jam or jelly-like spread made of evaporated fruit juices.
- Cuberdon: a cone-shaped purple candy made of gum arabic, originally from Ghent.
- Lacquements: thin wafer, made from wheat, cut in two horizontally, filled and coated with sugar candy syrup flavoured with orange blossom. Generally eaten during the October fair in Liège and the Sinksenfoor in Antwerp.
- Aalsterse vlaai: a regional pie from Aalst, with well-known variations in the area around Aalst, such as Wetteren (Wetterse vlaai)[4] and Kalken (Kalkense vlaai). A key ingredient are mastellen, a type of sandwich local to Aalst.
My Personal Experience
I found eating out with allergies in Belgium to be a relatively positive experience as I had a list of allergy friendly restaurants that could accommodate dietary requirements at hand as a guide.
Self Catered Accommodation
As I stayed in self catering accommodation, I could prepare my own breakfast, packed lunches and dinners for the day. I brought a food flask with me if I wanted to bring my food on the go such as morning porridge or pasta for lunch. I also brought lots of fruit with me during the day as snacks.
Eating Out
Many of the restaurant’s menus were in Dutch/French and English so it was easy to understand the dishes. If any menus were only in Dutch/French I took a picture of it on my phone to translate it from Dutch/French to English using google translate.
I presented my allergen translation card to the staff which translated my allergens into the Dutch/French/German language and they understood my request due to my allergy card. If the staff didn’t speak English, I communicated with them through Google Translate on my phone, typing in a question in English which automatically translated to Dutch/French/German and allowing them to type the answer in their language which translated to English for me so this was a very efficient way to communicate.
When dining out, I try to find out all of the information first, regarding cooking oil, nuts used in the kitchen, sauces, dips etc and decide whether I feel the staff are educated on catering for allergies/dietary requirements by asking questions, then and only then do I make my decision to eat there to try somewhere else.
Here’s what I did when eating out:
In advance:
- Researched restaurants menus in advance
- Called/emailed or visited restaurants to ask if they could cater for an individual with a nut allergy and presented my allergy translation card
On arrival:
- Informed staff about my food allergies and presented my Allergy Translation Card
- If they could accommodate me and I felt comfortable eating there, I asked what they would recommend would not contain my allergen
- Asked what cooking oil they use
- Asked if they used nuts or peanuts in any dishes, sauces or dips
- I often order pizza because I can ask about the ingredients in the sauce and toppings and can clearly see the ingredients when my meal arrives.
- For pizza orders, specify which pizza order I want and NO extra toppings/dips/sauces e.g pesto
- I ask them to use clean equipment, gloves, utensils and a clean surface area when preparing my meal to reduce the risk of cross contact (my allergy card also states this).
- When it arrives, I confirm with staff that this was the order prepared for someone with allergies.
General precautions I take when eating out abroad:
- Avoid desserts
- Avoid street food if no allergen information present
- Look for restaurants with allergens declared on the menu
- Only order food I have eaten before
- Always check what cooking oil is used
- Always inform staff about my food allergies
- Carry safe snacks in my bag
- Carry Adrenaline Auto-injectors and Medication
- Carry Allergy Translation Card
If I didn’t feel comfortable eating at a particular restaurant, I didn’t take the risk, I found somewhere else or bought Allergy Friendly food at the supermarket.
Allergy Friendly Restaurants
There is not a standard definition for an “Allergy Friendly Restaurant/Catering Establishment”, however Allergy Act’s definition of allergy-friendly is one which:
- The restaurant is open to discussing and accommodating individuals with food allergies and dietary requirements
- The restaurant informs the customer about the necessary precautions that they will go through in order to reduce any cross contamination with potential allergens
- Allergens are declared on menu or an Allergen list provided or an Allergen notice is present on the menu stating to inform staff about allergies when ordering food
An “Allergy Friendly Restaurant/Catering Establishment” does not imply that the restaurant will be 100% free of one or more particular allergens nor does it imply that an individual with dietary requirements or food allergies will definitely not experience an adverse food reaction, because there is always a possibility of this no matter what precautions are taken.
Allergy Friendly recommendations are just a guide to what restaurants may be more willing to accommodate individuals with food allergies and/or dietary requirements. As always, it’s important to note that everyone’s allergies and dietary requirements are unique to them so what’s suitable for one person may not be for another with the same allergy/dietary requirement. Ensure to ask questions relevant to your dietary requirements and always speak directly with staff about your food allergies. Check the ingredients before consuming ANY food or drinks even if it’s recommended or you have had it before as recipes and ingredients can change.
These were restaurants that were open to discussing and accommodating my dietary requirements
Gabbiani Reali
📍Brussels, Belgium
Cuisine: Italian | Pizza | Mediterranean | European
Meal Type: Lunch | Dinner | Drinks
Venue Type: Restaurant
✅Allergy Friendly
✅Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes
The Sister Brussels Cafe
📍Brussels, Belgium
Cuisine: European | Vegetarian | Vegan
Meal Type: Lunch | Dinner
Venue Type: Restaurant
✅Allergy Friendly
✅Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes
✅ Gluten Free Options
✅ Lactose Free Options
Italia In Tavola
Cuisine: Italian | Pizza
Meal Type: Lunch | Dinner
Venue Type: Restaurant
✅Allergy Friendly
✅Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes
✅ Gluten- Free Dishes
✅ Egg- Free Dishes
✅ Lactose Free Dishes
Il Veliero
📍Brussels, Belgium
Cuisine: Italian | Pizza
Meal Type: Lunch | Dinner
Venue Type: Restaurant
✅Allergy Friendly
✅Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes
✅ Gluten- Free Dishes
✅ Lactose Free Dishes
Exki
📍Brussels, Belgium
Cuisine: Fast Food
Meal Type: Lunch | Dinner
Venue Type: Diner | Restaurant
✅Allergy Friendly
✅Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes
✅ Allergen filter online
✅ Lactose Free Dishes
✅ Gluten Free Dishes
Check out the Allergy Friendly Restaurants on allergyact.org and share your experiences about your recommendations on places you have eaten out in Belgium or abroad to help guide others in the Allergy Community.
As always, it’s important to note that everyone’s allergies and dietary requirements are unique to them so what’s suitable for one person may not be for another with the same allergy/dietary requirement. This post is just a guide so ensure to ask questions relevant to your dietary requirements and always speak directly with staff about your food allergies and check the ingredients before consuming food or drinks even if it’s recommended or you have had it before as recipes and ingredients can change.
RESOURCES
Download & Print the FREE useful phrases resource for travelling Belgium here!
REFERENCES
-
Spolidoro, GCI, Amera, YT, Ali, MM, et al. Frequency of food allergy in Europe: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Allergy. 2022; 00: 1- 18. doi: 10.1111/all.15560
-
Mulier S, Hanssens L, Chaouat P, Casimir G. L’allergie alimentaire chez l’enfant: étude d’une cohorte belge [Child food allergy: results of a Belgian cohort]. Rev Med Brux. 2006;27 Spec No:Sp82-6. French. PMID: 21818899.
-
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1135577/allergies-prevalence-by-gender-belgium/
-
Belgian cuisine, Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 December 2022 00:24 UTC, 9 January 2023 10:58 UTC, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belgian_cuisine&oldid=1126370456, revision history statistics, Page Version ID: 1126370456
get involved.
join the community.
check the social.
DISCLAIMER
The content of this website is intended for educational purposes only and should not be substituted for medical or professional advice. Please consult with your doctor for any health related questions or concerns.
