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Here’s all you need to know about travelling Switzerland with allergies!
In advance of my trip, I spent hours researching the allergy scene in Switzerland, 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 travelling Switzerland 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 Switzerland population, how common it is)
An estimated 1–10% of the Swiss population suffers from food allergies and around 15–20% from intolerances (1-3).
Overall, the most frequent food allergens in Swiss infants and children were hen’s egg , cow’s milk, peanut, hazelnut, wheat, fish, kiwi and soy. In infancy, cow’s milk, hen’s egg and wheat were the most common allergens (4).
Food Labelling Laws
Switzerland has strict labelling requirements for food products. Under current Swiss law, food, beverages and cosmetics are regulated by the Federal Act on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (the Foodstuffs Act (FSA)) of 20 June 2014 (5).
Compulsory Labelling:
Mandatory information for prepacked foods are:
- a) place of origin (country of production);
- b) specific designation;
- c) composition (ingredients).
- Name of the food
- List of ingredients
- Quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients
- Ingredient or substances causing allergies or intolerances
- Date of minimum durability or the ‘use by’ date
- Name or business name and address of the food business operator
- Nutrition declaration
- GMO Ingredients
- Use of irradiation, etc.
- Use of growth promoters
In Switzerland, the 14 ingredients below must be clearly labelled and highlighted on the packaging (e.g. in bold type, italics or in capital letters) (6).
Unintentional mixtures / combinations must also be stated for example: “may contain …” or “may contain traces of …”.
14 allergens:
- grains containing gluten*
- milk*
- eggs*
- fish*
- crustaceans*
- soybean*
- hard-shelled fruit (nuts), i.e. almonds, hazelnuts, cashew nuts, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, Queensland nuts*
- sesame seed*
- celery*
- mustard*
- peanuts*
- sulphur dioxide and sulphites in concentrations above 10 mg / kg or 10 mg / L
- lupins
- molluscs
* and any extracted products
A 2022 study on how food businesses provide information on allergens in non-prepacked foods in Switzerland revealed that the majority of businesses reported regular inquiries by food allergic or intolerant consumers, especially in urban regions. Food allergen information is mostly provided orally. If allergen information is provided in written form, most food businesses name the ingredients explicitly (7).
Language: German/French/Italian/Romansh
Switzerland has four language regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. The number of German, Italian and Romansh speakers is falling, while French speakers are increasing.The two most widely spoken non-national languages are English and Portuguese. Multilingualism is an essential part of Switzerland’s identity.
Over 60% of the Swiss population speak German as their main language. They do not speak standard German but rather various Alemannic dialects collectively called Swiss German. French is the main language in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, known as the Romandie.
The biggest challenge of travelling with food allergies is overcoming the language barrier. Many of the staff in restaurants and cafes spoke English, however some did not. 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 German/French/Italian/Romansh Restaurants Resource below that will help with some quick translations for your trip to Switzerland.
Swiss 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.
Swiss cuisine comprises a variety of staple foods such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice and polenta. Bread, cereals and muesli also known as “Birchermüesli” are eaten on a daily basis in Switzerland.
Pork, poultry and beef are the most consumed meats in Switzerland. Fish is eaten in moderation, traditionally once in a week. Foods associated with Switzerland often use milk as an essential ingredient including hard cheeses and chocolate.
Food preferences vary within Switzerland, often reflecting languages: the German-speaking north and east (the predominant linguistic area) has strong ties with Central Europe, whereas the French-speaking west and the Italian-speaking south tend to have more ties with Western and Mediterranean Europe.
National Dishes
Muesli, known in Switzerland as Birchermüesli, is a breakfast or snack consisting of cereal (oat) flakes, chopped fruit, milk, honey, yoghurt and nuts.
Rösti is a kind of fried potato cake served as a main course or side dish. As a main dish, rösti is usually accompanied with cheese, onions and cold meat or eggs.
Swiss cheese fondue is cheese (or several different cheeses) melted in a pot with white wine and eaten with bread.
Swiss raclette cheese is a full-fat, finely melting, semi-hard cheese. The block of cheese has been grilled, then the melted part can be scraped off.
Most cheeses, particularly the hard ones, are relatively low in lactose.
Swiss cheese contains 0.0 to 3.4% lactose, and pasteurised, processed Swiss contains 0.0 to 2.1%.
My Personal Experience
I found eating out with allergies in Switzerland to be a relatively positive experience.
Accommodation
As I was on a work trip, I stayed in the hotel where the conference was held. On arrival, I spoke with restaurant staff and informed them about my dietary requirements.
Lunch and dinner was served as a buffet where food was presented in dishes and guests walked along either side to add food to their plates. As buffet style service is high risk for a person with food allergy as cross contamination can occur easily without strict supervision, the chef offered to prepare a dish for me using clean equipment that had not handled any other food in the kitchen.
Eating Out
Many of the restaurant’s menus were in German and English so it was easy to understand the dishes. If any menus were only in German/French I took a picture of it on my phone to translate it to English using google translate.
I presented my allergen translation card to the staff which translated my allergens into the German/French/Italian 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 German/French/Italian 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
- 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
Damia Pizza
📍Davos, Switzerland
Cuisine: Italian | Pizza | Mediterranean | European
Meal Type: Lunch | Dinner | Drinks
Venue Type: Restaurant
✅Allergy Friendly
✅Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes
Kaffee Klatsch
📍Davos, Switzerland
Cuisine: European | Vegetarian | Vegan
Meal Type: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Venue Type: Restaurant | Cafe
✅Allergy Friendly
✅Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes
✅ Gluten Free Options
✅ Lactose Free Options
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 Switzerland here!
REFERENCES
- Lyons SA, Burney PGJ, Ballmer-Weber BK, Fernandez-Rivas M, Barreales L, Clausen M, et al. Food Allergy in Adults: Substantial Variation in Prevalence and Causative Foods Across Europe. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract [Internet]. 2019 Jul 1 [cited 2023 Feb 9];7(6):1920-1928.e11. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30898689/
- Mustalahti K, Catassi C, Reunanen A, Fabiani E, Heier M, McMillan S, et al. The prevalence of celiac disease in Europe: Results of a centralized, international mass screening project. Ann Med [Internet]. 2010 Dec 11 [cited 2019 Jan 14];42(8):587–95. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21070098
- Storhaug CL, Fosse SK, Fadnes LT. Country, regional, and global estimates for lactose malabsorption in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol [Internet]. 2017 Oct 1 [cited 2023 Feb 9];2(10):738–46. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28690131/
- Ferrari GG, Eng PA. IgE-mediated food allergies in Swiss infants and children. Swiss Med Wkly [Internet]. 2011 Oct [cited 2023 Feb 10];141(OCTOBER). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21990006/
- SR 817.0 – Federal Act of 20 June 2014 on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (Foodstuffs Act, FSA) [Internet]. [cited 2023 Feb 10]. Available from: https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2017/62/en
- aha! Swiss Allergy Centre – Food allergy. [cited 2023 Feb 10]; Available from: https://www.aha.ch/swiss-allergy-centre/allergies-intolerances/food-allergies/food-allergy
- Eisenblätter J, Schumacher G, Hirt M, Wild J, Catalano L, Schoenberg S, et al. How do food businesses provide information on allergens in non-prepacked foods? A cross-sectional survey in Switzerland. Allergo J Int [Internet]. 2022 Mar 1 [cited 2023 Feb 10];31(2):43–50. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40629-021-00191-5
