Italian Allergen Numbers:
Food Allergies & Dining in Italy

What do the numbers on Italian restaurant menus mean?

Numbers from 1 to 14 are commonly used on Italian restaurant menus to identify the allergen categories covered by EU food-information rules. In Annex II order, 1 means cereals containing gluten, 3 means eggs, and 7 means milk. Always check the restaurant’s own legend and confirm ingredients and cross-contact risks with staff.

Italian allergen numbers in English

If an Italian menu uses numbers beside a dish, read its allergen key before ordering. The table below follows the numbered categories in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011. The Italian column abbreviates the wording in the Italian text of the same regulation, which you may see on a printed legend, sometimes followed by “e prodotti a base di…” (and products made from it). It is a reference, not a guarantee that every restaurant uses the same codes or order.

Check the legend, then the kitchen: in this order, 5 means peanuts and 8 means the listed nuts; 2 means crustaceans and 14 means molluscs. A missing number does not establish that cross-contact is controlled. Ask staff to confirm both the ingredients and handling.

This is a shortened category guide; the regulation includes specific exemptions. The sulphite declaration threshold is more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre, expressed as total SO₂. Pine nuts are not in category 8’s specified nut list: name them separately if you avoid them.

Know the allergens. Now help the restaurant understand yours.

Reading menu numbers is useful. Communicating your specific food allergies matters too. Create a personalized Italian-English allergy card to show restaurant staff and support your conversation about ingredients and preparation.

Paid Italian cards include a phone-friendly image and printable PDF, delivered by email. Apple Wallet is available for cards with up to three allergens.

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In this guide

Why Italy is different for allergies

Italy follows the EU food-information framework, and the Italian Ministry of Health explains that the 14 regulated allergens must be identified in packaged and non-packaged food. AIC also runs a separate gluten-free dining programme with training and practical requirements for participating venues. That programme is relevant to coeliac disease and gluten; it is not a general guarantee about dairy, eggs, nuts, fish, shellfish, or other allergens. For those, ask about the actual dish and the way the kitchen prepares it.

Hidden allergens in Italian cuisine

Parmesan and pecorino: dairy hiding in plain dishes

Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, ricotta, mozzarella, butter, and cream appear in many Italian dishes, but not every tomato pasta or vegetable soup contains dairy. Ask whether cheese, butter, cream, or a dairy-based stock is used, and ask whether cheese is added at the pass or table. Leaving off a garnish does not solve dairy in the sauce itself.

Grana Padano can also contain egg-derived lysozyme. If you have an egg allergy, ask staff to check the cheese label as well as the pasta and sauce.

Check both fresh and dried pasta for egg

Pasta secca is often made from durum wheat and water, while pasta fresca or pasta all'uovo may contain egg. The recipe and brand still matter, and filled pasta can contain egg, milk, cheese, or other ingredients. Ask which pasta is used and whether the sauce contains egg. Tiramisù commonly contains mascarpone and egg, but ask about the recipe and preparation rather than assuming every dessert is the same.

Managing an egg allergy in Italy specifically, or across more than one destination? See our dedicated egg allergy travel card guide.

Pine nuts, almonds and other nuts in pesto and sweets

Pesto alla Genovese traditionally includes pine nuts, basil, garlic, hard cheese, and olive oil. Commercial or house recipes can differ, so ask which nuts are used and whether the pesto is made separately. Sicilian sweets such as cassata, frutta martorana, and some amaretti may contain almonds; check fillings, decorations, and shared display utensils.

Anchovies: fish hiding in sauces that don't mention fish

Anchovies can be used as a sauce ingredient or seasoning. Puttanesca, some dressings, Piedmont's bagna cauda, and products made with colatura di alici may contain fish even when no fillet is visible. Ask specifically about anchovy, fish stock, and fish-based sauces.

Shellfish along the coast: frutti di mare and beyond

Coastal menus often include clams, mussels, prawns, squid, or mixed seafood. Spaghetti alle vongole, cozze, and dishes described as frutti di mare are clear prompts to ask about molluscs and crustaceans. Seafood risotto and fish soups may also use fish or seafood stock, so ask about the stock and shared pans or utensils.

Italian dishes that need closer checking

Where to start in Italy

AIC gluten-free dining programme: AIC's Alimentazione Fuori Casa network provides current listings and training for participating venues. Visitors can use AIC Mobile Welcome for temporary access to the listings. Check the current AIC source rather than relying on an old badge, and remember that the programme is about gluten-free preparation, not every allergen. If gluten is your only concern, our Italian gluten free card guide covers celiac communication and the pasta-water and fryer-oil questions specific to celiac travelers in more depth than fits here.

Trattorias and family-run osterias: A smaller menu may make it easier for staff to explain a dish, but do not assume that a home-style kitchen can manage an allergy. Use a written card and ask about sauces, stocks, equipment, and substitutions.

Coastal and seafood-focused restaurants: Menus may use fish, crustaceans, or molluscs in stocks and sauces. Confirm directly rather than assuming a dish is free from seafood because it is not named after fish.

Supermarkets: Packaged products must follow EU allergen-labeling rules, and the AIC crossed-grain mark can help identify qualifying gluten-free products. Read each label and check imported or bakery-counter food separately.

Italy city by city

Italian cooking changes sharply from one city to the next, and so do the allergens you are most likely to meet. These guides each take one city in depth, with a dish-by-dish table, neighborhood advice, and local hospital notes:

• Rome food allergy guide: egg, pecorino, and guanciale in the Roman pasta classics, plus preparation questions for Roman-Jewish fried dishes.
• Milan food allergy guide: butter-first Lombard cooking, aperitivo buffets, and eating well on a business-trip schedule.
• Venice food allergy guide: lagoon fish and shellfish, cicchetti preparation, and planning travel across the water.
• Florence food allergy guide: bread as a hidden ingredient in Tuscan soups and salads, and planning gluten-free meals.

Italian supermarkets and label checks

For travelers cooking for themselves or stocking up on food, supermarkets can make ingredient checks simpler because packaged products have an ingredient list. Stock varies by branch, and a free-from shelf does not remove the need to read the label. Coop, Conad, Carrefour, and Esselunga are examples of national or regional chains; they are not guarantees of a particular product at every location.

Coop (including its BeneSì gluten-free line), Conad, Carrefour Italia and Esselunga (mostly northern and central Italy) all stock gluten-free pasta, bread and snacks in larger branches. Range varies by store, so treat shelf tags and online catalogues as a starting point and read the package itself.

Understanding Italian allergen labeling

Italy applies the EU food-information framework. Italy also has a well-established AIC programme for gluten-free eating outside the home, but it is important to keep those two systems separate: a legal allergen declaration is not a cross-contact guarantee, and an AIC gluten-free resource is not a general allergy certification.

The EU 14 allergen list: Under Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, the regulated allergens include cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin, and molluscs. On packaged food, check the ingredient list for allergens made visually prominent. For restaurant food, ask how the venue records and provides allergen information.

Restaurant allergen information: The Italian Ministry of Health explains the allergen-information duties for food businesses. A venue may use a written chart, menu information, or staff records. Ask to see the information and then ask about preparation and cross-contact; a list of ingredients does not answer whether a separate fryer, pan, or utensil was used.

Why written allergy cards still matter: Italy's gluten-specific resources are useful, but they cover only one part of an allergy assessment. A written Italian-language card gives the front of house and kitchen a consistent record of your needs. Pair it with questions about recipes and handling, especially when the order passes between several staff members. You can make your own allergy card in Italian and English with just your allergens.

Emergency information for Italy

• Emergency numbers: 112 is the general emergency number. In Venice, local guidance directs medical emergencies to 118 (SUEM); Veneto’s September 2026 update confirms that its integrated 112 call centers are still being developed. Give your exact location and follow the operator’s instructions.
• Medication: Carry your prescribed emergency medication and follow your personal action plan. Do not rely on finding a pharmacy during a severe reaction.

What it looks like at the counter: one family’s Italy trips

The table above tells you what is in a dish. It cannot show you the moment you actually ask. For that, the most useful account we know is Cindi’s at An Easy Journey. She is a travel adviser and has been a food-allergy parent for over twenty years; her daughter has anaphylactic allergies to peanuts, shellfish, chickpeas, peas and kohlrabi. She has written up eight trips to Italy with food allergies (her post is dated February 2024). AllergyPass has not visited or checked the places she names. What matters here is how she asks.

At the gelato counter, the ask is about the scoop, not the flavour. At Grom in Rome, her family showed their allergy cards and asked staff to change gloves, use a clean spoon and open a fresh tub. That is the cross-contact question no allergen number covers: a flavour can be free of nuts while the scoop that served pistachio a minute ago is not.

A printed allergen list is a starting point she values. She singles out Alice Pizza for listing allergens on its menus, the same kind of legend this guide decodes. She also flags Roscioli in Rome as a place with many potential allergens, gluten and nuts among them. She doesn’t avoid it, but she goes in knowing what to ask.

Sixteen people with food allergies at one table. She has taken a group of sixteen travellers with food allergies to dinner at La Canonica in Trastevere, and writes that its staff are “very good at accommodating for most food allergies.” The word most is doing real work there: one kitchen’s record with one group is not a promise about your allergen.

Her planning habits are the part that travels. She contacts restaurants before the trip and reconfirms more than once. She plans a safe first meal for arrival in case flights run late, and carries safe snacks in a backpack cooler. She books rentals with a kitchen so some meals are entirely under her control. She finds Italian supermarket labels, often printed in several languages, easier to check than restaurant food. And she is candid that some of what works for her family “may NOT work for everyone.”

Lived experience, offered alongside the regulation above rather than as a source for it. Restaurants change owners, recipes and staff, so check any venue yourself before you go.

Sources

This guide draws on EU food-information law, AIC's gluten-free dining programme, and official Italian government resources. It is intended as practical travel information, not medical advice.

• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (EUR-Lex): the EU regulation establishing the allergen-information framework referenced throughout this guide.
• Italian Ministry of Health: food allergies: official guidance on the 14 regulated allergens and food information for packaged and non-packaged food.
• AIC: Alimentazione Fuori Casa listings: the current source for participating gluten-free venues and temporary AIC Mobile Welcome access for visitors.
• Numero Unico di Emergenza 112 (Ministero dell'Interno): the official Italian government portal for the 112 emergency service.

Frequently asked questions

What do allergen numbers on Italian menus mean?

Numbers refer to categories in the restaurant’s allergen legend. In EU Annex II order, 1 is cereals containing gluten, 3 is eggs, 5 is peanuts, 7 is milk and 8 is the listed nuts. Always check the menu’s own key rather than assuming these codes apply everywhere. Ingredient declarations do not establish that a kitchen prevents cross-contact.

Is Italy safe for travelers with food allergies?

Planning and direct communication with each kitchen matter. AIC’s Alimentazione Fuori Casa (AFC) programme provides gluten-free training and procedures for participating venues, but it is not a general food-allergy certification. Check your specific allergens, ingredients and cross-contact precautions with staff. An Italian-English allergy card can help communicate the request alongside a direct conversation with staff.

What are the most common hidden allergens in Italian food?

Ingredients to check include milk in cheese, butter and cream; egg in pasta, desserts and some cheeses containing egg-derived lysozyme; nuts in pesto and sweets; and fish in anchovy-based sauces. Seafood dishes may contain crustaceans or molluscs, which are separate allergen groups. Recipes vary, and pine nuts need an explicit question because they are not among the nuts named in EU allergen-labeling rules.

Is gluten-free pasta and pizza actually safe in Italy?

A gluten-free menu claim alone does not explain how a kitchen prevents cross-contact. AIC’s AFC programme is a useful resource for people with coeliac disease: check current participation and ask about pasta water, fryers, utensils and preparation surfaces. Participation does not mean the whole kitchen is gluten-free. Gluten-free food can contain other allergens, and a gluten-free claim does not by itself establish suitability for wheat allergy.