Camping in France - Nut Allergies

[paulduckworth]

Hi, We are thinking about taking our first trip abroad with our caravan. The only problem is that our children (4 & 5 years old) both have nut allergies.

Our french is pretty rubbish, so we are really worried that we won't be able to buy food that is nut free.

Supermarkets in this country are getting better all the time with their product information, but we aren't sure if the laws on this kind of thing are the same in France or not.

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[ValA.]

There's a website you can get a card - which ensures that you can at least use it in restaurants - there's a Euro pack, which covers the five most common European languages.

http://www.dietarycard.com/products/dietaryalertcards.html
I'm sure, then, you'd be able to use the information on it to decide if foods were nut free. I'm pretty sure, now, that most supermarket foods, such as biscuits, are labelled, just like they are in this country.

 

[DavidM.L.]

Paul, our eldest son also has a nut allergy and we have travelled to France many times over the years without incident.

We dont speak very good French but my wife ensures that the one phrase she does know in French, and uses more than any other, is 'nut allergy'. Get a reasonable English-French dictionary and learn the relevant words to say when ordering food in restaurants, and also to look on food packaging in supermarkets. Scan the ingredients in supermakets and any item you are unsure of - refer to the dictionary. Its slow going but I am sure, like us, you are used to that when food shopping. You fairly quickly spot the words to look out for.

The French seem to rely less on processed food in restaurants so it is less of a problem than in the UK where many places seem to ship in processed food and then simply heat it up.

Go for it, enjoy France, and try not to worry too much (easier said than done, I know)

 

[paulduckworth]

Many thanks for your replies... we are just getting used to the allergies in this country and to have to learn it all in another language is very hard.

Cheers,

Paul