Food Allergy Travel FAQ

The safest approach is to use a translated allergy card rather than relying on spoken communication. Japanese restaurant staff may not understand spoken English, and the words for peanut allergy in Japanese: ピーナッツアレルギ are easy to mispronounce in ways that cause confusion.

A visual card showing the allergen name in Japanese script, combined with a clear warning message, removes the ambiguity entirely. Simple Allergy Alert generates this card instantly - select peanuts, choose Japanese, and show the result to your server, or more simply show them a pre-saved card from your home screen widget.

A food allergy card is a written statement, usually printed, that tells restaurant staff which foods you cannot eat and why. It removes the language barrier that makes dining abroad risky for people with allergies.

If your allergy is severe enough to cause anaphylaxis, a card is not optional. Verbal communication across a language barrier is unreliable, and kitchen staff rarely have time to parse a slow conversation. A card can be read, passed to a chef, and acted on in seconds.

Gluten intolerance and coeliac disease present two communication challenges abroad. First, the term "gluten" does not always translate cleanly - in some languages, staff are more familiar with specific grain names. Second, many countries have lower awareness of cross-contamination risks than you may be used to at home.

A translated allergy card that names gluten as an allergen and includes a clear cross-contamination warning gives kitchen staff the full picture in their own language. Simple Allergy Alert lets you customise the warning message to match the severity of your condition.

Use your epinephrine auto-injector immediately if prescribed, then call the local emergency number. This is where many travellers encounter a problem - the emergency number varies by country and is not always 112 or 911.

Simple Allergy Alert includes an Emergency Card that displays the correct emergency services number for whichever country you are visiting, in the local language, so you or a bystander can call for help without delay. The number is tap-to-call directly from the card.

Yes, that is the point. You do not need to speak or read the language for an allergy card to work. You show the card; the restaurant staff read it in their own language.

Simple Allergy Alert generates cards in over 100 languages from your selection of allergens. Tap the allergens that apply to you, choose the destination language, and show the result. No typing in a foreign script, no translation apps to fumble with, no risk of mispronunciation. Cards can also be saved offline, so they are available without a signal, and the app can read out the allergy card in the local language.