Celery allergy when eating abroad

Celery in 14 languages

The word to look for on menus, allergen charts and labels.

Language	Word	Romanisation
Japanese	セロリ	serori
Chinese	芹菜 / 西芹	qíncài / xīqín
Korean	셀러리	selleori
Thai	ขึ้นฉ่าย / เซเลอรี่	khuen chai / seloeri
Vietnamese	cần tây
Hindi	सेलेरी / अजमोद	seleri / ajmod
Arabic	كرفس	karafs
Turkish	kereviz (sap kereviz = celery stalks)
Greek	σέλινο	sélino
Italian	sedano (sedano rapa = celeriac)
French	céleri (céleri-rave = celeriac)
Spanish	apio (apionabo = celeriac)
Portuguese	aipo (salsão in Brazil; aipo-rábano = celeriac)
German	Sellerie (Knollensellerie = celeriac, Staudensellerie = stalks)

What counts as celery

Celery as an allergen means every part of the celery plant: the stalks, the leaves, the seeds, and celeriac (celery root), plus anything made from them, such as celery salt, celery powder and celery juice. Allergy UK notes that if you're allergic to celery you may react to any part of the plant.

Chinese celery, the thin, strongly flavoured leaf celery used across East and Southeast Asia, is the same species and counts too.

Celery is easy to spot as a stick on a plate. It's much harder to spot when it has been chopped, cooked down or ground:

• Stock bases: the French mirepoix, Italian soffritto, German Suppengrün and the Cajun "holy trinity" all usually include celery or celeriac.
• Stock cubes, bouillon and soup mixes, both in restaurants and packaged.
• Celery salt and celery seed in seasoning blends, rubs, Bloody Marys and seafood seasonings.
• Spice mixes and sauces: Allergy UK lists spice mixes, sauces and batter for frozen foods among common sources.
• Celery powder or juice used to cure some bacon and ham sold as "no added nitrite".
• Yeast extract spreads: Allergy UK names Marmite.
• Tomato juice, crisps and salads.

Where celery hides on menus

The highest risk is in European and American cooking, where celery is built into the stock that goes into everything else.

Cross-contact with celery is mostly about shared stocks and seasonings rather than shared equipment. A kitchen might keep one stockpot going for every soup and sauce, or use the same seasoning blend on fries and grilled meat. Because celery is so often an unlisted background flavour, you have to ask about the base of a dish, not just the visible ingredients.

Labelling rules around the world

Celery is the clearest example of an allergen that only Europe protects. If you rely on European labels and menus, expect nothing to be flagged elsewhere.

EU and UK. Celery is one of the 14 allergens in Annex II of Regulation 1169/2011, retained in UK law as "celery and products thereof". Packaged food must emphasise it in the ingredients list, and restaurants, cafés and takeaways must provide allergen information for every non-prepacked dish that contains it. In the UK that can be verbal, as long as a notice tells you how to ask; Ireland requires it in writing. Switzerland also requires celery to be declared.

United States. Celery is not one of the nine major food allergens, so there is no allergen statement for it. It must still appear in the ingredients list of packaged food, but it can be hidden inside "spices" or "natural flavor". Restaurants have no federal duty to tell you.

Australia and New Zealand. Celery isn't on the mandatory declaration list in the Food Standards Code. It appears in the ingredients list of packaged food, but not in bold or in the "Contains" statement.

Canada. Celery is not a priority allergen, so it gets no special declaration.

Japan. Celery (セロリ) is on neither the 9 mandatory nor the 20 recommended allergens, so labels won't flag it and restaurants have no allergen duty for it.

How to order with a celery allergy

Ask about the stock, the seasoning and the sauce, because celery is almost never the thing a dish is named after.

1. Ask what the stock or base is made from. In French, Italian and German kitchens, the answer usually includes celery or celeriac. Use the local word: céleri, sedano, Sellerie.
2. Ask about seasoning blends and rubs. Celery salt and celery seed turn up in fries seasoning, seafood boils, burgers and Bloody Marys.
3. Ask about cured meats sold as "no added nitrite", which may be cured with celery powder.
4. Outside Europe, spell it out. Staff in the US, Australia, Canada or Asia may never have heard of celery as an allergen. Show the local word from the table above, and add "including celery root, celery seed and celery salt".
5. Read "may contain" as voluntary. And outside Europe, remember that celery won't appear in allergen warnings at all.

If your doctor has prescribed adrenaline, carry it every time you eat out (Allergy UK advises two devices) and follow your doctor's plan.

Dishes in our glossary that contain celery

• UsuallySauerbratenCeleriac is part of the root vegetable mix (Suppengrün) in the marinade.
• OftenAranciniThe meat ragù starts with a soffritto of onion, carrot and celery.
• OftenCurrywurstIn many curry ketchups and spice blends; some sausage seasonings too.
• OftenMoules marinièresStandard in Belgian moules nature; some French cooks add it too.
• OftenRisotto alla milaneseMeat stock is commonly made with celery, carrot and onion.
• OftenSchweinshaxeCeleriac and root vegetables roast under the meat and flavour the gravy.
• OftenVitello tonnatoThe veal is usually poached or marinated with celery, carrot and onion.
• SometimesArroz de mariscoSome stocks and stock cubes contain celery.
• SometimesBouillabaisseSome fish stocks are made with celery.
• SometimesCaldo verdeSome kitchens use stock or stock cubes that contain celery.
• SometimesCoq au vinSome recipes add celery to the aromatics or use a stock with celery.
• SometimesDöner kebabSome ready-made sauces and spice blends contain celery.
• SometimesFrancesinhaBeef stock or stock cubes in some sauces.
• SometimesMoussakaSome meat sauces include celery or stock with celery.
• SometimesPaellaSome stocks and stock cubes contain celery.
• SometimesSchnitzelStock in the sauces of Jäger, Rahm and Paprika schnitzel can contain celery.
• SometimesSpätzleIn the gravy or stock-based sauces served over Spätzle.

Questions

Is celeriac the same as celery for allergy purposes?

Yes. Celeriac is the root of a variety of the same plant, and Allergy UK lists it alongside stalks, leaves, seeds and celery salt as forms to avoid. In Europe it falls under the celery allergen rule.

Which countries require celery to be labelled?

The EU and UK do, as one of their 14 allergens, and Switzerland does too. The US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan don’t list celery, so labels and restaurants there have no duty to flag it.

Can I eat cooked celery if raw celery makes my mouth itch?

Possibly, but only your allergist can say. Allergy UK explains that the most common cause of celery reactions in the UK is pollen food syndrome, where cooking usually destroys the protein. People with a true celery allergy can react to cooked celery too.

Does celery salt count as celery?

Yes. Celery salt is ground celery seed mixed with salt, and it is a product of celery under EU and UK rules. It shows up in Bloody Marys, seasoning blends and some cured meats.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Follow the allergy action plan your doctor gave you, and always confirm ingredients with the restaurant.

Sources

1. Food Safety Authority of Ireland: list of 14 allergens (EU Regulation 1169/2011, Annex II)
2. UK Food Standards Agency: allergen guidance for food businesses
3. US FDA: food allergies
4. Food Standards Australia New Zealand: allergen labelling
5. Health Canada: food allergies and priority allergens
6. Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan: food allergy labelling handbook (April 2026)
7. Allergy UK (incorporating Anaphylaxis UK): celery allergy

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.