Crustacean allergy when eating abroad

Crustaceans in 14 languages

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

Language	Word	Romanisation
Japanese	えび（海老）/ かに（蟹）/ 甲殻類	ebi / kani / kōkakurui
Chinese	虾 / 蟹 / 甲壳类	xiā / xiè / jiǎqiàolèi
Korean	새우 / 게 / 갑각류	saeu / ge / gapgangnyu
Thai	กุ้ง / ปู / สัตว์น้ำที่มีเปลือกแข็ง	kung / pu / sat nam thi mi plueak khaeng
Vietnamese	tôm / cua / giáp xác
Hindi	झींगा / केकड़ा	jheenga / kekda
Arabic	قشريات / روبيان / جمبري / سلطعون	qishriyyāt / rūbiyān / jambarī / salṭaʿūn
Turkish	kabuklular (karides, yengeç, ıstakoz)
Greek	καρκινοειδή / γαρίδες / καβούρι	karkinoeidí / garídes / kavoúri
Italian	crostacei (gamberi, scampi, granchio, aragosta)
French	crustacés (crevettes, crabe, homard, langoustines)
Spanish	crustáceos (gambas, langostinos, cangrejo; camarones in Latin America)
Portuguese	crustáceos (camarão, caranguejo, lagosta)
German	Krebstiere (Garnelen, Krabben, Hummer)

What counts as crustaceans

Crustaceans are the shellfish with jointed legs and a hard outer shell: prawns (shrimp), crab, lobster, crayfish, langoustines, and smaller relatives such as krill and barnacles. In Australia you'll also see Moreton Bay bugs, Balmain bugs, marron and yabbies, which are all crustaceans too.

Molluscs are a separate group (squid, octopus, cuttlefish, mussels, clams, oysters, scallops, snails) with their own page: molluscs. The trouble is the English word "shellfish", which covers both, and the menu words that do the same: seafood, frutti di mare, fruits de mer, mariscos, marisco. If a dish says any of those, assume crustaceans until someone tells you otherwise.

Crustaceans rarely show up only as the obvious prawn on top. Watch for:

• Shrimp paste: kapi (กะปิ) in Thailand, mắm tôm and mắm ruốc in Vietnam, belacan in Malaysia, terasi in Indonesia, bagoong alamang in the Philippines.
• Dried shrimp: kung haeng (กุ้งแห้ง) in Thai salads, xiāmǐ (虾米) in Chinese cooking, tôm khô in Vietnam, sakura ebi (桜えび) in Japan.
• Salted shrimp: saeujeot (새우젓), used in many Korean kimchi recipes.
• Stocks and sauces: shellfish stock, bisque, XO sauce, "seafood flavouring" and "seafood extender".
• Snacks: prawn crackers and shrimp chips.
• Scampi: a langoustine in the UK and Italy, but in the US "shrimp scampi" means prawns in garlic butter. Allergy UK notes some scampi is made from fish instead.
• Crab sticks (surimi): mostly white fish, but labels can list crab extract or seafood flavouring.
• Non-food: glucosamine and chitin supplements can come from shells.

Where crustaceans hide on menus

Southeast and East Asian food carries the highest hidden load, because shrimp is a seasoning there as well as an ingredient.

Cross-contact is where most travellers get caught. Tempura bars, fish-and-chip shops and street stalls usually run one fryer for everything, so chips or vegetable fritters can share oil with prawns or scampi. Woks are often only wiped out between orders. Stocks made from prawn heads and shells turn up in rice dishes that list no shellfish at all. Dried shrimp gets sprinkled as a garnish, and prawn crackers arrive on the side unasked. Fish counters and seafood buffets put different species in direct contact.

Labelling rules around the world

Packaged food and restaurant food sit under different rules almost everywhere, so a clear label at the supermarket tells you nothing about a plate in a café.

EU and UK. Crustaceans are one of the 14 allergens in Annex II of Regulation 1169/2011, retained in UK law. Packaged food must emphasise them in the ingredients list. Restaurants, cafés and takeaways must also provide allergen information for every non-prepacked dish that contains them. In the UK that can be written on the menu or given verbally, as long as a clear notice tells you how to ask. EU countries set their own method; Ireland, for example, requires it in writing.

United States. Crustacean shellfish are one of the nine major food allergens, and packaged food must name the species (shrimp, crab, lobster). FDA says these labelling rules don't apply to food placed in a wrapper or container after you order it, and they don't reach plated restaurant meals at all. Restaurant rules are set by states and cities and vary.

Australia and New Zealand. Under the plain English allergen labelling (PEAL) rules in Standard 1.2.3, in force since 25 February 2024, "crustacean" must appear in bold in the ingredients plus a "Contains" summary. For food sold without a label, such as in a restaurant or takeaway, the information must be displayed with the food or given to you when you ask.

Canada. Crustaceans and molluscs are a priority allergen, and Health Canada says the specific species must be declared on prepackaged food. The labelling rules are written for prepackaged products, so in a restaurant you rely on asking.

Japan. Shrimp (えび) and crab (かに) are two of the 9 mandatory allergens (特定原材料) on packaged processed food. Three gaps matter. The えび category covers decapods only, so mantis shrimp (しゃこ), krill and mysid shrimp are outside it. A fish sauce or seafood extract made from mixed catch may be labelled 魚醤（魚介類） or 魚介エキス（魚介類） without naming shrimp or crab. And restaurants are not covered by the labelling law, although the Consumer Affairs Agency asks them to give allergen information on menus or when asked.

How to order with a crustacean allergy

Lead with the category and the hidden forms, not just "no prawns". Staff often take "shrimp" to mean whole prawns and forget the paste in the curry or the dried shrimp in the dressing.

1. Show it in writing. Use the local words from the table above, plus the hidden forms for that cuisine: shrimp paste and dried shrimp in Southeast Asia, salted shrimp in Korea, shellfish stock in Spain and France.
2. Ask about the base, not the dish. Is there shrimp paste in the curry paste? Is the stock made from prawns? What goes into the dipping sauce?
3. Ask about oil and equipment. Is the fryer, wok or grill shared with prawns? In a tempura or fried-seafood place, the answer is usually yes.
4. Say whether molluscs matter for you. If your allergist has told you to avoid squid, mussels or oysters too, say so, because staff won't connect the two.
5. Be wary of buffets, street stalls and set menus, where nobody can trace every component.
6. Read "may contain" properly. In most countries these warnings are voluntary, so their absence proves nothing. Japan goes further and bans vague "may contain" wording; labels there say the factory also makes products containing the allergen (本品製造工場では…を含む製品を生産しています).

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

Words that trip people up

A few crustacean words change meaning across borders. In northern Germany, Krabben usually means small brown shrimp (Nordseekrabben), not crab. In Italy, scampi are langoustines, while gamberi are prawns. Spain splits gambas, langostinos and cigalas, and Latin America says camarones. French écrevisses are freshwater crayfish. In Japan, ama-ebi (甘えび, sweet shrimp) and botan-ebi are raw prawns on sushi menus, and kani-miso (かに味噌) is crab innards served as a delicacy.

Dishes in our glossary that contain crustaceans

• UsuallyArroz de mariscoPrawns, and often crab, lobster or langoustines.
• UsuallyBanh XeoPrawns are cooked into the classic pork and prawn filling.
• UsuallyBun Bo HueFermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc) is a defining broth seasoning.
• UsuallyGoi CuonHalved cooked prawns are the classic filling.
• UsuallyGreen CurryShrimp paste (kapi) is pounded into the curry paste.
• UsuallyMassaman CurryShrimp paste (kapi) in the curry paste; a few jarred pastes leave it out.
• UsuallyPad ThaiDried shrimp in the stir-fry, and fresh prawns in the popular prawn version.
• UsuallySom TamDried shrimp in som tam thai; salted raw crab in som tam pu.
• UsuallyTempuraPrawn (shrimp) is the standard piece, and everything shares the frying oil.
• UsuallyTom YumPrawns in tom yum goong; dried shrimp in the roasted chilli paste.
• OftenBouillabaisseMany restaurants add crab, langoustines, prawns or spiny lobster.
• OftenKimchi jjigaeMany kimchi recipes use salted shrimp (saeujeot).
• OftenOkonomiyakiPrawns in seafood and mixed versions; dried shrimp in some; shared hotplate.
• OftenPaellaPrawns, langoustines (cigalas) and crab in seafood and mixed paella.
• OftenSushiPrawn (shrimp) and crab pieces; boards, knives and hands are shared.
• OftenXiaolongbaoCrab (xiefen) and prawn versions are common, and steamers are shared.
• SometimesAranciniPrawn fillings in some shops, and frying oil is often shared.
• SometimesBibimbapThe kimchi served alongside often contains salted shrimp.
• SometimesBulgogiThe kimchi served alongside often contains salted shrimp.
• SometimesBun ChaCrab spring rolls (nem cua bể) or prawn in the nem filling.
• SometimesCroquetasPrawn (gamba) croquetas, and shared frying oil.
• SometimesFrancesinhaSome sauces are built on seafood stock, a seafood stock cube or shellfish.
• SometimesJapchaePrawns in seafood japchae.
• SometimesMiso soupPrawn heads or crab in seafood versions, especially at seafood restaurants.
• SometimesMoules marinièresTiny pea crabs can live inside mussels.
• SometimesPad Kra PaoPrawn and mixed seafood versions, and a shared wok.
• SometimesPatatas bravasFryers can be shared with battered prawns (gambas en gabardina).
• SometimesRamenPrawn (ebi) broths and prawn oil at some shops.
• SometimesSamgyeopsalSalted shrimp (saeujeot) as a dip at some places; in many kimchis.
• SometimesSobaPrawn tempura toppings and kakiage; shared frying oil.
• SometimesTakoyakiDried baby shrimp (sakura ebi) in some batters; shared pans at mixed stalls.
• SometimesTonkatsuFried prawns (ebi furai) and other seafood usually share the fryer.
• SometimesTteokbokkiPrawns in seafood versions; some fish cakes contain prawn.

Questions

Are crustaceans and molluscs the same allergen?

No. Crustaceans (prawns, crab, lobster) and molluscs (squid, octopus, mussels, oysters, clams, scallops, snails) are separate groups, and the EU, UK, Australia and New Zealand list them separately. Some people react to both, so ask your allergist which ones you need to avoid.

Does fish sauce contain shrimp?

Most fish sauce is made from fermented anchovies, but some is made from mixed catch that can include shrimp. Japan even lets a mixed-catch fish sauce be labelled 魚醤（魚介類） without naming shrimp or crab. With a crustacean allergy, treat fish sauce as something to ask about.

Is a shellfish allergy linked to iodine?

No. Allergy UK and ASCIA both say shellfish allergy is caused by proteins in the shellfish, not iodine, and does not put you at higher risk from iodine contrast dye used in medical scans.

Can I react to prawns being cooked nearby?

A small number of people with severe shellfish allergy react to steam from cooking shellfish, although Allergy UK says these reactions are likely to be mild. Shared fryers, woks and grills are a much bigger risk than someone eating prawns at the next table.

Is mantis shrimp covered by Japan’s shrimp rule?

No. Japan’s mandatory えび (shrimp) category covers decapods such as prawns, lobster and crayfish only. Mantis shrimp (しゃこ shako), krill and mysid shrimp fall outside it, so a Japanese label does not have to flag them as えび.

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: crustaceans and molluscs, priority food allergens
6. Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan: food allergy labelling handbook (April 2026)
7. Allergy UK (incorporating Anaphylaxis UK): shellfish allergy
8. ASCIA: dietary avoidance for shellfish allergy

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