Lupin Allergy Abroad: Flour, Beans and Menu Words

Lupin in 14 languages

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

Language	Word	Romanisation
Japanese	ルピナス / ルーピン	rupinasu / rūpin
Chinese	羽扇豆	yǔshàndòu
Korean	루핀	rupin
Thai	ถั่วลูปิน	thua lupin
Vietnamese	đậu lupin
Hindi	ल्यूपिन	lyūpin
Arabic	ترمس	turmus (termis in Egypt)
Turkish	acı bakla / lüpen
Greek	λούπινο / λούπινα	loúpino / loúpina
Italian	lupino / lupini
French	lupin
Spanish	altramuz / altramuces (Spain), chocho (Andes)
Portuguese	tremoço / tremoços
German	Lupine

What counts as lupin

Lupin is a legume, the seed of the lupin plant, and a relative of peanuts and soybeans. ASCIA, the Australasian allergy specialists' body, describes three main kinds in food: white lupin, a popular snack around the Mediterranean; pearl lupin, a long-standing staple in South America; and Australian sweet lupin, now used worldwide as a food ingredient. Lupin is unusually high in protein and fibre, which is exactly why food makers like it.

On labels and menus it appears as lupin flour, lupin flakes, lupinus, lupine, lupini or lupine beans, according to ASCIA. The whole seeds sold as a bar snack go by local names: lupini, tremoços, altramuces, termis or chochos.

The link that matters most is with peanuts. Health Canada says lupin is in the same plant family as peanuts, that cross-reactions in peanut-allergic people are more likely than with other legumes, and that most reports of lupin reactions involve people already allergic to peanuts. Its advice is for anyone with a peanut allergy to avoid lupin until they've talked to an allergist. See peanuts.

Where lupin hides on menus

Cuisine	Watch for
Italian	Brined lupini beans served with drinks and sold at markets and festivals; lupin flour in some breads, pasta and gluten-free baking
Portuguese	Tremoços, the salty yellow beans served free with beer in cafés and bars; lupin flour in some breads and pastries
Spanish	Altramuces, sold as a tapa and street snack, especially in Andalusia; lupin in some gluten-free products
Arabic	Termis or turmus, boiled and brined lupin beans sold from street carts in Egypt and eaten as a snack across the Levant
French	Lupin flour added to some breads, viennoiseries and pastries
German	Lupin protein in vegan and vegetarian products such as spreads, "milk" drinks, yoghurt alternatives and meat substitutes
Turkish	Acı bakla, brined lupin beans sold as a street snack in parts of the country
Everywhere	Gluten-free bread, pasta and baking mixes; high-protein products; burgers and sausages; sauces and drinks

Cross-contact with lupin mostly happens before food reaches the restaurant. Bakeries that use lupin flour in one product share mixers, benches and air with the rest. Gluten-free and vegan kitchens tend to stock it as a staple. In Mediterranean bars, a bowl of tremoços or lupini sits beside the olives and nuts and gets picked at by hand. Because lupin is less familiar than peanut or soy, staff may simply not know it's in a flour blend, so ask to see the packet when it matters.

Labelling rules around the world

EU and UK. Lupin is one of the 14 allergens, so restaurants and takeaways must give the information and packaged food must emphasise it in the ingredients. In practice this is where lupin is most common, so it's also where the protection matters most.

Türkiye. Since 1 January 2020, restaurants, canteens and other mass caterers have had to tell customers about the same 14 allergens as the EU, lupin included, on a menu, board or poster. That matters in a country where brined lupin beans are a street snack.

Australia and New Zealand. Lupin is a mandatory allergen. Under the Food Standards Code it must be declared as "lupin" in bold in the ingredients and in the "Contains" summary on packaged food, and unpackaged food such as restaurant meals must have the information displayed or available on request. ASCIA confirms the requirement, and since Australian sweet lupin is used as an ingredient worldwide, it turns up in local products.

Canada. Lupin isn't a priority allergen. Health Canada says lupin flour and other lupin ingredients are found in some Canadian products and appear in the ingredient list, but without allergen emphasis or a "Contains" statement.

US. Lupin isn't one of the nine major food allergens, so it appears only in the ingredient list. Nothing obliges a US restaurant to tell you about it.

Japan. Lupin is on neither the mandatory nor the recommended list. It's rare in Japanese food, but imported gluten-free and health-food products may contain it.

How to order with a lupin allergy

Ask about flour, not just beans. "Is there lupin flour in the bread, pasta or batter?" catches the hidden uses. Staff often know the snack beans but not the flour.
Be careful with gluten-free, vegan and high-protein dishes. These are where lupin flour and protein turn up most.
Turn down the free bar snack in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Egypt unless you're sure what it is, and watch for shared bowls.
Outside the EU, UK, Australia and New Zealand, read full ingredient lists. No allergen line will flag it.
If you're allergic to peanuts and haven't been tested for lupin, ask your allergist before travelling to places where lupin is common.
Treat "may contain lupin" as real. Precautionary warnings are voluntary, so a product without one isn't guaranteed lupin-free, and a bakery that uses lupin flour anywhere may not be able to keep it out of the rest.
Carry prescribed adrenaline and follow your doctor's plan.

For most travellers lupin is a European and Mediterranean issue. Outside those regions, the main place it reaches you is through imported specialist foods.

Questions

I'm allergic to peanuts. Should I worry about lupin?

Talk to your allergist. Health Canada says lupin belongs to the same plant family as peanuts, that the risk of cross-reaction in peanut-allergic people is higher than with other legumes, and that most reported lupin reactions involve people already allergic to peanuts. It recommends peanut-allergic people avoid lupin until they've consulted their allergist.

Why is lupin in gluten-free food?

Lupin flour is high in protein and fibre and contains no gluten, so manufacturers use it to replace wheat. ASCIA, the Australasian allergy body, warns that foods free of gluten, soy or genetically modified ingredients may contain lupin.

What are lupini beans?

They're large yellow lupin seeds, soaked for days to remove their bitterness, then brined and eaten as a snack. You'll find them as lupini in Italy, tremoços in Portugal, altramuces in Spain, termis in Egypt and chochos in Ecuador and Peru, often served free with drinks.

Will a US or Canadian label warn me about lupin?

Not as an allergen. In both countries lupin only has to appear in the ingredient list, sometimes as lupine, lupini or lupinus, so read the full list rather than relying on the 'Contains' line.

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

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