Traveling often involves a number of preparations, and having food allergies can add to the challenge. Fortunately, Norway’s strict regulations are designed to ensure your safety.
When traveling in Norway with food allergies, it is essential to research and prepare ahead.
Firstly, familiarize yourself with the local food regulations on allergen labelling, and know that the standard advice for international travel holds true for trips in Norway, too.
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So look up restaurants and food establishments in the area that you will be visiting that are known for good allergen practices.
Carry a short document explaining your allergies prepared in advance and translated into Norwegian on your phone – or use physical translation cards – to help communicate with restaurant staff, and never hesitate to ask about ingredients and food preparation methods at eateries.
Still, remember that, as is often the case with food allergies, the details are essential, so this guide will aim to dig into the specifics of what you can expect in Norway.
Norway’s allergy regulations
In Norway, the regulations on food information for consumers mandate clear labeling of allergens in both prepackaged and non-prepackaged foods.
This means that you should be able to identify any potential allergens whenever you buy food, whether it’s from a grocery store, a restaurant, or a street vendor.
To protect people with food allergies, Norway requires that all food products clearly label the 14 most common allergens.
These allergens must be explicitly stated if they are present in any amount and whether the food is prepackaged or not, as the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) points out on its website.
The 14 allergens include cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats), shellfish (such as crab, lobster, prawns, krill, crayfish, and scampi), eggs, fish, peanuts, soy (including tofu, soy sauce, soy drinks, and soy flour), milk, nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and macadamia nuts), celery (including stalks, leaves, seeds, and roots), mustard (including mustard seeds and mustard powder), sesame seeds, sulfur dioxide and sulphites, lupine (including lupine seeds and flour), and molluscs (such as clams, snails, squid, mussels, scallops, and sea snails).
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Here’s the list with Norwegian translations:
Cereals containing gluten – cereals containing gluten
shellfish – shellfish
eggs – egg
Fish – fish
Peanuts – peanuts
soy – soy
Milk – milk
Nuts – nuts
Celery – celery
Mustard – mustard
Sesame seeds – sesame seeds
Sulfur dioxide and sulphites – sulfur dioxide and sulfite
lupine – lupine
Molluscs – molluscs
Common cereals you should look out for on Norwegian ingredient lists are wheat (wheat), rye (rye), oats (oats), and barley (barley). Tree nuts include hazelnut (hazelnut), walnut (walnut), cashew nut (cashew nut), pecan nut (pecan), Brazil nut (Brazil nut), pistachio (pistachio nut), and macadamia nut (macadamia nut).
Depending on your allergy, it can be a good idea to learn the Norwegian words for everyday food items that may contain your allergen, such as east (cheese), cream (cream), or whey powder (whey powder) for milk allergies.
Be aware that this is not an exhaustive list. Always double-check any ingredient highlighted on an ingredient list before eating to ensure it’s not something you’re allergic to.
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Also, be cautious of common Norwegian foods that may contain allergens. Foods described as a salad (salad) often contain mayonnaise, and eggs, fish, and shellfish are all popular ingredients in Norway.
Those with fish or crustacean allergies should watch out for prawns (shrimp) and herring (herring).
Sauces and gravies often contain cream, butter, or milk, so make sure to check these. Additionally, many traditional Norwegian cakes, such as wreath cakecontain almonds (almond).
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The allergen labeling rules
In Norway, the labeling of allergens must be clear and distinguishable from other ingredients.
For example, specific types of nuts must be named, such as “hazelnut” instead of just “nuts.”
Foreign terms like “tahini” must indicate the allergen (in the case of tahini, sesame).
Additives should indicate their source, such as “E 322 (soy lecithin),” while gluten-containing grains must be named, like “wheat flour” or “rye flour,” although the term “gluten” is optional.
For prepackaged foods, allergens must be highlighted in the ingredient list, making them easily identifiable.
This can be done using bold, italics, or underlining. For example, an ingredient list might look like this:
Water, wheatflour, sesame seeds, wheatgluten, yeast, emulsifier (E322 – from soy), salt, lactose (from milk)
The highlighted allergens must stand out from the rest of the text to ensure they are noticeable at a glance.
So, other examples of ingredient lists (in English) might read:
“Ingredients: onion, paprika, SOY PROTEIN EXTRACT, potato starch…” or “Ingredients: onion, paprika, protein extract (SOY), potato starch…”
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What about restaurants?
For non-prepackaged foods, such as those sold over the counter, in restaurants, canteens, or catering services, allergen information must be readily available and easily readable without customers having to ask.
This information can be provided in menus, signs, screens, or posters.
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The goal should be to ensure that people with allergies can quickly and easily determine which foods are safe to eat.
Still, as menus often change with the seasons and may not always have the most up-to-date information, it’s always a good idea to talk with restaurant staff.
If possible, it can also be a good idea to let the restaurant know about your allergies in advance, either by phone or online.
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Do you need an allergy card for Norway?
Norwegians are generally proficient in English, but it’s crucial for people with allergies to ensure that the person you’re talking to fully understands your situation.
That’s why creating an allergy card with information in Norwegian can be very helpful.
You can also purchase these cards online with information in multiple languages. However, it’s important not to rely solely on the allergy card; always discuss your allergies directly with the staff.
If you choose to create a card or written message, here are some useful phrases in Norwegian to include:
I have a severe/life-threatening food allergy. – I have a serious/life-threatening food allergy.
I am allergic to… – I am allergic to…
There isn’t one [gluten/laktose]intolerance. – It is not a [gluten/lactose] intolerance.
You may also want to list some common foods that often include your allergen. For someone with a milk allergy, for example, you could write the following:
This means that I cannot eat milk or milk products, such as butter, cream, sour cream or cheese, for example. – That means that I cannot eat milk or dairy products, like butter, cream, sour cream, or cheese, for example.
If you have an allergy to tree nuts, you may want to explain which nuts.
I am allergic to nuts, i.e. hazelnut, walnut, cashew, pecan, Brazil nut, pistachio and macadamia nut. – I am allergic to nuts, that means hazelnut, walnut, cashew nut, pecan nut, Brazil nut, pistachio, and macadamia nut.
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Allergic reactions
If you experience an allergic reaction while in Norway, you are entitled to acute healthcare regardless of nationality. For emergencies, dial 113.
Healthcare costs vary depending on your country of origin, so exploring insurance options before your trip is recommended.
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Citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area countries, and Switzerland can get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which entitles them to urgent healthcare under the same conditions as Norwegian citizens.
Presenting your EHIC will ensure you are charged only the standard patient fees, which are non-refundable but equivalent to what a Norwegian would pay.
If you have to pay full costs for medical care upon your return, you can seek reimbursement from your home country’s public health authority.
Visitors from non-EEA countries are not eligible for reimbursement for medical treatment in Norway or any subsidies for travel costs at home. However, they are still entitled to urgent medical care.
As a general recommendation, confirming the specifics with your home country’s public health authority before traveling is the way to go.