Before the first meal

Eating in China with a serious food allergy

In short

Do Chinese food labels tell me what I am allergic to?

Not yet. The standard that makes allergen declaration mandatory on packaged food, GB 7718-2025, only takes effect on 16 March 2027, and it has never applied to restaurants, bakery counters or anything made and sold on the spot. The ingredient list is required, so translate that. In a restaurant, hand over a written card in Chinese. The ambulance number is 120.

Carrying medication into China

Applies to

Anyone travelling with a food allergy severe enough that a wrong dish is a medical event, and anyone shopping in a Chinese supermarket who cannot read the packet.

Check before you rely on it

Nothing here is medical advice. Your allergy plan comes from your own clinician. The English text of GB 7718-2025 quoted here is a translation published by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, not an official Chinese-government English version.

Information checked: 2026-07-25

The useful thing to know about Chinese allergen law is where it stops. It covers sealed packets and it starts in 2027. Everything you actually eat on a trip sits outside it.

Back to food If you get ill from food

Where the information is

What has to be disclosed, and where nothing does

Find the row you are standing in. The disclosure duty changes completely between a sealed packet and a bowl on a table.

Where the food came from	What the rules require	What you do, and the source
Sealed packet in a supermarket or convenience store	Must carry a label with an ingredient list, the producer's name and contact details, shelf life and a production licence number. Allergens are not on that statutory list.	Photograph the ingredient list and translate it. The ingredients are complete even when no allergen warning appears. Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, text published by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, read 2026-07-25
Sealed packet, from 16 March 2027	Eight allergen categories must be declared in the ingredient list or in a warning next to it. Allergen marking moves from recommended to mandatory on that date.	Until then, treat the absence of an allergen warning as no information at all, not as an all-clear. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing, read 2026-07-25
Cross-contact from a shared line or workshop	Still only encouraged, even under the 2025 standard. A 'may contain' warning is voluntary.	A packet with no cross-contact warning tells you nothing about whether the line is shared. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing, read 2026-07-25
Loose food from a bin, a bakery tray or a deli counter	Container or outer packaging must show the name, production date or batch, shelf life and the seller's name, address and contact. No ingredient list is required.	Ask for the original packaging, or leave it. Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, text published by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, read 2026-07-25
A dish cooked in the restaurant you are sitting in	Outside the labelling standard entirely — it does not apply to food made and sold on the same spot. Caterers must control their raw materials, but publishing the ingredients is only encouraged.	The card in the kitchen's hands is your only disclosure mechanism. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing, read 2026-07-25
Street stall	No published disclosure obligation this page has been able to open.	The CDC tells travellers with allergies to avoid street food outright, because the ingredients cannot be checked. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, read 2026-07-25

Before the flight, and at the table

Eight steps, in this order

1.Write the allergy card before you fly. The US CDC tells travellers with allergies to bring cards listing all their food allergies, translated into the local language, and to bring their allergy emergency response plan in the local language too.
2.Pack the adrenaline. The CDC says to pack epinephrine, also called adrenaline, and to carry the auto-injector for all activities even when you do not expect to eat. The NHS advice for people at risk of anaphylaxis is to carry two auto-injectors at all times.
3.Teach one travel companion. The CDC asks travellers to make sure companions have a copy of the emergency plan, can recognise a severe reaction, and know where the auto-injector is and how to use it.
4.In a restaurant, hand the card over rather than speaking. The CDC's instruction is to give the card to anyone who might be making your meal, including restaurant staff.
5.Read the packet, not the front of it. The Food Safety Law requires every prepackaged food to carry a label with an ingredient list, so the ingredients are there even when allergens are not called out.
6.Treat loose and made-on-the-spot food as unlabelled. GB 7718 does not apply to food sold in bulk or to food made and sold on the same spot, and the Food Safety Law asks only for name, date, shelf life and seller details on a bulk container.
7.Skip street food. The CDC's specific instruction for people with allergies is to avoid street food, because there is often no reliable way to check the ingredients.
8.If a reaction starts, use the auto-injector first and call 120 for an ambulance. The NHS sequence is auto-injector, then ambulance, then lie down and do not stand or walk; if symptoms have not improved after five minutes, use a second auto-injector.

The trap

Does a packet with no allergen warning mean it is safe?

No. Two separate clauses make silence uninformative, and one of them survives into the 2027 standard.

Allergen marking is recommended rather than mandatory until 16 March 2027, so a packet made today is allowed to say nothing. And cross-contact warnings — the “may contain” line — stay encouraged rather than required even after that date, with the standard’s own example of carry-over being a shared manufacturing workshop or production line.

Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing — Prepackaged Food Labeling Standards Finalized (CH2025-0070), carrying a full English translation of GB 7718-2025 (page dated 2025-04-03; read 2026-07-25)

From 16 March 2027

Which allergens will a Chinese packet have to declare?

Eight categories, in the standard's own order. Anything outside them stays voluntary.

Cereals containing gluten, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt, and their hybrids and products
Crustaceans and products, such as shrimp, lobster and crab
Fish and products
Eggs and products
Peanuts and products
Soybeans and products
Dairy and dairy products, including lactose
Nuts and products

Article 4.12.1, source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing — Prepackaged Food Labeling Standards Finalized (CH2025-0070), carrying a full English translation of GB 7718-2025 (page dated 2025-04-03; read 2026-07-25)

The published facts

Every rule on this page, with the document it came from

Two Chinese statutes, one national standard and three health authorities. Sources read 2026-07-25.

Allergen labelling is not mandatory yet

GB 7718-2025, the general standard for the labelling of prepackaged foods, was released jointly by the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation on 27 March 2025. It changes allergen marking from recommended information to a mandatory marking requirement. It enters into force on 16 March 2027, after a two-year transition. Until that date, a Chinese packet is allowed to say nothing about allergens.

GB 7718-2025, Article 4.12 and Appendix D · Prepackaged Food Labeling Standards Finalized (CH2025-0070), carrying a full English translation of GB 7718-2025 (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing, page dated 2025-04-03, read 2026-07-25)

Eight categories, once it does apply

The standard names eight ingredient groups that must be declared in the ingredient list, or carried in a warning close to it: gluten-containing cereals, crustaceans, fish, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, dairy including lactose, and nuts. Anything outside those eight may be labelled voluntarily.

GB 7718-2025, Article 4.12.1 · Prepackaged Food Labeling Standards Finalized (CH2025-0070), carrying a full English translation of GB 7718-2025 (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing, page dated 2025-04-03, read 2026-07-25)

'May contain' stays voluntary

Where allergens may be carried over in production — the standard's own example is a shared manufacturing workshop or production line — declaring a warning is encouraged, not required. That wording survives into the 2025 standard. A packet with no cross-contact warning is not a packet from a dedicated line.

GB 7718-2025, Article 4.12.2 · Prepackaged Food Labeling Standards Finalized (CH2025-0070), carrying a full English translation of GB 7718-2025 (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing, page dated 2025-04-03, read 2026-07-25)

There are published exemptions

The standard exempts the ingredients listed in Appendix D.4 and the situations listed in Appendix D.5 from allergen declaration. The report opened here translates the clause but not the two lists, so this page does not state what is on them.

GB 7718-2025, Article 4.12.3 · Prepackaged Food Labeling Standards Finalized (CH2025-0070), carrying a full English translation of GB 7718-2025 (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing, page dated 2025-04-03, read 2026-07-25)

The standard never covered restaurants

GB 7718 applies to the labelling of prepackaged food. It states in its own scope clause that it does not apply to the labelling of foods in bulk, or to foods that are made and sold on the same spot. A restaurant kitchen, a bakery counter and a street stall are all outside it, before and after March 2027.

GB 7718-2025, Clause 1, Scope · Prepackaged Food Labeling Standards Finalized (CH2025-0070), carrying a full English translation of GB 7718-2025 (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Beijing, page dated 2025-04-03, read 2026-07-25)

Every sealed packet must carry an ingredient list

The Food Safety Law requires the packaging of prepackaged food to carry a label showing the name, specification, net content and production date; the composition or ingredient list; the producer's name, address and contact details; the shelf life; the product standard code; storage conditions; the generic name of any food additive used; and the production licence number. Allergens are not among the nine items.

Article 67 · Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, text published by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, read 2026-07-25)

Loose food gets four fields and no ingredients

When a food business sells food in bulk, the law requires the container or outer packaging to state the name, the production date or batch number, the shelf life, and the name, address and contact details of the producer or seller. There is no requirement to list what is in it.

Article 68 · Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, text published by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, read 2026-07-25)

A label that lies is already illegal

Labels and instructions for food may not contain false content, producers and sellers are responsible for what they put on them, and food that does not match its own label may not be sold. That is the hook for a complaint if a packet's ingredient list turns out to be wrong.

Article 71 · Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, text published by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, read 2026-07-25)

The allergy card is the health authorities' own advice

The CDC tells travellers with allergies to bring cards listing all their food allergies translated into the local language, to bring their allergy emergency response plan in the local language, to give the card to anyone who might be making their meals including restaurant staff, and to always ask about ingredients and check labels — when in doubt, do not eat it.

Allergies and Travel (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, read 2026-07-25)

Carry the auto-injector even when you are not eating

The CDC's instruction is to know when and how to use epinephrine auto-injectors correctly and to carry the auto-injector for all activities, even if you think you will not be eating. The NHS advice for people at risk of anaphylaxis is to carry two auto-injectors at all times and to check their expiry dates regularly.

Allergies and Travel (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, read 2026-07-25)

What a severe reaction looks like, and the order of actions

The NHS lists swelling of the throat and tongue, difficulty breathing or breathing very fast, difficulty swallowing or a tight throat or hoarse voice, wheezing or noisy breathing, tiredness or confusion, faintness, and skin, lips or tongue turning blue, grey or pale. Its sequence is: use the auto-injector, call for an ambulance, lie down, do not stand or walk at any time even if you feel better, and use a second auto-injector if there is no improvement after five minutes.

Anaphylaxis (United Kingdom National Health Service, page dated 2023-06-21, read 2026-07-25)

The ambulance number in China is 120

The UK foreign ministry's China page gives the emergency medical number as 120 and tells travellers to call it and ask for an ambulance. It lists 119 for fire and 110 for police. It also states that healthcare in China is not free and can be very expensive, and that its post keeps a list of doctors and medical facilities where some staff speak English.

Foreign travel advice: China — Getting help (UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, read 2026-07-25)

In short

Allergy questions travellers actually ask

Reading a packet, reading a menu you cannot read, and what to do when a reaction starts.

Do Chinese food labels list allergens?

Not yet, as a legal requirement. GB 7718-2025 makes allergen declaration mandatory for prepackaged food, but it only enters into force on 16 March 2027. Before then a manufacturer may declare allergens and many do, but the absence of an allergen line on a packet tells you nothing. The full ingredient list is required by the Food Safety Law, so translate that instead.

Which allergens will Chinese labels have to declare?

Eight categories: cereals containing gluten such as wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt; crustaceans such as shrimp, lobster and crab; fish; eggs; peanuts; soybeans; dairy including lactose; and nuts. Anything else, including sesame and celery, may be declared voluntarily but does not have to be. That is the list in Article 4.12.1 of the 2025 standard.

Does the labelling rule cover restaurant food?

No. GB 7718 states in its scope clause that it does not apply to foods in bulk or to foods made and sold on the same spot. That excludes restaurant kitchens, bakery counters, deli trays and street stalls, before and after March 2027. In a restaurant the only disclosure mechanism is the question you ask, which is why the written card matters.

I cannot speak Chinese and cannot read the menu. What actually works?

A written card. The CDC's published advice is to bring cards listing all your food allergies translated into the local language and to give the card to anyone who might be making your meal, including restaurant staff. Bring your allergy emergency response plan in Chinese too, and consider a medical alert bracelet. Ask your hotel front desk to check the wording of the card on the first day.

Is street food safe if I ask what is in it?

The CDC does not treat that as sufficient. Its instruction for travellers with allergies is to avoid street food, because there is often no reliable way to check the ingredients. Nothing in Chinese food law fills that gap: a stall is outside the prepackaged labelling standard, and bulk food carries no ingredient list.

Does 'no allergen warning' mean the factory line is dedicated?

No. Cross-contact warnings are encouraged rather than required, including under the 2025 standard, and its own example of carry-over is a shared manufacturing workshop or production line. A packet with no 'may contain' warning may still have been made on a shared line.

I think I am having a reaction in a Chinese restaurant. What do I do?

Use your adrenaline auto-injector first, then call 120 and ask for an ambulance — 120 is the emergency medical number the UK foreign ministry publishes for China. Lie down rather than standing or walking, even if you start to feel better, and use a second auto-injector if there is no improvement after five minutes. That order is the NHS sequence for anaphylaxis.

Who pays for the ambulance and the hospital?

You do. The UK foreign ministry states plainly that healthcare in China is not free and can be very expensive, and tells travellers to hold insurance covering healthcare, medical evacuation and repatriation. It also keeps a list of doctors and medical facilities in China where some staff speak English.

Not published

What we could not confirm

A wrong sentence on this page ends in an ambulance. These gaps are left open on purpose.

Nothing on this page is medical advice. Your allergy plan comes from your own clinician, and this page only reports what the published standards and the health authorities say.
No opened source states what a Chinese restaurant is required to do when a customer declares an allergy. The catering duty this page has read is about raw-material control, not about answering a customer's question.
The two exemption lists in the 2025 standard — Appendix D.4 ingredients and Appendix D.5 situations — are named in the clause but not translated in the report opened here. This page does not state what they exempt.
The English text of GB 7718-2025 used here is the translation in a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report, not an official Chinese-government English version. Two Chinese government sites that publish the announcement refuse connections from this environment.
No opened source publishes an official Chinese-government allergy card, phrase list or template. The Chinese words on this page are ordinary vocabulary offered as a starting point, not text quoted from any authority — have them checked before you rely on them.
No opened source says whether adrenaline auto-injectors can be bought or replaced in China, or under what conditions. Carry what you need and read the medication entry rules before you fly.

Vegetarian and vegan eating

The same labelling rules from the other side, plus the compound-ingredient clause that hides a meat stock.

Open the vegetarian page

If food makes you ill

Rehydration first, the thresholds for seeing a doctor, what a pharmacy will sell you, and how to complain.

Open page

Carrying your medication in

What China lets you bring, the certificate of diagnosis, and the customs channel to use.