Travelling Europe gluten-free can feel like a minefield if you’re not confident reading food labels. Let alone adding dairy into it as well. But don’t stress, with a few key words, spotting gluten and dairy becomes much easier. Here’s a breakdown of how to decode ingredient lists in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Greek, Polish, Portuguese and Turkish plus the labelling laws that help you stay safe.
Make sure you also know when to use a translation app vs. an allergy card when your overseas.
With a little prep and the right tools, you can enjoy the food without panic.
Headed to Europe? If you want everything in one place, your dietary restrictions listed in the local language, an allergy card to show restaurant staff, key phrases for when your allergy card isn’t enough plus local foods to try and any watch outs, the Essentials Travel Pack builds it all for your exact combination. It gives you what you need in minutes, not hours.
EU-Wide Packaging Requirements
Under EU Regulation No 1169/2011, all packaged foods sold in the EU must:
- Clearly label the 14 major allergens, including gluten-containing cereals
- Highlight allergens in the ingredients list (bold, all caps, or underline)
- List sub-ingredients if a compound ingredient (like “sausages”) contains an allergen
- Use the local language(s) of the country where it’s sold
This means wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt must be clearly mentioned and highlighted, no matter the language.
Gluten Ingredients in European Languages
If you’re new to reading European labels, gluten is trickier than it looks. It’s not always listed as “gluten”, instead you’re scanning for the grains it comes from, and the words that signal it’s been processed or added.
What to watch for
Gluten hides in places you wouldn’t expect in European cooking: in stocks and sauces thickened with flour, in cured meats with breadcrumb fillers, in soups, marinades, and seasoning mixes. The most common culprits are wheat flour, barley malt, and soy sauce. Often buried mid-ingredients list under names that don’t immediately read as “gluten” in any language.
Dutch: Reading Gluten on Labels
Common gluten ingredients to watch for:
- Tarwe = wheat
- Gerst = barley
- Rogge = rye
- Haver = oats
- Spelt = spelt
- Bloem = flour
- Gluten = gluten
- Mout = malt
Label tip: Dutch products will say “bevat gluten” (contains gluten) or “glutenvrij” (gluten-free). Allergen ingredients are usually bolded.
French: Reading Gluten on Labels
Common gluten ingredients to watch for:
- Blé = wheat
- Orge = barley
- Seigle = rye
- Avoine = oats
- Épeautre = spelt
- Farine = flour
- Semoule = semolina
- Gluten de blé = wheat gluten
- Malt d’orge = barley malt
Label tip: Allergens like blé will often be bold or UNDERLINED. If you see “contient du gluten,” avoid.
German: Reading Gluten on Labels
Common gluten ingredients to watch for:
- Weizen = wheat
- Gerste = barley
- Roggen = rye
- Hafer = oats
- Dinkel = spelt
- Mehl = flour
- Weizengluten = wheat gluten
- Gerstenmalz = barley malt
Label tip: Look for “enthält Gluten” (contains gluten) or “glutenfrei” (gluten-free). Gluten ingredients are typically in bold.
Greek: Reading Gluten on Labels
Common gluten ingredients to watch for:
- Σιτάρι / Σίτος (sitári / sítos) = wheat
- Κριθάρι (krithári) = barley
- Σίκαλη (síkali) = rye
- Βρώμη (vrómi) = oats
- Ζέα / Όλυρα (zéa / ólyra) = spelt
- Αλεύρι (aléfri) = flour
- Γλουτένη (glouténi) = gluten
- Βύνη (víni) = malt
Label tip: Greek packaging uses the Greek alphabet, so it looks different at a glance. Look for “περιέχει γλουτένη” (contains gluten) or “χωρίς γλουτένη” (gluten-free). When in doubt, use a translation app to scan the label — this is one language where it earns its place.
Related guide: Headed to Greece? Check out our Travel Phrase Guide to generate personalised phrases for your trip.
Create your free customised allergy card
Sign up to our free membership and generate your card in minutes.
Italian: Reading Gluten on Labels
Common gluten ingredients to watch for:
- Grano = wheat
- Orzo = barley
- Segale = rye
- Avena = oats
- Farro = spelt
- Farina = flour
- Glutine = gluten
- Malto = malt
Label tip: Italy is very celiac-aware. Look for “senza glutine” for safe products, and beware of “contiene glutine”.
Spanish: Reading Gluten on Labels
Common gluten ingredients to watch for:
- Trigo = wheat
- Cebada = barley
- Centeno = rye
- Avena = oats
- Espelta = spelt
- Harina = flour
- Gluten de trigo = wheat gluten
- Malta = malt
Label tip: Look for phrases like “contiene gluten” (contains gluten) or “sin gluten” (gluten-free). Allergen info is usually bolded or listed separately.
Related guide: Headed to Spain? Check out our Ultimate Gluten-Free Travel Guide to Spain for more great advice
Polish: Reading Gluten on Labels
Common gluten ingredients to watch for:
- Pszenica = wheat
- Jęczmień = barley
- Żyto = rye
- Owies = oats
- Orkisz = spelt
- Mąka = flour
- Gluten = gluten
- Słód = malt
Label tip: Look for “zawiera gluten” (contains gluten) or “bez glutenu” (gluten-free). As an EU member, Poland follows the same allergen labelling rules — gluten-containing grains will be bolded or highlighted. Polish packaging can be dense with text, so scan for the bolded words rather than reading every line.
Portuguese: Reading Gluten on Labels
Common gluten ingredients to watch for:
- Trigo = wheat
- Cevada = barley
- Centeio = rye
- Aveia = oats
- Espelta = spelt
- Farinha = flour
- Glúten = gluten
- Malte = malt
Label tip: Look for “contém glúten” (contains gluten) or “sem glúten” (gluten-free). EU rules apply, so allergens will be bolded or highlighted in the ingredients list. Portugal and Brazil share the language but labelling laws differ — this guide covers Portugal and EU-sold products.
Turkish: Reading Gluten on Labels
Common gluten ingredients to watch for:
- Buğday = wheat
- Arpa = barley
- Çavdar = rye
- Yulaf = oats
- Kılıçbuğday / Kavılca = spelt
- Un = flour
- Glüten = gluten
- Malt = malt
Label tip: Turkey is not an EU member so labelling rules differ slightly, though in practice most major food manufacturers follow similar standards. Look for “glüten içerir” (contains gluten) or “glutensiz” (gluten-free). Turkish cuisine uses a lot of wheat-based ingredients — bulgur, börek, simit — so knowing these words is particularly useful when shopping.
Summary Table — Gluten (Save or screenshot)
| Ingredient | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Dutch | Portuguese | Polish | Greek | Turkish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | Blé | Trigo | Grano | Weizen | Tarwe | Trigo | Pszenica | Σιτάρι | Buğday |
| Barley | Orge | Cebada | Orzo | Gerste | Gerst | Cevada | Jęczmień | Κριθάρι | Arpa |
| Rye | Seigle | Centeno | Segale | Roggen | Rogge | Centeio | Żyto | Σίκαλη | Çavdar |
| Oats | Avoine | Avena | Avena | Hafer | Haver | Aveia | Owies | Βρώμη | Yulaf |
| Spelt | Épeautre | Espelta | Farro | Dinkel | Spelt | Espelta | Orkisz | Ζέα | Kılıçbuğday |
| Flour | Farine | Harina | Farina | Mehl | Bloem | Farinha | Mąka | Αλεύρι | Un |
| Gluten | Gluten de blé | Gluten de trigo | Glutine | Weizengluten | Gluten | Glúten | Gluten | Γλουτένη | Glüten |
| Malt | Malt d’orge | Malta | Malto | Gerstenmalz | Mout | Malte | Słód | Βύνη | Malt |
| Contains Gluten | Contient du gluten | Contiene gluten | Contiene glutine | Enthält Gluten | Bevat gluten | Contém glúten | Zawiera gluten | Περιέχει γλουτένη | Glüten içerir |
| Gluten-Free | Sans gluten | Sin gluten | Senza glutine | Glutenfrei | Glutenvrij | Sem glúten | Bez glutenu | Χωρίς γλουτένη | Glutensiz |
Dairy Ingredients in European Languages
If you’re gluten and dairy free — like a lot of us — the gluten words are only half the story. Here are the key dairy terms to watch for across the same nine languages, plus the phrases to look for on labels.
What to watch for
Dairy hides in many European dishes and packaged foods: in sauces, pastry, cured meats, soups, and baked goods. The most common culprits are butter, cream, and milk powder — often listed as ingredients you wouldn’t immediately recognise in another language.
Dairy in Dutch
- Melk = milk
- Boter = butter
- Room / Slagroom = cream
- Kaas = cheese
- Lactose = lactose
- Wei = whey
- Caseïne = casein
- Melkpoeder = milk powder
Label tip: “Bevat melk” = contains milk. “Lactosevrij” = lactose-free. “Melkvrij” = dairy-free.
Dairy in French
- Lait = milk
- Beurre = butter
- Crème = cream
- Fromage = cheese
- Lactose = lactose
- Lactosérum / Petit-lait = whey
- Caséine = casein
- Poudre de lait = milk powder
Label tip: Look for “contient du lait” (contains milk) or “sans lactose” (lactose-free, not the same as dairy-free). “Sans produits laitiers” means dairy-free.
Dairy in German
- Milch = milk
- Butter = butter
- Sahne / Rahm = cream
- Käse = cheese
- Laktose = lactose
- Molke = whey
- Kasein = casein
- Milchpulver = milk powder
Label tip: “Enthält Milch” = contains milk. “Laktosefrei” = lactose-free (not dairy-free). “Milchfrei” = milk-free / dairy-free.
Dairy in Greek
- Γάλα (gála) = milk
- Βούτυρο (voútyro) = butter
- Κρέμα (kréma) = cream
- Τυρί (tyrí) = cheese
- Λακτόζη (laktózi) = lactose
- Ορός γάλακτος (orós gálaktos) = whey
- Καζεΐνη (kazéïni) = casein
- Γάλα σε σκόνη (gála se skóni) = milk powder
Label tip: “Περιέχει γάλα” = contains milk. As with gluten, use a translation app to scan Greek labels if you’re unsure.
Dairy in Italian
- Latte = milk
- Burro = butter
- Panna / Crema = cream
- Formaggio = cheese
- Lattosio = lactose
- Siero di latte = whey
- Caseina = casein
- Latte in polvere = milk powder
Label tip: “Contiene latte” = contains milk. Italy is very cheese-forward — parmesan (Parmigiano) and pecorino appear in many dishes that don’t look dairy-heavy on the menu. Always ask.
Dairy in Spanish
- Leche = milk
- Mantequilla = butter
- Nata / Crema = cream
- Queso = cheese
- Lactosa = lactose
- Suero de leche = whey
- Caseína = casein
- Leche en polvo = milk powder
Label tip: “Contiene leche” = contains milk. “Sin lactosa” = lactose-free (not dairy-free). “Sin lácteos” = dairy-free.
Dairy in Polish
- Mleko = milk
- Masło = butter
- Śmietana / Śmietanka = cream
- Ser = cheese
- Laktoza = lactose
- Serwatka = whey
- Kazeina = casein
- Mleko w proszku = milk powder
Label tip: “Zawiera mleko” = contains milk. “Bez laktozy” = lactose-free. “Bez nabiału” = dairy-free.
Dairy in Portuguese
- Leite = milk
- Manteiga = butter
- Natas / Creme = cream
- Queijo = cheese
- Lactose = lactose
- Soro de leite = whey
- Caseína = casein
- Leite em pó = milk powder
Label tip: “Contém leite” = contains milk. “Sem lactose” = lactose-free. “Sem laticínios” = dairy-free.
Dairy in Turkish
- Süt = milk
- Tereyağı = butter
- Krema = cream
- Peynir = cheese
- Laktoz = lactose
- Peynir altı suyu = whey
- Kazein = casein
- Süt tozu = milk powder
Label tip: “Süt içerir” = contains milk. “Laktozsuz” = lactose-free. “Sütsüz” = dairy-free / milk-free.
Get Started for USD$5
Start your trip with Personalised guidance for travellers like you
Safe dishes, hidden risks, cultural context, allergy cards, and real‑world strategies for eating safely abroad.
Summary Table — Dairy (Save or screenshot)
| Ingredient | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Dutch | Portuguese | Polish | Greek | Turkish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk | Lait | Leche | Latte | Milch | Melk | Leite | Mleko | Γάλα | Süt |
| Butter | Beurre | Mantequilla | Burro | Butter | Boter | Manteiga | Masło | Βούτυρο | Tereyağı |
| Cream | Crème | Nata | Panna | Sahne | Room | Natas | Śmietana | Κρέμα | Krema |
| Cheese | Fromage | Queso | Formaggio | Käse | Kaas | Queijo | Ser | Τυρί | Peynir |
| Lactose | Lactose | Lactosa | Lattosio | Laktose | Lactose | Lactose | Laktoza | Λακτόζη | Laktoz |
| Whey | Lactosérum | Suero de leche | Siero di latte | Molke | Wei | Soro de leite | Serwatka | Ορός γάλακτος | Peynir altı suyu |
| Milk Powder | Poudre de lait | Leche en polvo | Latte in polvere | Milchpulver | Melkpoeder | Leite em pó | Mleko w proszku | Γάλα σε σκόνη | Süt tozu |
| Contains Milk | Contient du lait | Contiene leche | Contiene latte | Enthält Milch | Bevat melk | Contém leite | Zawiera mleko | Περιέχει γάλα | Süt içerir |
| Dairy-Free | Sans produits laitiers | Sin lácteos | Senza latticini | Milchfrei | Melkvrij | Sem laticínios | Bez nabiału | Χωρίς γαλακτοκομικά | Sütsüz |
Take it further, at your own pace
All our guides, tools, and advice are organised by level in one place — an easy page to bookmark and return to as you build confidence. Because food shouldn’t be the hardest part of your trip.
Pro Tip:
Even though EU labels are quite reliable, cross-contamination is not always obvious. When in doubt:
- Look for certified logos (like “Spiga Barrata” in Italy)
- Use a local-language allergy card and / or a translation app when dining out
- Stick to naturally gluten-free items with minimal ingredients
- If unsure use a translation app to translate the ingredients (It can scan the packaging, check out our video) or use our meal suitability tool where it can scan the packaging and make a recommendation
FAQ
How do I read gluten labels in European countries?
In Europe, allergens including gluten, must be clearly listed and highlighted on packaging, usually in bold or uppercase letters. Learning the key words for wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt in local languages helps you identify gluten in ingredient lists.
Do these rules apply if I’m buying food at a market or restaurant?
The EU rules only cover packaged foods, restaurants have separate (and weaker) obligations. When in doubt ask questions. Our Essentials Travel Pack can help you with what to ask and when or if in doubt use a translation app.
What does ‘gluten-free’ mean on European food packaging?
In the EU, “gluten-free” means the product contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. Labels will say “sans gluten” (French), “sin gluten” (Spanish), “senza glutine” (Italian), “glutenfrei” (German), or “glutenvrij” (Dutch).
What words should I look for to spot gluten in other languages?
Scan for the grain names first (e.g. wheat, barley, rye, oats), then look for processed forms like malt and flour. When in doubt use a translation app
What’s the difference between lactose-free and dairy-free on European labels?
Lactose is a component of dairy so a product may contain dairy but be lactose free. For example often parmesan cheese is lactose free but it contains dairy.
Does gluten-free mean the same thing across all EU countries?
The short answer is yes for packaged food (the 20ppm rule applies everywhere), but restaurants are a different story and awareness varies enormously between say Italy and Poland, so make sure you ask questions. Our Essentials Travel Pack can help you with what to ask and when or if in doubt use a translation app.
What if the label is only in a language I can’t read at all?
This is where a translation app earns its place. Most will let you point your camera at a label and translate it in real time, even without an internet connection if you’ve downloaded the language pack in advance. For restaurants and ordering, an allergy card in the local language is often more reliable than a translation app in a busy or fast-paced situation. We’ve covered exactly when to use them, and how to use them together in our guide to allergy cards vs translation apps.
Jo is the founder of Globally Sauced, a travel platform for dietary restricted travellers and is gluten and dairy free. When not outdoors or travelling, she loves to empower people with dietary restrictions so they can explore the world safely.
Globally Sauced offers verified restaurant recommendations, country-specific guides, food label / menu translations, and more downloadable resources for gluten-free, dairy-free, allergy-conscious and other dietary restricted travellers. Learn more at globallysauced.com
