Food allergies in Shanghai: hidden allergens, labels, medicine and a card in Chinese

The short answer. Plan as if no one will warn you. Restaurants in China do not have to tell you what allergens a dish contains, and the most common hidden ones in Shanghai are wheat (in soy sauce and every dumpling), shellfish (dried shrimp and oyster sauce), peanut and sesame (as oils and toppings), and egg. Show staff a card in Chinese that names the hidden forms too, from our dietary card tool. Bring your own emergency medicine: we could not confirm that adrenaline auto-injectors are sold in mainland China. The ambulance number is 120.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before you travel.

Where allergens hide in Shanghai food

Allergen	Where it hides	Ask for
Wheat / gluten	Ordinary soy sauce (brewed with wheat); every dumpling, bun, noodle and pancake wrapper; kaofu (wheat gluten); youtiao in cifantuan and savoury soy milk; batters	Rice, but check the sauce
Shellfish	Dried shrimp (虾皮 xiāpí, 开洋 kāiyáng) in soups, noodles and savoury soy milk; oyster sauce (蚝油 háoyóu); crab meat (蟹粉 xièfěn) in autumn dumplings and tofu; river shrimp	不要虾皮、蚝油
Peanut	Peanut oil for frying; crushed peanuts on cold dishes; peanut sauce on cold noodles; peanuts in braised kaofu	不要花生和花生油
Sesame	Sesame oil (香油 xiāngyóu) dripped on at the end; sesame seeds on dabing and shengjian; sesame paste	不要芝麻和香油
Egg	Egg strips in wonton broth; fried rice; dessert soups; batters	不要鸡蛋
Soy	Soy sauce, tofu, tofu skin, soy milk, bean pastes	不要大豆制品
Fish	Fish balls, fish stock, “smoked” fish starters	不要鱼
Milk	Rare in traditional Shanghai food, common in bakeries, milk tea and Western cafés	不要奶制品

A few specifics:

• Soy sauce and gluten. Brewed soy sauce is made from soybeans and wheat. Some laboratory studies have found no measurable gluten in traditionally brewed soy sauce, but coeliac organisations and regulators do not agree on whether it is safe. If you are allergic to wheat, avoid it.
• Chicken powder (鸡精, jījīng) is a common seasoning. It is not pure MSG; ask if you react to egg or chicken.
• Shared oil and woks. Small kitchens fry everything in the same oil and rinse the wok between dishes. If a trace can harm you, tick “severe” on the card, which asks for clean equipment and for the staff to tell you if they can’t promise it.
• Hairy crab is a strong allergen, and Xinhua’s health advice warns that reactions can include hives, throat swelling and asthma. See Hairy crab in Shanghai.

What packaged-food labels tell you

For packaged food from shops and convenience stores, look at the ingredients list (配料, pèiliào) and any allergen note (致敏物质, zhìmǐn wùzhì).

• Until March 2027, under the current standard (GB 7718-2011), allergen labelling is recommended but not compulsory. Some packs have it, many don’t.
• From 16 March 2027, the new standard GB 7718-2025, published by China’s health and market regulators in March 2025, makes allergen labelling compulsory for eight groups: cereals with gluten, crustaceans, fish, eggs, peanuts, soy, milk (including lactose) and tree nuts. Sesame and molluscs are not on the compulsory list.
• Restaurants are not covered. The standard is for packaged food only.

Useful words on a label:

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
小麦	xiǎomài	Wheat
麸质	fūzhì	Gluten
花生	huāshēng	Peanut
坚果	jiānguǒ	Tree nuts
芝麻	zhīma	Sesame
虾 / 蟹	xiā / xiè	Shrimp / crab
鸡蛋	jīdàn	Egg
乳 / 奶	rǔ / nǎi	Milk
大豆	dàdòu	Soy
可能含有	kěnéng hányǒu	May contain

Emergency medicine

• Bring your own adrenaline (epinephrine). We could not find an adrenaline auto-injector approved for sale across mainland China. In December 2025 China’s drug regulator approved an adrenaline nasal spray for severe allergic reactions in adults and children weighing at least 30 kg, but we have not been able to confirm that pharmacies in Shanghai stock it.
• Carry a doctor’s letter that names your allergy and the medicine, ideally with a Chinese translation, and keep the medicine in its original packaging.
• Keep it on you at the table, not in the hotel.
• Antihistamines are sold in pharmacies (药店, yàodiàn), but bring a supply of the one you know.

In an emergency

• Call 120 for an ambulance. The Shanghai government says 120 can take calls in English, but travellers report that this is not always so in practice. Have the address ready in Chinese, then send someone to the door or the nearest corner to meet the ambulance. Our place pages each have a Chinese address card you can show.
• 110 is the police; it takes calls in eight languages including English.
• See Seeing a doctor in Shanghai for hospitals with international departments and how to pay.

Useful sentences:

I’m having a severe allergic reaction. Please call an ambulance. 我严重过敏了，请帮我叫救护车。 (Wǒ yánzhòng guòmǐn le, qǐng bāng wǒ jiào jiùhùchē.)

I have medicine in my bag. 我包里有药。 (Wǒ bāo lǐ yǒu yào.)

How to order more safely

1. Show the card before you order, not after. Build it with our dietary card tool and tick “severe” if traces matter.
2. Let the staff answer on the card. They tap 可以 (can do), 做不到 (can’t), or 我去问一下厨房 (I’ll ask the kitchen), and you see the English.
3. Choose simple dishes cooked to order: steamed fish, plain rice, a vegetable stir-fried in clean oil. Braises, soups and sauces are made in batches and can’t be changed.
4. Ask again when the food arrives: 这个里面有吗？(Zhège lǐmiàn yǒu ma? “Is it in this one?”)
5. If the answer is vague, don’t eat it. A polite “yes” can mean “I didn’t understand”.

For which local dishes contain what, see What to eat in Shanghai.