Mustard and Celery Allergy: Where They Hide

Mustard and celery are two of the 14 allergens that must be declared on food in the EU. Compared with milk, eggs or nuts, they are less well known, yet they often hide in dressings, spice blends, stocks and cured meats. The biggest problem is that they are not always visible: celery can be blended into a stock and mustard stirred into a dressing. With these allergies, it is therefore important to ask specific questions.

Why these allergens are less well known

On the list of 14 allergens, mustard (number 10) and celery (number 9) have the same standing as peanuts or fish. In everyday conversation they are rarely mentioned, so kitchens and guests alike forget about them. Largely, they are ingredients used as spices and flavourings, not as the main component of a dish. That is also why people with this allergy often discover a hidden source only afterwards, when they look up the ingredients. You can find the full list of allergens in The 14 EU food allergens.

The scope of labelling is broad. For celery, it covers not only stalk celery but also celeriac (the root vegetable), along with the leaves and seeds. For mustard, it covers the seeds, mustard powder and prepared mustard. Celery remains an allergen after cooking, so cooking does not usually make it less of a problem.

Celery: where it is found

Celery is used in almost every savoury cuisine, often without the guest seeing it.

• Stocks and soups. Homemade and ready-made stocks and bouillon often contain celery or celeriac. Soups made from stock are the most common place for hidden celery.
• Spice blends and salt. There is "celery salt", and many all-purpose spice blends for meat, soups or salad dressings contain celery.
• Dressings and sauces. Especially various sauce bases, ketchups and marinades.
• Cured meats and meat products. Sausages, salami, pâtés and other products may contain celery in the seasoning.
• Salads and vegetable dishes. Potato salad, vegetable salads and vegetable mixes.
• Juices and drinks. Vegetable juices and some cocktails (for example those based on tomato juice).
• Vegan and vegetarian dishes. Celery is used in them as a flavour base in place of meat stock. So ask about the stock as well; you will find more in Vegan restaurants and Vegetarian restaurants.

Celery and pollen allergy

Some people with a pollen allergy (for example to birch or mugwort) also react to celery. This is known as cross-reactivity. If you have this combination, questions about celery belong among your regular questions. Whether and how this applies to you is for an allergist to decide.

Mustard: where it is found

Mustard is not found only as the yellow spread served with sausages.

• Dressings and mayonnaise. Mustard is added to vinaigrettes, mayonnaise and various creamy dressings as an emulsifier.
• Marinades and sauces. Barbecue sauces, curry pastes and ready-made sauce bases.
• Cured meats and meat products. Sausages, frankfurters, hams, roast meat with a crust.
• Pickling liquids and pickled vegetables. Gherkins, pickled onions, salad dressings.
• Spice blends. Blends for chicken, fish and grilling. On a label it may be listed as "mustard seeds" or "mustard powder".
• Indian and Asian cuisine. Mustard seeds and mustard oil are used in several regional dishes.
• Ready meals and snacks. Sandwiches, wraps, hot dogs, sausages in a bread roll.

Mustard seeds in blends and in cooked dishes may not be detectable by sight or taste.

Prepacked food and non-prepacked food

On prepacked food, the allergen must be highlighted in the ingredients list, for example in bold, capitals or underlined. With celery and mustard, reading the label is therefore the first step. In a restaurant there is no label: it is non-prepacked food, where allergen information is provided in writing or verbally, according to the rules of the member state. Here you should rely on a conversation with the staff more than you would when shopping.

What to ask in a restaurant

With these allergens, the question "does it contain mustard?" is not enough. Many dishes have it in a component that nobody thinks to mention. So ask about:

1. Stock. "What is the stock in the soup or sauce made from? Does it contain celery?" If a ready-made stock base is used, ask for the ingredients.
2. Dressing and marinade. "Is there mustard in the dressing? Was the meat marinated in it?"
3. Spice blend. "Do you use an all-purpose blend for meat? Does it contain celery or mustard?"
4. Cured meats and sausages. "Can you tell me whether the sausages or salamis contain mustard or celery?"
5. Containers and utensils. With a severe allergy, ask whether the same utensils are used for dishes with mustard.

It is a good sign when the staff can look up the ingredients or ask the cook. Be cautious about a quick answer of "there is nothing like that in it" if nobody has looked. You can find more questions and an approach in How to ask about allergens in a restaurant.

How to read a menu

On menus, allergens are often shown as numbers. Celery is usually number 9 and mustard number 10. Be careful, though: the numbering is a custom, not a universal rule, and some venues use a different system. If the number does not match the key on the menu, ask. Likewise, the labelling on a menu may be incomplete or out of date. Always treat it as a starting point, not a guarantee. For more on this, see Allergen numbers on menus.

What to do if you have doubts

• Choose a simpler dish with few ingredients, such as roast meat with a simple side whose ingredients the staff can confirm.
• Avoid soups, sauces and ready-made dressings if you do not know what is in them.
• If the staff cannot answer, ask for the cook or the shift manager.
• If you do not feel safe, it is fine not to order the dish.

If you have signs of a severe reaction, such as difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or weakness, call 112, the emergency number across the EU. If you have been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector, use it as your doctor instructed.

How AvoiDino can help

In AvoiDino you can set celery or mustard as your allergens and filter dishes by allergen. It helps you narrow your choice, but it does not replace asking the staff, especially about hidden ingredients such as stock or a spice blend.

Frequently asked questions

Are celery and mustard among the 14 EU allergens?

Yes. Celery and products made from it are item 9 on the list of 14 allergens, and mustard and products made from it are item 10. For non-prepacked food in a restaurant, the information must be available.

Is celeriac the same as stalk celery?

Celery as a whole is covered by allergen labelling, including celeriac. If you are allergic to celery, avoid both unless your allergist tells you otherwise.

Does cooking destroy the allergen in celery or mustard?

Not reliably. Celery, for example, remains an allergen after cooking. So do not rely on a cooked dish having "nothing left in it".

Can mustard be in food where I cannot see it?

Yes. It is often in dressings, mayonnaise, marinades, cured meats and spice blends. So ask about the ingredients, not only about the finished dish.

Can celery be replaced by something else in a stock?

Some kitchens can prepare a dish without celery, but it depends on the venue and on the ready-made bases. Ask in advance.

Sources

• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex II (substances causing allergies or intolerances) and Article 44.
• EFSA: Scientific Opinion on the evaluation of allergenic foods and food ingredients for labelling purposes, EFSA Journal, 2014.

This information is general and does not replace medical advice. If you have an allergy, always check the ingredients with the staff.