Gluten-free In China

[simplygf]

I've searched the internet for anything related to a gluten-free diet in China and found very little information. Is there anyone in China who has wheat allergies??

My husband has wheat allergies and we live in Shanghai. We're originally from the U.S., so coming out here with this dietary requirement has been quite difficult. China is not gluten-free friendly at all! Packaged food products do not have adequate labeling so it is difficult tell what ingredients are included. Eating out is even more difficult because nobody seems to understand the seriousness of people with food allergies.

Anyway, I haven't found any useful resources about eating gluten-free in China, so I decided to start a blog and be the first to contribute something useful. You can find the blog in my profile.

If anyone is traveling to China or is currently living in China, I'd love to hear from you and share/learn about gluten-free related tips.

[mftnchn]

Hello, I am living in NE China and am gluten-free. Yes is is quite challenging. You've found the right section of the forum, do a search for China and you'll find a number of posts.

Are you dealing with celiac disease or a wheat allergy? If a wheat allergy, what degree of strictness is required for your husband (this varies from person to person)?

Eating out is pretty impossible for me because I have to follow the strict guidelines as outlined here on the forum--cross contamination is a major problem. I travel quite a bit and have to carry my food with me. I also have to be soy free and corn free.

Soy sauce all contains wheat, and MSG is wheat based here, so that pretty much eliminates eating most Chinese dishes other than plain rice. I've done okay with the Outback Steakhouse in Beijing, and another western restaurant where the owner is American and was able to find certain dishes on the menu that I could have. However, in the city where I live, I can't eat out.