🥬Celery allergy
Celery is one of the 14 major food allergens in the EU and UK. The allergy covers every part of the plant — stalks, leaves, seeds and the root (celeriac) — and celery is often hidden in stocks, soups and spice mixes, so it is managed by reading labels and asking about ingredients every time.
🔬What it means
In a celery allergy the immune system mistakes celery proteins for a threat and releases chemicals such as histamine. Reactions range from an itchy mouth to severe anaphylaxis, and some celery proteins survive cooking, so cooked celery and celeriac are not automatically safe.
Many people with a celery allergy are also allergic to birch or mugwort pollen, and some react to related plants and spices. An allergist can test which foods are safe for you.
✅What you can eat
Everything that does not contain celery in any form. Plain meat, fish, eggs, dairy, grains, fruit and most vegetables are naturally celery-free. Home-made stocks and sauces let you control what goes in. Whether related vegetables and spices are safe depends on your own tests — ask your allergist.
🚫What to avoid
- 🥬Celery in any form: stalks, leaves, celeriac, celery seed, celery salt, celery juice.
- 🍲Stocks and soups: stock cubes and powders, bouillon, gravy, many soups and stews (celery is a usual base, as in mirepoix and soffritto).
- 🧂Spice mixes and seasonings: some curry powders, seasoning blends, marinades and ready sauces.
- 🥗Salads and snacks: Waldorf salad, some coleslaws and potato salads, sandwich fillings and seasoned crisps.
- 🍹Drinks: celery juice and some tomato juices and Bloody Mary mixes.
- 🏷️Labels: in the EU and UK celery must be highlighted in the ingredients. US rules do not require it, so check imported products carefully.
- 🍽️In restaurants: tell the staff about the allergy every time; ask about stocks, sauces and seasonings, not just visible celery.
⚠️What happens during a reaction
Symptoms usually start within minutes to two hours: itchy or tingling mouth and throat, hives, redness, swelling of the lips or face, stomach pain, vomiting, sneezing or a runny nose.
A severe reaction — anaphylaxis — affects breathing or circulation: swelling of the tongue or throat, hoarse voice, wheezing, difficulty breathing, feeling faint, pale or floppy skin, collapse. It can develop fast and is life-threatening.
A mild reaction in the past does not guarantee the next one will be mild. Exercise soon after eating can make some reactions worse.
🚑When to get help urgently
If there are any signs of anaphylaxis, use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one and call emergency services immediately, even if symptoms improve. Lie down with legs raised (or sit up if it is hard to breathe) and do not stand up or walk suddenly. After any reaction, see a doctor about an allergy plan.
📱How Me Nutrition helps
Every dish in the app and on this site shows the major allergens of a typical recipe, including celery, and which ingredient contains it. Recipes differ and stocks or spice mixes may contain celery, so always check with whoever cooked the dish.
Dishes that contain it: 38
Sources
Written from the sources below; not reviewed by a doctor. Not medical advice. How we count →