Food Allergies and International Moves

IntlMOVE (www.IntlMOVE.com) has successfully moved many families overseas.
International moves require a lot of planning and time to adjust to new surroundings.
Luckily, the one thing you don’t have to worry about is shipping your household goods overseas.
Whether you will be moving short-term or long-term, you will want to take your personal belongings with you.
IntlMOVE has been around for many years, so your personal move consultant has the experience necessary to ship your household goods overseas.
You have a whole new way of living to prepare for, so leave the international shipping details to IntlMOVE.

Learning what you can and can’t eat with food allergies can be very demanding.
Some people even have allergies so severe, that they have to worry about health or or not their specific allergen is being manufactured in the same facility as their other food.
People with allergies have learned what questions to ask when eating out and what to look for on nutrition labels.
As many people know, allergies can cause severe reactions or even cause death.

Moving overseas presents a whole new set of problems.
You will have to learn what ingredients are used in their typical cuisine.
There may even be a language barrier that presents problems when eating out or reading nutrition labels.
Other countries may not be as strict about listing allergens on nutrition labels, so the information you need might not even be available.

Overseas Flight
The long flight overseas will be your first concern.
Many airlines are conscious of the growing number of people with allergies.
Airlines can accommodate your concerns, but make sure to double check with your flight attendant before digging in to your meal. 
Be especially cautious if you are allergic to tree nuts, peanuts or shellfish because airlines still serve many snacks and meals with these ingredients.
If you have an extreme allergy, it might be best to bring your own food on the airline.

 Allergy Tips and Tools
When you move overseas, contact a doctor who specializes in allergies when you first arrive in your new country.
The doctor should be able to give you tools and tips to help you understand what local foods are safe and what questions to ask.
There are several websites geared to people with allergies.
The websites can help you understand foreign nutrition labels and help you identify allergen-free foods.
There are allergy cards available online that you can carry with you at all times.
The cards list your allergens in your new country’s language.
The cards will help communicate your allergies to servers at restaurants or other people who are preparing your food.
These cards will come in handy when moving overseas.

Eating at Restaurants
When you first move overseas, you will introduced to local dishes that are unfamiliar to you.
Many of these new meals will tempt you taste buds, but learn what foods are safe before you overindulge.
Look up different recipes online to find out what ingredients go into making these dishes, so you will know what to avoid.
You can also ask your server about how the meals are prepared.
Make sure to ask if there is cross-contamination between products through cooking oils, food preparation or food storage.
Don’t rely completely on your servers because they may not be aware of food allergies or the severity of your allergy.

Packaged Food
The best way to find out what ingredients are in the food you buy is by reading the nutrition labels.
If there is a language barrier in your new adopted country, you need to spend time learning the new words for your allergens.
Utilize online resources to help you understand the foreign nutrition labels.
Some countries are only required to list major ingredients in the product.
Other countries are not required to list any ingredients.
You are better off preparing your meals from scratch rather than exposing yourself to your allergen until you can be sure the food is safe.

Conclusion
Restaurants in the United States are typically sensitive to patrons with allergies.
This is not the case in all other countries.
In addition to the lack of widespread allergy knowledge, there may also be a lack of medical facilities in your new country. 
Prepare for medical emergencies by knowing who to call in case you accidentally ingest food that causes an allergic reaction.
Until you have a firm handle on what foods are safe for you to eat, you should take precautionary measures.
If you have a severe allergy, carry an Epi-pen or other prescriptions prescribed by your doctor.
Bring safe foods to work or daylong excursions, so you know your food is allergen free.
After time and research, you will soon be able to enjoy the diverse foods that your new home offers!