Can a Spanish speaker help me with this allergy card to show restaurants in Spain?

[KimGa]

Last time we holidayed in Menorca we struggled to get waiters in restaurants to understand when we tried to tell them about our son's nut allergy as we don't speak Spanish fluently.

Next weekend we are travelling to the Costa del Sol and I have since discovered allergy cards exist that you can show to a restaurant. I want to create my own. I have put my English wording into google translate but I wonder whether someone could kindly check sense-check the Spanish for me?
Mi hijo tiene una alergia alimentaria grave. Para evitar una reacción alérgica potencialmente mortal, no debe consumir ningún alimento que contenga frutos secos.Por favor, confirme que su comida no contenga frutos secos ni derivados. Asegúrese de que su comida se prepare con utensilios y equipos limpios para evitar la contaminación cruzada. Gracias.
I am hoping it says:

My son has a serious food allergy. To prevent a life-threatening allergic reaction, he must not any food which contains nuts.

Please confirm his meal is free from nuts and nut products. Please ensure his meal is prepared using clean utensils and equipment to prevent cross-contamination. Thank you.

Agree with this in that your original message is not safe. The original says dried fruits, which in Spanish means dried fruits but CAN also include nuts.

It is far too vague and I would not consider that clear or safe.

Cacahuetes means peanuts. These are not nuts but legumes (botanically and hence allergically).

OP is it a nut allergy? - if so which?

Or is it a peanut allergy? - if so legumes.

I would be extremely clear and specific.

I suspect this is how the terrible tragedy happened to the young TV worker in Hungary. Her family were saying she had a peanut allergy, yet the translation said nuts. Peanuts are NOT nuts they are legumes and in other languages there will not be the confusion like there is in English where people think peanuts are nuts (because the English word is misleading).

Peanuts are not nuts they are legumes (botanically and for allergies).

It has to be far more specific.

It's not complicated, what you posted is perfectly correct and understandable. I am a professional translator and have been living in Andalucía and speaking Spanish every day for 25 years. Frutos secos is nuts. Cacahuetes is peanuts and nueces are walnuts. Pecan nuts are sometimes called nuez pecana or just nuez (same word as walnut) but are almost never used really in Andalucía. I have never come across them here. Under Spanish law all restaurants must include a list of allergens on menus.

If you say frutos secos to an average Spaniard they will understand know nuts and peanuts. If you want to be specific then list nueces (walnuts), cacahuete (peanuts) and nuez pacana. All restaurants in Spain are required by law to display lists of allergens in their food

In which case you should state this.

Walnut = nuez / nogal

Pecan = pacana

This is a TREE NUT ALLERGY = Alergia a los frutos secos/nueces de árbol.

The Allergy UK cards also include cards with details about how the food should be prepared to avoid cross contamination and translations for how to call for help and explain anaphylaxis and any treatment you have given in the relevant language.

i'm not sure I'd be crowd sourcing that off Mumsnet , where anyone can claim they are anything, for the sake of £20

The you are being medically ignorant because it's the botanical group that shows what the allergy is.

Allergy doesn't care what the name of each item is in a language; allergies are connected through botanical groups.

Exactly!

People saying they don't care about botanical groups are showing complete ignorance of allergies.

Go to a reliable source, not randoms on Mumsnet.

Walnut is nuez/nueces. Nogal is walnut tree.

Ps that's also baffling advice from your allergy doctor given the ease with which things can get lost in translation. I would always say "no nuts" and also list the specific nuts it is critical to avoid.

Does your translation also include info about foods cooked in nut oils e g groundnut oil/ peanut oil?

It's the best way to be specific though isn't it. Because nuez can also be generic.

Yes, nuts are confusing in Spanish.

But all menús should list all allergens by law as well.

We have found no nuts in general is a good rule in the UK but probably not when it comes to translation into other languages, then. When we call it a tree nut allergy in uk restaurants some are great but others genuinely don’t have a clue what that is. Last week a chef refused to serve us a dish because it contained nutmeg. We regularly get asked if coconut is ok.

Good to hear walnuts/pecans are not really used in this area, we thought this was the case and we have stopped holidaying in Greece because of the walnut prevalence.

Even in the UK I have always said both "no nuts" and listed the particular nuts. It's just good practice.

That's why you need to be very specific @KimGa

Nutmeg & peanut: English speaking people often think they are nuts because the letters n-u-t are in the word. Neither of these are nuts. Nutmeg is a seed and peanut is a legume. This is crucial info when dealing with allergies.

Walnuts and pecans can certainly be used in Spain. Maybe not as often as other nuts but I'd never be complacent with a serious allergy, as I am sure you know.

I can't vouch for the accuracy of their translations not having used this site, but maybe this sort of thing might be useful?

https://equaleats.com/collections/popular-plastic-cards/products/customized-card

Maybe a silly suggestion but could you also include images of what he’s allergic to? With red cross through or NO underneath or something.

This card might be good?

https://equaleats.com/collections/popular-plastic-cards/products/tree-nut-allergy-card

My DD made a flyer herself and also added the photos of her allergens for reference. She made it in multiple languages and the other side has a few emergency contacts too. So far so good.

You’ll probably be fine with most main dishes, it’s the deserts that can be tricky.

jext have a free app and within the app multiple languages with allergy notifications which you create a screenshot or show on your phone.

I was going to do the same but for more peace of mind & because it was for my child, I paid the money. Its £10 for digital.

I see a few people have posted this link already
equaleats.com/collections/digital-translation-cards
But the digital cards are cheaper than printed and you can get 15% off with the code MAYCONTAIN
I used them in Croatia and they were great.

Also the MayContain Instagram account has loads of brilliant tips for travelling with allergies.

I’ve done this in the past; go to fiverr.com and post your English card to a local Spanish speaker as a translation job. Then post their translation back to an English/ Spanish translation job to check it. It means you can be very specific in both the allergies you are listing, the actions you need to have taken in an emergency, but you can also list what you could have - “Can you cook a plain chicken breast and chips with nothing other than cooking/olive oil”

You could add some photos of nuts around the card to be completely clear