Is celeriac covered by the celery allergen?

Yes. Annex II covers celery and products thereof, which includes celeriac root, leaves, seeds and stalks.

Does celery salt have to be declared?

Yes. Celery salt contains ground celery seed and must be declared as celery.

Do stock cubes contain celery?

Many do. Check the label of every stock cube and bouillon, because celery is a common ingredient.

Why is celery allergy more common in some countries?

It is linked to birch and mugwort pollen allergy, which is more common in central Europe, where celery allergy is reported more often.

Does cooking remove the celery allergen?

Not reliably. Celeriac and celery seed in particular keep their allergens after cooking, so a cooked stock or soup containing celery must still be declared.

Celery allergy: the allergen restaurants miss most, and where it hides

By the Menulta editorial team · Facts checked 15 October 2026 · Updated 15 October 2026

The short answer

A celery allergy is an immune reaction to proteins in celery, including the stalks, leaves, seeds and root (celeriac). It is more common in central Europe and can cause severe reactions, sometimes linked to pollen allergy. Celery is one of the 14 EU allergens and covers all parts of the plant and products made from it. It hides in stocks, stock cubes, soffritto and mirepoix bases, soups, stews, celery salt and many spice blends, which is why it is among the allergens most often missed on menus.

Why celery is on the EU list

Celery allergy is particularly common in parts of central Europe, including Germany, Switzerland and France, where it is often linked to birch and mugwort pollen allergy (the 'celery-mugwort-spice syndrome'). Unlike many pollen-related food allergies, celery allergy can cause severe reactions, and celeriac and celery seed retain their allergens after cooking.

Annex II lists 'celery and products thereof' with no exemptions. That includes the stalk, the leaves, the seed, celeriac root, celery salt, celery extract and celery powder.

Where celery hides

Celery is rarely the star of a dish, which is why it is so often missed. It sits in the base layers of cooking.

Hidden celery in restaurant cooking
Component	Why it contains celery
Soffritto, mirepoix, holy trinity	Celery is one of the three base vegetables
Stocks, broths and stock cubes	Celery in the vegetable base or seasoning
Soups	Minestrone, Maltese minestra and many vegetable soups
Stews and braises	Celery in the base, including many ragù and stuffat recipes
Celery salt	Rimming salt for Bloody Marys, some seasoning blends
Spice blends and curry powders	Celery seed is a common ingredient
Processed meats	Celery powder used as a natural curing agent in some 'no added nitrite' products
Salads and slaws	Waldorf salad, remoulade with celeriac

Celery powder in cured meats

Some processed meats labelled 'no added nitrite' or 'naturally cured' use celery powder or celery juice concentrate, which naturally contains nitrates. These products must declare celery. A charcuterie board, burger or sausage from a new supplier can introduce celery without anyone in the kitchen noticing, so read the label of every cured meat.

Celery in Maltese and Italian cooking

Maltese minestra, kawlata, many stuffat recipes and the soffritto base of Italian sauces and risottos commonly use celery. Bought-in stock cubes and bouillon powders, widely used for soups and rice dishes such as ross il-forn, often list celery or celery extract. A kitchen that never puts a stick of celery on a plate can still have celery in half of its menu.

How to make sure celery is never missed

Go through every recipe and look at the base: the soffritto, the stock, the seasoning. Read the label of every stock cube, bouillon, gravy mix, spice blend and processed meat. Record celery wherever it appears, even as a small part of a base. When a dish has a celery-free version, make it as a planned recipe with its own base rather than taking celery out of a pot already cooking.

Questions to ask suppliers about celery

Celery reaches restaurant food mainly through bought-in bases. Ask suppliers whether stock cubes, bouillon powders, gravy mixes, soup bases and seasoning blends contain celery, celery seed, celery extract or celery powder. Ask charcuterie and sausage suppliers whether any 'naturally cured' or 'no added nitrite' products use celery powder. Ask bread and pastry suppliers whether any savoury products contain celery seed or celery salt.

Record the answers and repeat the check whenever a product is substituted. A new brand of stock cube is one of the commonest ways celery appears in a dish that was celery-free last week.

Making celery-free options that are reliable

Because celery sits in so many bases, a celery-free menu option needs to be planned rather than improvised. Make a celery-free stock and a celery-free soffritto as separate recipes, label and store them separately, and use them for the dishes you want to offer without celery. Check the spice blends used in those dishes as well. With this approach, staff can confidently offer a short list of safe dishes instead of guessing during a busy service.

Sources

This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice. Guests with an allergy should follow their doctor's advice. Operators should confirm their own setup with their food safety adviser or local authority.