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Germany

High celiac awareness

Certified by: DZG — Deutsche Zöliakie Gesellschaft

Germany has strong celiac awareness and excellent product labeling. DZG runs a restaurant certification scheme. Be cautious with beer — it almost always contains gluten.

Capital

Berlin

Language

German

Awareness

High

Emergency

112

Many certified venues, staff understand cross-contamination, GF products widely available.

Generally safer choices

DZG-certified restaurants
Kartoffelgerichte (potato dishes)
Fleisch und Wurst without breading
Most cheeses
Riesling & wines
Potato-based Knödel (confirm)

Avoid or verify carefully

Beer (nearly all German beer contains gluten)
Brezel & Brot
Schnitzel (breadcrumbs)
Sauerkraut in juices with wheat
Most Wurst (may contain wheat fillers)
Spätzle

Trusted GF brands in stores

Schär
Werz
Hammermühle
Schnitzer
Ko & Ko Glutenfrei

Look for these in the free-from / "sans gluten" / "glutenvrij" aisle, or in the diabetic / health section.

Celiac travel tips

DZG website has a certified restaurant finder.
Reformhäuser and Bioläden stock excellent GF ranges.
Sorgfalt Glutenfrei symbol = produced in dedicated GF facility.
Most Aldi and Lidl now carry basic GF staples.

Words to scan on food labels (German)

Avoid products listing any of these ingredients:

Weizen Weizenmehl Gerste Roggen Hafer Malz Dinkel Grünkern Kamut Couscous

Safe to look for on packaging:

glutenfrei durchgestrichene Ähre (DZG)

How to order in a restaurant (German)

Ask if it's gluten-free

Ist das glutenfrei?

Ask about cross-contamination

Können Sie Kreuzkontamination vermeiden? Saubere Utensilien, getrennte Fritteuse.

Say thank you

Vielen Dank!

Tip: show, don't tell. Generate a printable card and let the kitchen staff read it directly.

Cross-contamination red flags

Shared fryers (fries, tempura, calamari)
Same toaster used for regular bread
Shared pasta water or noodle broth
Wooden spoons and rolling pins (porous, retain gluten)
Pizza ovens dusted with semolina
Sauces thickened with wheat flour (roux, gravy, bechamel)
Soy sauce, oyster sauce and many marinades
Buffet utensils swapped between dishes
Bulk bins (cross-contact from scoops)
Flour-dusted boards for cutting fruit or cheese

Pack this before flying to Germany

Translation card in German
GF snack bars / crackers for travel days
Travel-size tamari packets (for soy sauce countries)
List of certified restaurants near your hotel
Photo of the DZG — Deutsche Zöliakie Gesellschaft logo so you recognise it
Doctor's note mentioning celiac disease (for customs / pharmacies)
Address of the nearest hospital + emergency number saved offline
Insurance card with celiac listed as a medical condition

Eating-out playbook

1
Research before you go
Check Find Me Gluten Free, the local celiac association's restaurant finder, or our restaurant search for Berlin.
2
Call ahead for dinner
Reserve and mention celiac disease — kitchens that aren't equipped will tell you, and good ones will prep.
3
Show your card on arrival
Hand it to the waiter before ordering, ideally to the manager or chef.
4
Confirm preparation
Ask: clean utensils, separate pan, dedicated fryer, no shared sauces, no flour dusting.
5
Eat off-peak when possible
Lunches and early dinners reduce kitchen pressure and mistakes.
6
Keep evidence
Photo of menu / packaging. If you react, you can report cross-contact and warn other celiacs in reviews.

⚠️

Emergency phrase — German

Ich habe Zöliakie. Selbst kleinste Mengen Gluten machen mich sehr krank. Können Sie mein Essen bitte getrennt mit sauberen Utensilien und ohne Kreuzkontamination zubereiten?

Local emergency: 112Show this to the waiter or chef.