Spain is currently one of the countries in the European Union with the safest gluten-free options both to find gluten-free product options for home consumption and when eating out.
Through this mini-guide we aim to provide information that help celiac tourists visiting Spain. We hope you find it useful and if you are missing any important information to include, let us know and we will appreciate it and provide it to you if possible.
Allergen labelling and points of sale
Spain, as a member of the European Union, is governed by the allergen declaration guidelines and gluten-free mention established in Regulations (EU) Nº. 1169/2011 and Nº. 828/2014. This latest law establishes that any product labelled «gluten-free» contains less than 20 parts per million gluten, which is a safe level for all people who suffer from celiac disease.
You can buy gluten-free products in practically all spanish supermarket chains, as well as in health food stores and specialized points of sale.
To find gluten-free products you should look at the following information on the label:
- Its labelling includes the claim “sin gluten” (gluten-free).
- It is licensed with the European Licensing System (ELS or Crossed Grain Trademark – CGT).
- Do not consume products that include prohibited cereals in the ingredients list: “trigo, cebada, centeno, avena” (wheat, barley, rye, oats) unless it is an exception and they are licensed with the ELS.
Licensed gluten-free products are identified in Europe with the Crossed Grain symbol and its corresponding alphanumeric code.
To find out which safe gluten-free products you can consume, download FACEMOVIL app.
FACE’s eating out program
FACE (Spanish Federation of Celiac Societies) and its societies advise some restaurants and venues to offer safe gluten-free options under gluten free eating out program.
You can identify these venues with an specific badge with the current year which is always situated on the main door or window of the venues that work hand by hand with FACE:
To find out which venues are included on FACE’s eating out program, download FACEMOVIL app.
Here you can find some restoration brands that are included on FACE’s eating out program: Restoration brands.
FACE recommends going to venues that are part of eating out program. If you can’t find any venue or you prefer to go to another restaurant, please indicate upon arrival your celiac status. This text may be useful to you:
“Hola. Tengo enfermedad celiaca. No puedo comer gluten, es decir, alimentos que contengan trigo, centeno, cebada o avena. ¿Disponen en su establecimiento de opciones sin gluten seguras para personas celiacas?”.(“Hello. I have celiac disease. I cannot eat gluten, that means, foods containing wheat, rye, barley or oats. Do you have safe gluten-free options for people with celiac disease in your establishment?”.)
In Spain you can find a variety of gluten-free craft beers. However, FACE only recommends consuming licensed beers with the European Licensing System (ELS or Crossed Grain Trademark). You can check which are the gluten free beers availables in the FACEMOVIL app.
FACEMOVIL App
In the FACEMOVIL app, you will find more than 16,000 gluten-free products for sale in supermarkets, as well as restaurants, venues, hotels and points of sale that offer safe gluten-free options.
To access FACEMOVIL app you can:
- Buy access for one week by €4.84.
- Buy access for one month by €14.52.
If you need more information or request access, send an email to facemovil@celiacos.org.
Please, note that the app is only available in Spanish.
If you want information about an specific town or region in Spain, you can contact the corresponding celiac society directly. Here is a list of the celiac societies integrated into FACE: List of celiac societies.