Diet taboos in English

The most common standard English expression for what we call "dietary taboos" every day is dietary restrictions , apart from that there is no absolutely unique translation. Whether to use food taboos, dietary contraindications or more subdivided food allergies/intolerances depends entirely on the usage scenario.

To be honest, when I first worked as a cross-border business receptionist, I memorized "food taboo = food taboo" by rote. The first time I tried it, I stumbled into a trap: I sent a pre-notice to the European vegetarian guests attending the conference and asked them if they had food taboos. They responded to the email specifically and asked me if it was specifically a religious and cultural taboo. He just chose to be a vegetarian personally and did not count taboo. Only then did I realize that the boundaries of different expressions are quite different.

Oh, by the way, a student I took with me before went to a summer camp in the United States and ran into a similar pitfall: When filling out the form, he didn’t know how to write that he was allergic to mango, so he directly wrote “I can’t eat mango.” The camp teacher thought he just didn’t like to eat mango, so he still put mango jam in the meal. In the end, he ended up in the emergency room because of the allergy. Later, he learned that for clear physiological taboos such as food allergies and lactose intolerance, just label food allergy to mango or lactose intolerance. It is much clearer than the vague "cannot eat" and can really save a lot of trouble.

If it comes to dietary restrictions at the cultural, religious, and folk levels, food taboos is indeed more accurate. I previously checked the English literature related to anthropology and found that when it was mentioned that Muslims do not eat pork, Hindus do not eat beef, and some aboriginal tribes do not eat specific totem animals, they all used this expression. It has an extra layer of cultural attributes than dietary restrictions and does not appear too frivolous. I have seen a translator translate the Hui dietary taboos into forbidden food at an international ethnology conference before. A Hui scholar who attended the conference expressed his opinion on the spot, saying that forbidden feels like being forcibly prohibited by an external force. Food taboos or dietary restrictions are much more appropriate. This pitfall must be avoided.

The medical scene is different again. The standard translation of "dietary contraindications" mentioned by doctors is dietary contraindications Last time I accompanied a friend to see a general practitioner in Australia, this word was written in the dietary precautions column on the prescription. It specifically refers to things that cannot be eaten due to disease or medication conflicts. For example, alcohol cannot be consumed when taking cephalosporin, and patients with diabetes should avoid high GI foods. They all fall into this category. People can understand dietary restrictions when you tell the doctor, but using this word is obviously more accurate.

Another controversial expression is dietary prohibitions, and people in different industries use it in very different ways. Friends who work in customs and quarantine say that they use this word when they announce the food that is prohibited from entering the country. Because it is a mandatory ban, using restrictions is too mild, and it is easy for people to mistakenly think that it is a suggestion that can be followed or not. ； However, friends who work as hosts in high-end B&Bs say that they will never use this word when communicating with guests. The "ban" of prohibition is too strong and will make guests feel offended. It is better to use dietary restrictions to show respect for personal choices. To put it bluntly, there is no right or wrong, it all depends on the requirements of the usage scenario.

My experience from daily use is that if you are not sure which one to use, just say dietary restrictions. It is correct in 90% of daily scenarios. It can be used whether you are filling in preferences when staying in a B&B, ordering food in a restaurant, or reporting dietary requirements at a conference. There is really no need to worry about the "most standard translation". Language is used for communication. The other party can accurately get your needs, which is better than anything else. If you are really unsure, it is better to ask local practitioners than to use it randomly and cause misunderstandings, right?