Eating at Panda Express with celiac disease, IBS or food allergies

It depends on what you need to avoid, and Panda Express is direct about its limits. As of October 2026, Panda’s Nutrition & Allergen page says it uses ingredients that contain all of the major FDA allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, soy, wheat and sesame). It says food is prepared fresh using shared cooking equipment, preparation areas, serving utensils and storage areas, so these allergens may be present in any menu item, and that it cannot guarantee any item is free from them.

For celiac disease in particular, the picture is narrow: Panda’s allergen chart marks wheat on almost everything, and the page we checked doesn’t mention gluten-free options at all. For IBS, the page lists allergens but not full ingredients, so you have to ask about garlic, onion and honey. This guide summarizes what Panda itself publishes and what to ask, rather than pointing to "safe" dishes.

Panda’s statement, as of October 2026, covers four points worth reading closely:

• All nine major allergens are used. Peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, soy, wheat and sesame are all in the kitchen, along with other ingredients that may cause reactions in some people.
• Shared equipment and utensils. Because food is cooked on shared equipment and served with shared utensils, Panda says allergens may be present in any menu item.
• Delivery adds risk. Panda says delivery orders carry extra cross-contact risk during handling and transport, including from other restaurants’ orders.
• No guarantee. Panda says it cannot guarantee that any item is free from major allergens, other allergens or ingredients that may trigger a reaction.

Panda also says it adds no MSG, apart from MSG that occurs naturally in some ingredients, and that its food is handcrafted in small batches, so recipes and supplier ingredients can vary. For more detail it gives the phone number (800) 877-8988.

FARE notes that peanuts and other nuts are used often in Asian cuisines, and that frying oil and shared cooking surfaces are common cross-contact points. With a counter-service steam table, it’s worth watching how serving spoons move between pans. Our Chinese restaurants guide covers the wider cuisine.

This table summarizes the Allergens tab on Panda’s US Nutrition & Allergen page when we checked it in October 2026. It shows what each item contains as an ingredient. It does not account for cross-contact, which Panda says can happen with any item. Items marked with an asterisk on Panda’s page are regional or limited-time.

A few things stand out. The Super Greens are marked for wheat and soy, so a vegetable side isn’t necessarily plain. Sesame appears mostly as sesame oil, which Panda labels in its own column. Peanuts are marked on the Kung Pao Chicken, and tree nuts and shellfish on the Honey Walnut Shrimp. No item we checked was marked for fish, but Panda says fish is used in its restaurants.

The chart also shows smaller kids’ meal rows that we didn’t rely on here. If you’re ordering for a child with an allergy, check the main entrée rows and ask staff directly.

As of October 2026, Panda’s allergen chart marks wheat on every entrée, appetizer, soup and base except the White Steamed Rice. Its page doesn’t describe any item as gluten-free, and it doesn’t say anything about separate woks, fryers or utensils for people avoiding gluten. Panda says its entrées are prepared with shared cooking equipment.

Soy sauce is a big part of why. The Celiac Disease Foundation lists traditional soy sauce as a source of gluten, along with breading, flour-thickened sauces and fried foods cooked in oil shared with breaded items. Our guide to whether soy sauce is gluten-free explains the difference between soy sauce and wheat-free tamari.

Even the steamed rice, which has no allergen marks, is served from the same counter as wheat-containing dishes. The NIDDK explains that cross-contact can happen during preparation or serving and suggests telling your server about celiac disease and asking about ingredients and preparation.

Many people with celiac disease decide that a restaurant with wheat in nearly every dish and no published gluten-free procedures isn’t a fit for them. That’s a personal decision to make with your care team. Our guides to eating out with celiac disease and gluten-free vs celiac-safe can help you weigh it.

Panda’s Nutrition & Allergen page lists allergens and nutrition, but not full ingredient lists, so we couldn’t check which dishes contain garlic, onion or honey. This section is based on general FODMAP principles, not on Panda’s recipes.

Monash University lists garlic, onion, honey, wheat-based breads and mushrooms among higher-FODMAP foods, and rice-based foods, carrots and firm tofu among lower-FODMAP options. In Chinese-American cooking, garlic and onion often go into stir-fry sauces, marinades and aromatics, so they can be present even when you can’t see them.

• Ask about sauces. Sauces are where garlic, onion and honey usually hide. Our guide to hidden garlic and onion explains what to look for.
• Dish names can be a clue, not an answer. Items with honey or mushrooms in the name are worth asking about if those are your triggers, but names don’t tell you what’s in the sauce.
• Wheat is a FODMAP issue too. Monash lists wheat-based breads among higher-FODMAP foods, and Panda marks wheat on chow mein and most entrées. Portion size matters, as our FODMAP portion sizes guide explains.
• Steamed rice is a simple base. Panda’s chart marks no allergens on it, and Monash lists rice-based foods among lower-FODMAP options. A smaller scoop of an entrée over rice is one way some people keep things gentle.

Only you and your dietitian know your own triggers, and a food and symptom diary can help you spot patterns. Treat this as a starting point, not a list of approved dishes.

1. Check the Allergens tab online before you go. It’s on Panda’s Nutrition & Allergen page, separate from the nutrition view, and it can change.
2. Tell the team at the start. Say what you avoid before they start serving, not halfway down the line.
3. Ask about serving spoons. Spoons can move between pans at a steam-table counter. You can ask for a fresh utensil or food from a fresh pan, and the team can tell you what’s possible.
4. Order in person if your allergy is serious. Panda says delivery adds cross-contact risk, and an app order doesn’t let you ask questions.
5. Skip limited-time items if you’re unsure. Panda says regional, test and limited-time items may not be reflected in its information.
6. Call if you need more detail. Panda lists (800) 877-8988 for additional menu information.

FARE suggests keeping your order simple when you have a lot of questions, choosing quieter times, and trusting your instincts. If an answer doesn’t feel certain, it’s fine to eat somewhere else.

• "I have a peanut allergy. Could you use a fresh spoon, and is there anything I should skip today?"
• "Is there garlic or onion in this sauce?"
• "Could I have just a small scoop of this entrée over steamed rice?"
• "Is this item on today’s allergen chart, or is it a limited-time dish?"
• "I have a shellfish allergy. Could I have food from a fresh pan if possible?"

Our guide to talking to restaurant staff about allergies has more scripts, and our nuts guide covers peanut and tree nut allergies in more depth.