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Peanut Allergy in a Nutshell

This page was reviewed or revised on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 11:25 AM

So your child is allergic to peanuts...

You are not alone.

Peanut allergies have always been a common food allergy. In recent years, allergists have noted an increase in the number of people with allergies to peanuts.

Is there a "cure" for peanut allergy?
No. The only treatment is to avoid all products containing the peanut allergen.

Here are some tips to help when shopping...

• Read lists of ingredients every time you shop. Ingredients often change without warning - a product that was safe last week may not be safe this week.
• Words on a list of ingredients that could indicate the presence of peanut protein include: peanuts, mixed nuts, ground nuts, mandelonas, peanut butter, peanut oil, goober nuts, goober peas, beer nuts and peanut flour, artificial nuts, hydrolyzed peanut protein.
• Foods that may contain peanuts include: cookies, chocolate bars, chili, egg rolls, Thai dishes, Satay sauces, prepared soup (especially dried packaged soup mixes), prepared and frozen desserts, hydrogenated oil, candy, baked goods, chinese food, potato chips, fried foods, salad dressings, macaroons, icing paste, almond paste, vegetable burgers, vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, lard, margarine, rework chocolate from Europe and canned sardines
• Generally, the less processed a food, the less likely it is to contain peanut protein.
• Highly processed foods with many ingredients are more likely to have had peanut added to them.
• Avoid imported foods with foreign language ingredient lists. If you do not know what an ingredient word means, don’t buy the food.
• Have a pad and pen with you when you shop. If you have a question about a product, write down the product name and the manufacturer’s phone number or address. Contact the manufacturer when you get home. Be direct. State that you have a food allergy, and need to know whether the product contains peanut protein.
• Avoid bulk bins. The scoop you use in the flour may have just come from the peanut bin.
• Beware of "new nut" products. New nut products contain peanuts that are deflavoured, reflavoured, pressed and sold as almonds, walnuts and other nuts.

 
Eating Out

Always ask about the ingredients and the way food is prepared before you order. Even if the restaurant is part of a chain, there can be differences between restaurants. Ask. It is recommended that people with an allergy call a restaurant between meal hours and discuss the allergy with the chef.

Restaurants bearing an Allergy Aware sticker will have a senior staff member on each shift who can answer your questions about ingredients.

• Order simply prepared foods. Foods like baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, and broiled meat are less likely to create problems. Avoid added sauces and flavourings.
• Avoid buffets and salad bars. Often, persons will use the same spoon in different dishes.
• Asian, Thai and African foods often contain peanuts. So do muffins and desserts.
• Peanut butter is sometimes used as a thickener, or even to hide a burnt taste in spaghetti sauce, chili or gravy. Peanuts may be used in piecrusts.
• Ask what oil is used. Most good Italian restaurants use olive oil but this should be checked out. Fondues and stir fries often use peanut oil because of its high smoking point.

Today, many fast food restaurants will have pamphlets with ingredient listings on request. Will my child outgrow this allergy?

It’s unlikely. Young children who develop allergies to milk, eggs, wheat or soy often outgrow these allergies. It is rare that allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish are outgrown.

Sources of Additional Help

The Allergy/Asthma Information Association- Ontario Regional Office
PO Box 2371
St. Marys, ON N4X 1A2
Phone: (519) 284-4222/1-888-250-2298
Allergy/Asthma Information Association (National Office)
Box 100
Toronto, ON M9W 5K9
Phone: (416) 679-9521 or toll-free 1-800-611-7011
Fax: (416) 679-9524
Email: national@aaia.ca  Website: http://www.aaia.ca

The Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society of Ontario
2 Demaris Avenue
Downsview, Ontario M3N 1M1
Hotline # (416) 633-2215
http://www.allergyasthma.on.ca 

Food Allergy Network
10400 Eaton Place, Suite 107
Fairfax, VA USA 22030-2208
Phone: (703) 691-3179 Fax: (703) 691-2713
The Anaphylaxis Foundation and Anaphylaxis Network of Canada. http://www.anaphylaxis.org
 

Peanut Oil May or May Not Be Safe Usually, the process used to make commercial cooking oils gets rid of the protein present. Since it is the protein part of the peanut that causes allergic reaction, peanut oil treated in this way may be safe. There are some exceptions, however. A different method is used in making cold pressed, expelled or extruded peanut oils. These oils may contain peanut protein and are not safe. To be cautious, avoid peanut oil. As well, "safe" oils may become unsafe when they have been used to fry a variety of foods which contain the peanut protein. In cooking, protein from peanut containing foods may leach out into the oil, making it unsafe.

 

Most allergic reactions are due to "cross contamination". "Safe" foods become "unsafe" through contact with peanut. For example, a chopping board used to chop peanuts may later be used to chop onion; or a baggie holding a peanut butter sandwich may later be used to hold a salmon sandwich. The onion and the salmon sandwich may both be contaminated with peanuts.

 

Buying soft ice cream can be tricky. If a previous customer had nuts on their ice cream, some could get stuck in the machine, and end up in your ice cream. Or, the same scoop that was used in a peanut-containing ice cream could be used in our ice cream.

Produced by Public Health Dietitian/Nutritionists in Ontario, 1996. May be reproduced without permission provided the source is acknowledged. Distributed by Family Health

For a complete package of Food Allergy Facts

Contact the Community Health Services at
519-383-8331 or toll-free at 1-800-667-1839