Peanut Allergy
Peanuts are one of the most common and severe food allergens. Nevertheless, the occurrence of peanut allergy depends on both the exposure and the way peanuts are consumed.
Peanut allergy is the most serious of the hypersensitivity reactions to foods due to its persistence and high risk of severe anaphylaxis. Peanuts allergy is generally considered life long, even if recent studies indicate that children diagnosed with peanut allergy can outgrow it.
Peanut is in the legume family, along with peas, lima beans, lentils and soybeans to name just a few. Just because your child is allergic to peanuts does not mean an allergy to any of these other legumes will also be present. An allergy testing can be completed on each of these foods separately.
Symptoms associated with peanut allergy are digestive discomforts, vomiting, diarrhoea, hive and respiratory problems.
Prevention remains the best solution against peanuts allergy, so it is important completely avoid the allergenic food. Cookies, ice cream or chocolate are potential sources for traces of peanuts, but parents have to read food labels carefully because peanut products can stay in the most unsuspecting food: in the case of peanuts, you must look out for words like vegetal proteins, peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil or arachis oil.
Where are peanuts?
If your baby is allergic to peanuts and must follow a peanuts free diet, he must avoid all foods that contain peanuts.
It is, also, safer to avoid all nut products, as many people who react to peanuts also react to tree nuts (other nuts): almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts.
Here there are several common foods that usually contain peanuts:
Peanut and peanut dishes and products | All types of peanuts, satay sauces, peanut butter | Cereal and grain products | Some breakfast cereals, cereal bars, muesli bars, health food bars |
Meat, fish, poultry and alternatives
| Some breakfast cereals, cereal bars, muesli bars, health food bars |
Beverages | Eggnog, malted drinks, some milk drink mixes |
Confectionery and sweet dishes | Certain sweets, chocolate, ice cream, nougat, praline, marzipan, macaroons |
Baked goods | Many baked goods such as biscuits, cakes (including those with marzipan icing), pies, pastries, cheese cakes, marzipan, praline |
Miscellaneous | Chocolate nut spreads, many south-east Asian (Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese) dishes, foods from buffets and delicatessens, vegetarian products, pesto, tree nut (other nut) products may also contain peanuts. |
The most common ingredients that are or may contain peanuts are:
- Beer nuts
- Cold pressed peanut oil
- Expelled or expressed peanut oil
- Granulated peanuts
- Hydrolysed plant protein
- Mixed nuts
- Peanut butter
- Peanut flour
- Satay
| - Chopped peanuts
- Defatted peanuts
- Fresh peanuts
- Ground nuts
- Hydrolysed vegetable protein
- Monkey nuts
- Peanut flakes
- Peanut oil
|
Highly sensitive individuals may also react to arachis oil that may may be used in food products and also in certain cosmetic and pharmaceutical products such as aftershave or eczema cream.
Always check with your pharmacist that the product does not contain arachis oil or nut products.