Can peanut allergic people eat peanut oil safely?

For a peanut allergic person, it is not safe to eat cold-pressed, expressed, or extruded peanut oil, which are sometimes represented as "gourmet oils" -- these tend to contain the highly allergenic peanut protein. On the other hand, it has been shown that peanut allergic individuals can safely eat high-temperature, heat-processed, fully refined peanut oil (refined, bleached and deodorized), which means the proteins in the oil are stripped out during the processing.  

Certain restaurants such as Chick Fil-A do offer detailed information regarding their use of only this highly refined peanut oil, which is generally safe for peanut allergic patients.  However, in the absence of such detailed information, we would advise avoidance of peanut oils if you are severely allergic to peanuts.   

A list of foods that may be hidden sources of peanut protein is available at http://www.foodallergy.org/page/peanut-allergy.

For more on testing for peanut and other allergies, go to SouthBayAllergy.com
Source: FAAN

 

Peanuts and Airlines

Which airlines do not serve individual packages or bags of peanuts?

Many airlines post a written peanut allergy policy on their website. After reviewing these policies and corresponding with airline representatives, FAAN has concluded that the following domestic airlines do not serve individual packages of peanuts in coach class:

Air Canada, Air Tran, American, Continental, Frontier, Jet Blue, Midwest, United, US Airways

Please note! This list includes only airlines that do not serve packaged peanuts (i.e., PEANUTS ARE THE ONLY INGREDIENT) in coach class. Some airlines may serve peanuts in first class or business class. Some airlines, such as Frontier, sell snack items (e.g., trail mix, candy bars) in coach class that contain peanuts as an ingredient and/or snack items that include a “may contain” advisory warning on the label.

As long as a passenger with peanut allergy does not eat these products or come into very close contact with them, the risk of reaction from skin contact or inhalation will be minimized.

Again, the most important strategy for avoiding reactions while flying is: DO NOT EAT AIRLINE MEALS OR SNACKS!

What about tree nuts?

Most airlines continue to offer, generally for sale, snack items that contain tree nuts. Other airlines, such as American, serve a warmed tree nut mix in first and/or business class, where the tree nuts are warmed in an oven during the flight prior to being served.

Source: FAAN

5th Grader Saved by an Epi-Pen

A fifth grader experienced a severe allergic reaction while eating candy containing peanuts at school.  Luckily, he was treated with auto-injectable epinephrine by the school nurse and survived. Read the full story here http://bit.ly/wrhkoC

Tragedy at School Without Epi-Pen

It is important to have immediate access to an EpiPen, which can be life-saving in a situation like this one.  See article below about a little girl in Virginia who died at school earlier this week, after ingesting a peanut containing food and not having early treatment with epinephrine.  Very sad to see such a preventable situation happen.   Please be careful and make sure your food allergic child's EpiPen is current and available at all times!

http://bit.ly/wUxxCY

Treating peanut allergy through a patch

Can your peanut-allergic child be treated by simply wearing a patch? That is what researchers at National Jewish Health are researching. National Jewish Health, along with four other institutions in the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR), are currently testing the safety of a peanut patch.

The peanut patch would work to desensitize allergic patiens by exposing them to increasing amounts of peanut protein, similar to the way allergy shots can desensitize people to pollen. The patch will release minute doses of peanut oil under the skin, like nicotine patches used by people trying to quit tobacco. The aim is to educate the body so it does not over-react to peanut exposure.

Human safety trials have started in Europe and the United States and it is hoped the patch could become available within three to four years.

One of its inventors, Dr Pierre-Henri Benhamou, said, "We envisage that the patch would be worn daily for several years and would slowly reduce the severity of accidental exposure to peanuts. The beauty of the patch is that it is absorbed just under the skin and is taken up by the immune system. But because it doesn't go directly into the bloodstream there is no risk of a severe reaction. We have carried out a number of small safety trials and now moving to trials that will establish the size of the dose needed and for how long the patch would need to be worn."

They believe that after about a year of wearing the patch, patients may be cured of a severe reaction to peanut. But it would need to be worn for several more years before a nut allergy sufferer could safely be exposed to peanut.

Dr Benhamou said, "At best we are talking about a sufferer eventually being able to eat modest amounts of peanut without a reaction. But what we want to do most is eliminate the severe reaction that occurs when people are exposed to the tiniest speck of peanut."

Read the whole article from physorg.com at http://bit.ly/dGGkAD

Oatmeal Snowball Cookies

Oatmeal Snowball Cookies

Milk, Egg, Peanut and Nut free.

2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup milk-free margarine, softened
3 T. water, 3 T. oil, 2 tsp. baking powder, mixed together
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups quick oats
confectioners sugar

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat brown sugar and margarine until creamy. Beat in water, oil, and baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat in vanilla extract. Stir in oats. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in fectioners sugar. Chill 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 10 minutes.

Ingredient Notice - General Mills

General Mills Dark Chocolate Chex Mix labels have changed. No changes have occurred in the product allergen content (it contains milk, wheat, and soy); this is a change only to the advisory/cautionary "May Contain" statement on the label due to a change in the manufacturing location. The product may contain peanuts. Product packaging with the new "May Contain" statement took effect in October.

Fiber One Mocha chewy bars label has changed. No changes have occurred in the product allergen content; this is a change only to the advisory/cautionary "May Contain" statement on the label due to a change in the manufacturing location. The previous allergen statement was: Contains soy and milk, may contain wheat ingredients; the new allergen statement will be: Contains soy and milk, may contain wheat, peanut, almond, and sunflower ingredients. Product packaging with the new "May Contain" statement came on the market in October.

General Mills urges you to read all labels for current allergen information. For more information, contact General Mills Consumer Services at (800) 231-0308.

Can a child "grow out of" a peanut allergy?

Peanut allergies only resolve in about 20% of patients. Loss of sensitivity over time with strict avoidance is more likely to happen in patients with mild to moderate initial reactions, not as likely for those with severe skin or blood test evidence of peanut allergy, nor those with a history of anaphylactic reaction.

We generally track peanut IgE antibodies in the blood every 1-2 years initially to see if there is a downward trend. If you are one of the lucky 20%, and your blood test drops to minimally positive or completely negative, we will generally confirm this with a skin test. Only if both the skin test and the blood test are negative would we consider an oral peanut challenge. Then depending on how severe the initial reaction was, we may recommend doing the challenge in the office under observation with emergency medications and personnel nearby, rather than at home.