Peanut is one of eight allergens with specific labeling requirements under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004. Under that law, manufacturers of packaged food products sold in the U.S. and containing peanuts as an ingredient must include the presence of peanuts, in clear language, on the ingredient label.
To avoid the risk of anaphylactic shock, people with a peanut allergy must be very careful about what they eat. Peanuts and peanut products are commonly found in candies, cereals and baked goods, such as cookies, cakes and pies. If you’re eating out, ask the restaurant staff about ingredients - for example, peanut butter may be an ingredient in a sauce or marinade. Be extra careful when eating Asian and Mexican food and other cuisines in which peanuts are commonly used. Even ice cream parlors may not be safe for people with a peanut allergy, since peanuts are a common topping.
Foods that don’t contain peanuts as an ingredient can be contaminated by peanuts in the manufacturing process or during food preparation. As a result, people with a peanut allergy should avoid products that bear precautionary statements on the label, such as “may contain peanuts” or “made in a factory that uses nut ingredients.” Note that the use of those advisory labels is voluntary, and not all manufacturers do so.
If you’re cooking from scratch, it’s easy to modify recipes to remove peanut ingredients and substitute ingredients that aren’t allergens, such as toasted oats, raisins or seeds. Some people who can’t tolerate peanuts or eat peanut butter can consume other nut or seed butters. Keep in mind that these products may be manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts - so check the label carefully and contact the manufacturer with any questions.
Many individuals with an allergy to peanuts can safely consume foods made with highly refined peanut oil, which has been purified, refined, bleached and deodorized to remove the peanut protein from the oil. Unrefined peanut oil - often characterized as extruded, cold-pressed, aromatic, gourmet, expelled or expeller-pressed - still contains peanut protein and should be avoided. Some products may use the phrase “arachis oil” on their ingredient lists; that’s another term forpeanut oil. If you have a peanut allergy, ask an allergist whether you should avoid all types of peanut oil.
While some people report symptoms such as skin rashes or chest tightness when they are around or smell peanut butter, a placebo-controlled trial of children exposed to open peanut butter containers documented no systemic reactions. Still, food particles containing peanut proteins can become airborne during the grinding or pulverization of peanuts, and inhaling peanut protein in this type of situation could cause an allergic reaction. In addition, odors may cause conditioned physical responses, such as a skin rash or a change in blood pressure.
