| |
 PEANUTS - The Facts
1) Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are part of the legume family; they are related to other beans including lentils, soybeans, and peas.
2)Over 1.5 million people in the U.S. have a peanut allergy.
3) Those with serious peanut allergies can react to 2mg, or approximately 1% of a peanut.
4) 4 out of 5 cases of anaphylactic shock are caused by exposure to peanuts, making a peanut allergy more deadly than any other food allergy.
5) Peanut allergies usually occur when a child is very young; only 20-25% of kids will outgrow the allergy.
6) The Federal Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) require peanuts to be listed on the label of any food product containing peanut ingredients.
7) The number of American school children diagnosed with a peanut allergy has doubled between 1997 and 2002. Canada and the UK have also seen statistics rise.
8) 30-40% of people with a peanut allergy are also allergic to tree nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc).
Tips and Tricks for Battling Peanut Allergies:
1) An allergic reaction can be caused by three different methods: direct contact, cross-contamination, or inhalation of peanut particles.
2) Direct contact can be caused by eating peanuts after forgetting to read a label or ingredient list. Cross-contamination happens when your food is cooked on the same surface as food containing peanuts. The risk of both happening is significantly higher at Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indonesian, and African restaurants where peanuts may be more prevalent. This is also possible at ice cream shops, bakeries, chocolate shops, or anywhere else peanuts are served in close proximity to food.
- Inhalation is common on board airplanes and in bars or restaurants where they serve peanuts.
3) Peanut oil is also known as Aracis oil, or groundnut oil.
4) Avoid artificial nuts such as mandelonas; these are often peanuts, heavily processed with various tree nuts to re-flavor the original nut.
5) Research shows a peanut allergic individual can safely eat peanut oil that is not cold-pressed, expelled, or extruded; since it's difficult to tell if there is still peanut protein in the oil, strict avoidance would be significantly safer.
6) If you are affected by a peanut allergy, check with your doctor to see if eating tree nuts would be safe; allergists usually recommend avoiding them as a precaution.
7) Beware of Lupine or Lupin; this foreign-sounding ingredient is a legume and may cause an allergic reaction in peanut allergic individuals. This is more commonly found in high-protein and gluten-free foods. In European countries, Lupine may be mixed with peanut and sometimes wheat flour in baked foods.
|
|
|
| Starting in summer/fall 2009, our newsletters will supply quarterly issues of informative articles, allergy experiences, recipes, and more! |
|
Get Our Newsletter |
|
| At the Kids Korner, kids can play games, puzzles, and even meet characters with food allergies. No one above the age of 15 allowed! |
|
 |
|
| Read an assortment of restaurant reviews or post your own allergy dining experiences! |
|
 |
|
|
|
