Eating Well

Quick Facts

How many people have food allergies?
• It may seem like more, but only 4% of adults and 4% of children have food allergies.
• About 90% of food allergies are caused by: tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios ,etc.), peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy.

What about peanut allergies?
• About 0.6 – 1.0 % of people have peanut allergy, which can vary from mild to severe.
• Nearly 20% of peanut allergies can be outgrown.
• Four times as many people are allergic to seafood than to peanuts.

It seems like more people have peanut allergies, why?
• The prevalence of peanut allergy doubled from 1997 to 2002.
• There may be better reporting and improved detection of allergies, which should be diagnosed by a physician.
• The reported increase in peanut allergy mirrors an overall increase in childhood allergies.

Are all peanut allergies severe?
• No, some are mild, however in those who have severe reactions, ingesting just a trace amount can cause a reaction.
• It is critical to manage peanut allergies, as with any allergy, to avoid severe reactions, such as “anaphylaxis.”

What is the allergen in peanuts?
• The major proteins Ara h1, Ara h2, and Ara h3 are the allergens in peanuts.
• Smelling the aroma of peanuts cannot cause an allergic reaction.

What about peanut oil?
• Highly refined peanut oil is different from peanuts and from “crude” or gourmet peanut oil because it does not contain peanut allergens.
• Highly refined peanut oil is purified, refined, bleached, and deodorized, which removes the allergic proteins from the oil.
• The majority of peanut oil used by foodservice has been highly refined and processed.
• The FDA does not consider highly refined peanut oil as a food allergen.

 

Click here to see more by downloading the fact sheet on peanut allergy.

To download the full White Paper on Peanut Allergy, click here.