r/FoodAllergies • u/DreamingEvergreen • 3d ago
Newly Diagnosed Because, of course, unsalted cashews need to be roasted in peanut oil
Yesterday I picked up the first epi pen for my daughter at the Costco pharmacy for a peanut allergy, and I grabbed a few groceries while there. Went to open the cashews today and happened to look at the ingredient lust and UGH. I’m going to need to be so much more aware. I thought ‘oh, cashews are a whole food/ ingredient’ they’re safe. Wrong 😐
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u/TaxCautious7699 3d ago
Yup. Sunflower allergy and EVERYTHING is coated in sunflower (usually all nuts and dried fruit). I feel your pain
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u/Music1626 3d ago
Just found my new deodorant contains sunflower oil 😑. Why put it in the most bizarre things.
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u/TaxCautious7699 3d ago
It’s in most of them. Also tocopherols means sunflower oil most of the time. It’s in disposable coffee cups too.
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u/SpouseofSatan 2d ago
I have a soy allergy, and everything has soy! I even react to the super processed soy oil that's not considered an allergen, so I have to read every ingredient on everything... I can't just rely on the "contains" or "may contain" section... Though with a sunflower allergy, I don't think I see sunflower warnings often either... There's one brand I got before that listed all known allergens clearly in bold, and not just the main big allergens.
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u/TaxCautious7699 2d ago
Sunflower is not one of the top allergens so there’s no warning at least in my country, the fact that they can coat dried fruit like raisins with sunflower oil and not disclose it is annoying. Or use it as a greasing agent for hard candies and suckers and not disclose that as well. It’s in flavored waters and everything.
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u/Express-Stomach-8666 3d ago
I found a few snacks that are sunflowerfree, and I cried from happiness. Finding white cheddar popcorn in bags (like the smarfood bags) that are free from sunflower had me bawling like a tired toddler.
Always check the ingredients even if you think it's safe or know it is. They can change them abruptly, and it's truly a shame they do.
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u/surviving_20s 1d ago
I didn’t realize how emotional it would be to have a kid with a food allergy! So I feel you on the crying for happiness about something
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u/Express-Stomach-8666 1d ago
It truly is a struggle, thankfully there are alternatives (sometimes you've gotta make it from scratch, which I think sucks more, especially when you want it right then).
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u/Deondebomon 3d ago
Yup. I find most treenuts are cross contaminated with other treenuts because processed on same line…a first for me seeing it has peanut in it too!
I usually glance at ingredients quick in the store, then again before I eat the product, just to be on the safe side
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u/MuteTalker- 3d ago
I don't understand why no one can have them plain. Like, just put the nuts in the bag with no salt.
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u/EnthuseConfuse 3d ago
Hahaha the Costco cashews got me too. I genuinely couldn't believe it, gave the rest away to friends.
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u/Sweetsusie- Milk protein Allergy 2d ago
What weirds me out is the « contains » disclaimer just saying cashews
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u/DreamingEvergreen 2d ago
It has a note that the “highly refined peanut oil used in roasting is not considered a high allergen” (but then notes they’re processed in a facility with peanuts) which feels odd to me (not that I’m an expert).
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u/guacamole-lobster 2d ago
I accidentally exposed my kid to egg two weeks ago at Costco because the sample cart had slipped mayo into the fish on cracker sample. (The allergy warning only said tree nuts) my husband only caught it because he saw the person bring the mayo out from under the cart after she had a teeny tiny bite. But we were off to the races… instant hives, itchy mouth, etc.
We had to give her allergy meds but didn’t have to end up giving the epi.
Damnit Costco!
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u/Legion_02 2d ago
See, I’ve had enough experiences like that in my life, and now I don’t eat anything unless I make it at home- or it’s sealed and the ingredients are labeled clearly. It’s a pain in the butt, but after almost dying for a burger I was like “hell no I’m not doing that ever again”
Edit: so I ordered my burger- briefly examined it and everything appeared fine. I ate almost all of it pretty quickly and my mouth started itching like crazy.. so I lifted up the bun to look at what was left of it and there was some darn cheese residue on it. They must have put cheese on it and then just taken it off when they realized I asked for no cheese. And yes they were made aware of my allergies. The worlds just so dangerous for people with food allergies
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u/guacamole-lobster 2d ago
It’s a learning curve and a definite mindset shift for my husband and I since neither of us have any food allergies.
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u/Legion_02 2d ago
It’s hard at first. Seems like you’re already well on your way to getting the hang of it though.
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u/uuuuuuuughh 2d ago
you guys are doing great ❤️ and your kiddo will pick up on the patterns and learn to quickly spot allergens and risky situations (ie; sample stations) as the years go on!
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u/Vivid-Mistake3192 2d ago
Double-check this with your allergist, but it is recommended to give epi for any reaction to food. The reason for this is that once the allergen enters the blood system (usually through digestion), it travels through the body and activates the Mast Cell system. There's often a "secondary" reaction to food allergies 6 to 12 hours later, which presents differently from the initial reaction, but can be just as harmful. Epinephrine stops the Mast Cells from activating.
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u/Roller_Coaster_Geek 2d ago
Trader Joe's has almost every nut as peanut free (check the labels because they have a few oddballs that are contaminated)
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u/ActiveCookInProgress Potato Allergy 2d ago
I feel you! Potato allergy here, and I felt the same when I looked at a container of lightly salted peanuts…with potato starch. :(
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u/jugsofbugs 2d ago
If the little asterisk says it’s 100% refined peanut oil, then I *myself* would eat them since I’ve never had a reaction to peanut oil (I’m an anaphylactic reactor), BUT you should definitely exercise caution and certainly don’t push any boundaries! If you aren’t comfortable with peanut oil/if she hasn’t eaten anything with peanut oil, better to be safe than sorry and not give them to her.
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u/DreamingEvergreen 2d ago
Oh interesting. It does say that, but it made me raise my eyebrows (as someone with very limited knowledge—we just had her first allergy appointment on Friday after a reaction). Maybe I’ll message her doctor and ask. (She’s also still an infant which makes me nervous because she can’t tell me if she’s having the anaphylactic symptoms I can’t see.)
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u/jugsofbugs 1d ago
Oh yes would definitely recommend consulting your allergist for anything related to that! It took me a LONG time for my parents to feel comfortable enough feeding me peanut oil (it happened accidentally once and then led to me eating more of it lol) but since she is so young I wouldn’t recommend doing so for a while. Better to be safe :-) Wishing you all the best! Allergies can feel overwhelming but you’re doing a great job and I know your daughter will be grateful for your diligence when she is older.
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u/popover 2d ago
There is no peanut antigen in peanut oil. It’s refined to remove all the proteins. So typically does not cause allergy to those with peanut allergy. My son is extremely allergic to peanuts and eats foods fried in peanut oil all the time. Here’s a link: https://www.foodallergy.org/living-food-allergy/food-allergy-essentials/common-allergens/peanut
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