Where is the Peanut Hiding?

List of Not-So-Obvious (and Obvious) Peanut Containing Foods and Products. This list mentions only a few or the many ideas where a peanut may be hiding


READ LABELS,  CHECK INGREDIENTS,  ASK QUESTIONS, CALL MANUFACTURERS


Tree Nuts
most nuts are processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and thus there is a real danger of trace amount of peanuts or peanut protein contaminating nuts. Then those nuts are used as ingredients.
We order Pecans directly from Pecan Orchards that process on site or from the farmers market where they are shelling the pecans right there.


Foods Containing Peanuts, Made of Peanuts or possibly Cross Contaminated with Peanuts


Arachis Oil is Peanut Oil.  Also known as ground-nut oil in the U.K
Peanut Oils , Cold Pressed as well as Expeller pressed.
Baking Mixes
Batter used to coat food
Biscuits
Candy     (especially those with chocolate). 
Cereal
Cookies    read those labels.
Chips       read those labels.
Crackers   read those labels. 
Egg Rolls
Energy Bars or Protein Bars-  read label carefully. 
Frozen Desserts
Frozen Yogurt     check the ingredients
Goober Peas or Goober Nuts
Granola

Hydrolyzed Peanut Protein
Ice Cream from grocery store or ice-cream store -  check the ingredients

Marinades
Mandalona Nuts (nut substitute manufactured from peanut meal)
Nu-Nuts flavored nuts
Nuts- Mixed Nuts, Nut Pieces,
Nut Butters-  almond,cashew etc could be cross-contaminate with peanuts
Peanut Butter
Pizza- specialty flavors
Potato Pancakes
Protein Bars 
Protein Powders and Protein Shakes
Satay and other sauces
Smoothies and Shakes




Snack Foods - lots of cross contamination
Soups
Trail Mix
Marzipan - different countries use different ingredients in marzipan. In Latin American cuisine "mazapan" is often made with peanuts instead of almonds. In Mexico hand-made marzipan in often made with peanuts or other nuts.




Cosmetics - 
Kitty Litter- check the label
Pet Food
Soap-  some use peanut oil 


A Word About the Bulk Aisle in grocery stores or other outlets dispensing in bulk

All the Bins of the BULK Aisle at stores are a high risk for contamination because of contaminated scoops,spoons, ladles and hand. 
Contaminated Hands will contaminate pens, labels, bags, bin doors etc..  
Think about those free tastes we like to try- then those same hands go up and down the bulk aisle touching the seemingly harmless dried cranberry bin. 


Bakeries-  "danger Will Robinson". These are cross contamination havens


Ice Cream Parlors 
Also cross contamination havens. Scoops can be contaminated. And slab style ice cream parlors scare me. I cannot imagine they are sanitized safely between each ice cream with mix-ins order.


Restaurants to Avoid
African 
Chinese
Indonesian
Thai
Vietnamese
Mexican- avoid "MOLE", a sauce, if on the menu - a sauce often made with peanuts. Avoid "Chiles en nogada" (usually use walnuts)


Restaurant Caution - tell them about your peanut allergy and ask questions.
The following items can be made with some peanut flour or peanut butter as thickener or use peanut butter as glue to hold a seam on an egg roll!  ASK QUESTIONS.
Spaghetti Sauce
Chili
Soup
Sauces
Egg Rolls
Soft Drinks- this appears to be uncommon but a possibility. A peanut protein, hydrolyzate, may be used in soft drinks as a Foaming Agent.


WARNING- Cooking utensils such as tongs ,spoons, knives, forks or pans, counters, cleaning cloths all may be contaminated with peanuts or nuts.
You must tell your server about your Peanut Allergy. 
Talking to the Manager or Chef is also a good precaution. 


Alchohol  mixed drinks and shots may contain liqueurs derived from nuts such as Amaretto (almonds) or Frangelico (hazelnuts).  There is even a beer made with hazelnuts. The idea is that many nuts are cross contaminated with peanuts in the factory- the source of shelling or packaging.


Bars and Pubs- you might think about staying away from bars, pubs etc. that serve snack mixes with peanuts or serve peanuts to everyone. Peanut dust is everywhere. 


Lupine-  What the heck is this?   (Warning)
Lupine or lupin is a legume that may cause an allergic reaction if you have a peanut allergy.  It is used in the U.S. in many gluten-free and high-protein products. 
In many European countries, particularly Italy and France, lupine four and /or peanut flour may be mixed with wheat flour in baked goods such as pasta,bread, pizza,cookies and cereal. Also found in sausages. 
Lupini Beans are eaten as snacks Italy,Spain,Portugal,Argentina,Brazil,Egypt,Israel,Turkey and a host of other countries. These beans are known by different names in different countries.
In the U.S. lupine may be used in Gluten- Free products.
Read my post on Lupin for a larger list of hidden lupin and relevant information.


Milk Formula-France- 11 of 45 brands of milk formulas contained variable amounts of peanut oil


Food Additives that May Contain Peanuts: Source:  Farlow, C. Food Additives: A Shopper's Guide to What's Safe and What's Not. 1993. 
Calcium sterate
Calcium stearoyl lactylate
Glycerine
Lecithin
Linoleic acid
Polysorbates
Porpylene gycol monostearate
Sodium stearoly fumarate
Stearoyls
Tocopherol (alpha-Tocopherol,vitamin E)


Share your information. I will add items to this list as you post them as a "Comment" send them to me via email at salt.light.truth@gmail.com
-Page Updated February 2011
Sources:  
FAAN, allergyadvisor.org (scroll down to peanut section), Mayo Clinic ,FAIUSAfood labels, personal experience


I am not a doctor or nutritionist. This list is only a partial list. Peanuts could be hiding in many other products and places. Use your common sense and consult an expert.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello, i was just curious what your source is for the recent update on food additives that may contain peanuts, these are in a lot of things, thank you Deanne

Just A Little Peanut Food Allergy Blog said...

I read 3 or 4 internet articles on this subject and all quote their source as Christine Farlow's book Food Additives: A Shopper's Guide to What's Safe and What's Not. 1993.
Checkout book website. http://www.foodadditivesbook.com/pdc-index.html

The latest revision of the book is 1997.
I do know if the information changed regarding the link to peanuts.
As for Alexander- we have never avoided these additives because we did not know they "might" pose a danger
Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

Hi-a few years ago we had to visit Malaysia and Thailand. We stayed in a hotel apartment with a kitchen, and bought groceries for in between light meals. I could not find cereal that did NOT have peanut or coconut oils used! The same brands/types we buy at home without these oils, were made with peanut and coconut oils in these countries. The only places that would carry imported cereals were at high end import supermarkets in neighborhoods where international dignitaries reside.