Peanuts are also known as groundnuts and monkey nuts. When someone is allergic to peanuts this usually lasts all their life. Research suggests that, in a very few cases, young children diagnosed with peanut allergy may grow out of it.
Peanuts are one of the most common causes of food allergy in the UK and can cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. They contain a number of allergens that are not destroyed by cooking or roasting. In fact, roasting peanuts makes them more allergenic (more likely to cause an allergic reaction) than raw peanuts.
Very tiny amounts of peanut can cause a reaction in people who are sensitive. For example, if they eat food served using the same knife as a food containing peanuts, then traces of peanuts that have got into the food from the knife could cause a reaction. Even being close to someone else eating peanuts can be enough to make some people react.
Peanuts are found in lots of different foods, including sauces such as satay sauce, biscuits and breakfast cereals. If you have a peanut allergy, or you buy food for someone who has, you should always check the label to see if it contains peanuts.
Food labelling rules require pre-packed food sold in the UK, and the rest of the European Union, to show clearly on the label if it contains peanuts (or if one of its ingredients contains them).
Peanuts are sometimes used as a substitute for pine nuts in food products such as pesto, so people who are allergic to peanuts should be very careful about eating foods traditionally made with pine nuts.
Most health professionals agree that refined peanut oil is unlikely to be a problem for people with peanut allergy, because almost all the proteins that cause allergic reactions are likely to be removed during the manufacturing process. However, refined peanut oil is still covered by food labelling rules and so it will be listed as 'peanut oil' when used in pre-packed foods.
Cold-pressed, or unrefined/unprocessed (crude) peanut oil can contain peanut proteins, which can cause a reaction in people who are sensitive. Remember that peanut oil is often called 'groundnut oil'.
Some people with peanut allergy might also react to other legumes such as soya, green beans, kidney beans, green peas and lupins, because these foods contain similar allergens to peanuts. Even though, strictly speaking, peanuts aren't nuts, people with peanut allergy are sometimes allergic to nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and cashew nuts.
It isn’t clear from the latest science whether eating peanuts (or not eating them) when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding affects the chances of your baby developing a peanut allergy. So if you would like to eat peanuts or foods containing peanuts (such as peanut butter) when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you can choose to do so, unless you’re allergic to them yourself.
You may have heard that some women have chosen not to eat peanuts when they are pregnant or breastfeeding. This is because the Government used to advise women that they may wish to avoid eating peanuts at these times if there is a history of allergy in their child's immediate family, such as asthma, eczema, hayfever, food allergy or other types of allergy. This was in case a woman eating peanuts when pregnant or breastfeeding increased the chance of her baby developing a peanut allergy. But this advice was changed in August 2009 because it isn’t clear from the latest research if eating peanuts at these times affects the chances of your baby developing a peanut allergy.
If your child has already been diagnosed with an allergy, such as a food allergy or eczema, or if there is a history of allergy in their immediate family (if their parents, brothers or sisters have an allergy such as asthma, eczema, hayfever, or other types of allergy) then your child has a higher risk of developing peanut allergy. So you should talk to your GP, health visitor or medical allergy specialist before you give peanuts or foods containing peanuts to them for the first time.
If your child hasn't been diagnosed with any allergies and there isn't a history of allergy in their immediate family, you can choose to give them peanuts or foods containing peanuts after they are six months old. But remember to crush them up – you should never give whole peanuts or nuts to children under five because of the risk of choking.
When you give your child peanuts for the first time, look out for any allergic reaction. If you think your child is having an allergic reaction, you should get urgent medical advice.
It's also a good idea to introduce foods that are most likely to cause allergies (such as peanuts, other nuts, seeds, milk, eggs, wheat, fish and shellfish) one at a time, so that if your child does have an allergic reaction it's easier to tell what caused it.
If you have any questions or concerns about whether you or your child should be eating peanuts, discuss these with your GP, midwife, health visitor or other health professional.
