INSIGHT FOR INDUSTRY
A factsheet series providing insight to the food and drink industry from the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre
FACTSHEET NO: 9
NUT ALLERGIES AND FOOD
BACKGROUND
from 0.2% in 1997 to 1.1% in 20083.
A food allergy is when the body's immune system reacts
unusually to specific foods. Allergy to peanuts and tree
nuts is the most common food allergy in adults and
children. While children often grow out of other allergies,
only around 20% of children with nut allergies eventually
outgrow their allergy, meaning that 4 out of 5 children with
nut allergies will continue to have these allergies as an
adult7.
WHAT ABOUT NUT OILS?
Nuts and peanuts can cause allergic reactions, which are
sometimes severe. A severe reaction to nuts is called
anaphylaxis and can be life-threatening8. Therefore, it is
advised that people with nut allergy have quick access to
epinephrine (adrenaline) self-injectable medication (e.g. an
EpiPen®) at all times. To prevent a reaction, strict
avoidance of peanut and peanut products is essential9.
PEANUTS VS TREE NUTS
Peanuts are not the same as tree nuts (e.g. walnuts,
hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts,
pistachios), which grow on trees. Peanuts grow
underground and are part of a different plant family called
legumes. Other examples of legumes include beans, peas,
lentils and soybeans. If you are allergic to peanuts, it does
not mean you have a greater chance of being allergic to
another legume (including soy) than you would to any
other food9.
The allergic components of the nut is the protein. Oils
contain fats rather than proteins. Refined peanut oil will
not cause allergic reactions for the majority of peanut
allergic individuals but unrefined (crude) peanut oil should
be avoided. This is because low levels of protein can
contaminate the oil. Most other nut oils are unrefined and
should be avoided by individuals allergic to tree nuts7.
TREATMENT
There is no treatment to cure a food allergy. The best way
of preventing an allergic reaction is to identify the food
that causes the allergy and then avoid it.
Whereas previous studies have suggested that babies and
pregnant women should avoid eating nuts, pregnant
women are now being told that eating nuts 5 or more
times a week during pregnancy could reduce a child’s risk
of developing a nut allergy2. A recent study also suggests
that eating peanut products as a baby dramatically reduces
the risk of allergy. In a trial conducted on 640 babies prone
to developing peanut allergy (i.e. they had developed
severe eczema, had an egg allergy, or both), the risk of
developing the allergy was reduced by over 80%1.
FOOD LABELLING REQUIREMENTS
The new EU Food Information for Consumer Regulation
requires substances or products causing allergies to be
emphasised through a typeset that clearly distinguishes it
from the rest of the list of ingredients e.g. using font style
(such as bold) or background colour.
www.nutsforlife.com.au
HOW COMMON IS PEANUT AND NUT ALLERGY?
In the UK, about 1 in 100 people have a peanut allergy and
about 1 in 200 people have an allergy to tree nuts8. The
prevalence of allergy is on the increase. According to a
recent study, the number of children in the U.S. with
peanut allergy more than tripled between 1997 and 2008.
The prevalence of childhood tree nut allergy also increased
Named nuts must be listed in the ingredients list by their
specific name, as in Annex 2 of the Regulation (i.e.
almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, pecan nuts,
Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia nuts.
The word ‘peanuts’ should be used for products, or
ingredients, made from them. Other types of nuts and
other foods which are not nuts (e.g. chestnuts, pine nuts
and coconut) are not named in the regulations and
therefore are not required to be listed.
For more information, please contact:
[email protected] │ 029 2041 6306 │ cardiffmet.ac.uk/health/zero2five
INSIGHT FOR INDUSTRY
A factsheet series providing insight to the food and drink industry from the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre
FACTSHEET NO: 9
NUT ALLERGIES AND FOOD
CONTINUED
The entire name of the nut shall be highlighted; no
reference to the word ‘nuts’ will be included between
brackets after the named nut. However, the word ‘nut’
can be used in the cross contamination statement, instead
of referring to each one of the nuts potentially present
(e.g. ‘Also may contain nuts’ or ‘Also may contain almonds,
Brazil nuts and hazelnuts’)4,5.
5.
Food Standards Agency (2015) Food allergen labelling
and information requirements under the EU Food
Information for Consumers Regulation No’ 1169/2011:
Technical Guidance. London: FSA.
6.
NHS (2014) NHS Choices – Food Allergy. Retrieved
26th November 2015, from
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/foodallergy/Pages/Intro1.aspx
7.
Allergy UK (2015) Child Allergy. Retrieved 26th
November 2015, from https://www.allergyuk.org
8.
Patient (2014) Nut allergy. Retrieved 26th November
2015, from http://patient.info/health/nut-allergy
9.
FARE (2015) Food Allergy Research & Education
Retrieved 26th November 2015, from
https://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut-allergy
REFERENCES
1.
Frazier AL, Camargo CA, Malspeis S, Willett WC &
Young MC (2014) “Prospective study of Peripregnancy
consumption of peanuts or tree nuts by mothers and
the risk of peanut or tree nut allergy in their offspring”.
JAMA Pediatrics, 168(2): 156-162.
2.
Toit GD, Roberts G, Sayre PH, Bahnson HT, Radulovic S,
Santos AF, Brough HA, Phippard D, Basting M, Feeney
M, Turcanu V, Sever ML, Lorenzo MG, Plaut M, & Lack
G (2015) “Randomized Trail of Peanut Consumption in
infants at Risk for Peanut Allergy”. The New England
Journal of Medicine, 372:803-13.
3.
Sicherer SH, Munoz-Furlong B A, Godbold JH &
Sampson HA, (2010) “US prevalence of self-reported
peanut, tree nut, and sesame allergy: 11-year followup”. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,
125(6):1322-6.
4.
British Retail Consortium & Food and Drink Federation
(2013) BRC Guidance on Allergen Labelling and the
Requirements in Regulation 1169/2011 BRC in
partnership with (FDF) Retrieved 26th November
2015, from
http://www.foodhealthinnovation.com/media/7157/g
uidance_on_allergen_labelling_2013.pdf
For more information, please contact:
[email protected] │ 029 2041 6306 │ cardiffmet.ac.uk/health/zero2five