The brilliant inventor George Washington Carver discovered 300 uses for the peanut. Food manufacturers and cooks have discovered infinitely more uses for peanut, many of which make the peanut nearly impossible to detect. Fortunately, food labeling is conservative, typically warning consumers even if the food “may contain peanuts.” Unlabeled and prepared foods are responsible for a high majority of reactions. These foods generally fit in one of the two following categories:

1. Foods in which you would least expect peanut, such as in sauces and salad dressings, that contain peanut as an ingredient.

2. Foods that do not contain peanut as an ingredient but have been contaminated by peanut during production or preparation.

The greatest risk for peanut contaminated foods occurs when other products that do contain peanut are processed or prepared in close proximity to or using the same equipment as the food that you assume is peanut free. This risk is amplified in smaller facilities where the risk of significant cross contamination may be greatest, such as a bakery, restaurant, candy shop, or ice cream parlor.

Related posts:

1. Peanut Allergy : Deciphering the mysteries of peanut oils
2. Peanut Allergy : Choosing a peanut-lite restaurant
3. Peanut Allergy : Other baked goods
4. Peanut Allergy : Finding peanuts in ice creams and tasty toppings
5. Peanut Allergy : Uncovering peanuts in candies