Items that “may contain” – some may surprise you!

The US FDA requires labeling laws apply to food products only!  This means that peanuts, peanut oil, almond oil, and other allergens can be an ingredient in non-food items, but will not be listed.  Many personal products and lotions say they are made with, or contain oils, almonds, or nut butters.  If you have an allergy and the ingredients are not listed, make sure to call the manufacturer to be sure the product is safe.

Since my daughter has a peanut allergy, I am going to focus on things that “may contain” peanuts, shells, or skins.  Some are surprising!

FOODS

• European chocolate (nuts are not always required to be listed on the label)
• Deli meat slicers – some meats contain nuts (mortadella) or are browned/fried in peanut oil
• Plant sterols derived from peanut – found in some “heart healthy” orange juice, yogurt, etc.
• Avoid any foods that contain these ingredients… beer nuts, cold pressed peanut oil, ground nuts, mixed nuts, Nu-Nuts flavored nuts, marzipan, nouget, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Som foods that typically contain peanut protein: African, Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnameses dishes

ANIMALS & PETS

• Hamster/rodent food and bedding
• Dog food and treats
• Bird seed/feed and SUET
• Cat food, treats, and kitty litter
• Livestock feed – especially dairy cattle feed
• Peanut hay

OUTSIDE

• Some lawn fertilizer
• Potting soil may contain ground peanut shells
• Packaged flower seeds
• Compost accelerator/additives
• Some insect granules
• Axle Grease
• Explosives

ITEMS AROUND THE HOME

• Avoid products made with ARACHIS HYPOGAEA (aka peanut) and ARACHIS OIL (aka peanut oil)
• Stuffed animals (sometimes stuffed with crushed peanut shells)
• Hacky sacks/sacks for playing bags
• Seasoned baking stones – that have previously made pb cookies
• Cutting boards oiled with peanut oil
• Artificial Fireplace logs
• Roach/ant bait disks
• Wallboard and Fiberboard shelving
• Burlap bags
• Potpourri – whole nuts may be present
• Ink
• Metal Polishers
• Peanuts have a variety of industrial end uses, particulary the oil: paint, varnish, lubricating oil, leather dressings, furniture polish, insecticides and nitroglycerin
• Oil for wooden musical instruments
• Peanut scented fishing lures

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

• Cosmetics, lotions, massage oils, sunscreens, tanning oils, shampoos, and conditioners can contain peanuts/peanut oil (it may be listed as arachis oil or arachidyl behenate)
• Exfoliators that contains ground nut shells
• Atrovent® inhalation aerosol asthma medication
• Prometrium® (synthetic progesterone)
• Ear wax remover drops
• Dental cleaner or Flouride at the dentist’s office (some contain pine nuts)