Nut Allergies

[Tirza]

I searched for a thread on this, but didn't find one directly dealing with it. Perhaps someone can send me a link.

I am making pâtés and crackers etc with nuts which I take with me when eating out now. I am worried that I might activate some child's nut allergy if I bring it in to their home, especially as I offer to share with them and my food touches their plates etc. I guess I should ask each hostess if any of their children have nut allergies first.

Does anyone know if there is less reaction if the nuts are soaked? It seems that there is such a big emphasis on nut avoidance these days among some people. Even schools are forbidding peanuts/peanut butter/even any nuts. Why is that? Why are people so allergic to nuts these days? Or are we just using them more than ever or are we just more informed and aware of specific allergies now?

It must pose a big problem for families who are trying to eat raw as nuts are a pretty essential source of nutrients on this diet.

[Lay-Lay]

Bumping up!

[Spectatrix]

True nut allergies are usually mild and are unlikely to be triggered unless the child actually consumes something containing nuts. Allergies to peanuts, which are actually legumes, are usually much more serious, but most raw foodists don't consume peanuts anyway, so I doubt that's much of a concern to you.

Do ask your host/hostess if their children (if young) have any food allergies before offering them anything. If the children are older, ask them personally.

Allergies in general are on the rise, mostly due to children consuming allergenic foods while their immune systems are immature and more prone to misidentify food as being foreign and bad.

[Tirza]

Thanks for that. I have a friend whose little toddler broke out in hives and kind of coughing from eating one cashew. Is that possible?

[juliebove]

Thanks for that. I have a friend whose little toddler broke out in hives and kind of coughing from eating one cashew. Is that possible?

Yes. This can happen with any food. However as the other poster stated, it is more common with peanuts. I have an almond allergy. That's a toughie for someone who wants to eat raw. I have to be careful getting things from bulk bins because they might have come into contact with almonds. Now I'm not sure what my reaction would be because after I had my RAST test and learned of the allergies to that, dairy and eggs, I've had none since.

I would not worry too much about bringing things into other people's homes. If they have a child with a severe allergy, then they should tell you about this before they invite you over. If they don't, then they are not acting responsibly. My daughter had two other kids in her class last year with food allergies. One girl had a peanut allergy of the severe type. On the days that I worked at the school I made sure not to eat any peanuts before I went in. All of the adults working with this girl were made aware of the allergy.