This tree nut allergy alert for several other natural products is my second post sharing what I’ve learned from my own daughter’s severe tree nut allergies.
Last year I wrote about my daughter’s strange allergic and anaphylactic reaction after eating at a restaurant at Disneyland.
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We had no idea why she had this reaction as the chef swore that there had been no tree nuts, or any form of cross contamination in her food. Yet clearly, she’d ingested some form of nuts as her airway had started to close, and she was feeling her lips swelling as well as other symptoms.
You will find that post here. However, I can tell you that the offending allergen was the pink peppercorns (which are related to cashews) in a four-blend pepper that the restaurant used. How I discovered this two weeks after the reaction was extremely serendipitous, I’m very thankful to an Amazon reviewer for the information.
Since then, I’ve discovered that there are some other hidden or obscure tree nut allergens. These may cause those with allergies to tree nuts to react, so I want to inform you about those, too.
Tree Nut Allergy Alert
NB: please understand that I am not a doctor or allergist. I am simply passing on what I feel is vital and helpful information. Anyone with a tree nut allergy (or those who have children with allergies) can do their own research on these allergens. Given that my daughter has a severe tree nut allergy, I would very much appreciate anyone putting out such information that may save her from an anaphylactic reaction in future.
Sumac
Sumac seems to have popped up a while ago as a great, new spice that is being used in restaurants and recipes. I even spotted it in my local Trader Joe’s spice shelf. However, this flowering plant is similar to the pink peppercorns. It is also part of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), as noted in Wikipedia. Luckily, my daughter has not encountered this spice, but now she knows to avoid it. We’d rather be safe than sorry.
Argan (Argan Oil)
This was a complete surprise to me, as I didn’t know the derivation of Argan oil. I had been using it in my hair as a friend gave me some to try. It was also in the hair, skin and nails supplement I had been taking. The shock came when I was reading the label on the bottle and saw this below the ingredients.
“Contains Soy and Tree Nut (Argan) ingredients.”
Of course, I immediately hopped on to google to read more about Argan oil, and told my daughter to avoid it, too. Here is what I read on Wikipedia:
“Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree (Argania spinosa L.) that is endemic to Morocco. In Morocco, argan oil is used to dip bread in at breakfast or to drizzle on couscous or pasta. World-wide, it is gaining a reputation both as an ingredient in high-end, personal-care products and as a heart-healthy gourmet product.[1]“
Who knew? Not me! If you have a tree nut allergy, please take care with argan products.
Shea Butter
Yep, you guessed it, shea butter comes from a nut. Interestingly, my daughter had reactions from a face lotion and a sunscreen that contained shea butter on separate occasions. The strange thing is that she realized she had been using other products with shea butter that has no effect on her skin.
I’ve told her to avoid it, once again, just to be safe. You’ll have to do your own research, but I’d rather put this on the list of things that come from nuts, and which may cause reactions, than to leave it off.
Mango
Believe it or not, mangoes are also related to cashews as they too, are part of the Anacardiaceae* family! My daughter has eaten mangoes in the past with no reaction whatsoever. However, in some comments on my last allergy post (or in emails from readers), readers have shared that some people with nut allergies have reacted to mangoes.
*Marula, which is used to make Amarula liqueur is also in the Anarcardiaceae family.
Once again, I am sharing this information in the hope that spreading the word may save nut allergy sufferers from future reactions. This is especially important as they could be anaphylactic reactions.
Do you know of any other such allergens with cross reactions to those with tree nut allergies? I’d love to hear from you! You may help my daughter with her severe tree nut allergy, and many others!
Please pass on this important information to anyone you know who has a tree nut allergy or knows others who do. I’m sure they will be more than grateful.
Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. This is done by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Hi there. I too have anaphylactic reactions to tree nuts and wanted to share a possible connection between tree nut allergy (cashew and pistachio in particular), citrus seeds, and pectin. In my never ending search for answers to why I’m allergic to these things in particular, I came across this case study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17201234/ I am also allergic to white pepper but black pepper is fine. I looked into this too. Turns out black pepper is the unripened fruit of the peppercorn. White pepper is the seed of the ripened fruit. I have not come across pink peppercorn but will add it to my list of potential allergens- thank you for the heads up!
Thank you, TOO, Kari! So many nuances and differences with allergies. We have to keep informing each other. Stay safe!
Thank you for this info! Just wanted to add one to your alcohol/ drink list. I’m a huge fan of the Ma’i Tai. Most of the recipes use orgeat syrup which is almond syrup.
Oh thank you, I’ll add this, Kirsten.
I keep a list of ingredients I find in cosmetics that I have looked up and found to be nuts.
In case it’s helpful to anyone, these are all nuts and are used in cosmetics: Marula
Argan
Sumac
Kukui = moluccana seed
Corylus rostrata = hazelnut
Juglans regia = walnut
Anacardium occidentale = cashews
Bertholletia excelsa = Brazil nut
Mongongo (possibly = Marula)
Tamanu nut
For any adults with nut allergies out there reading this, also may helpful to have this list I have made of nut alcohols:
Amarula – marula
Frangelico – hazelnut
Nocello – walnut and hazelnut
Nocino – walnut
Orahovac – walnut
Rivulet – pecan
Charbay nostalgie – walnut
Creme de noix – hazelnut and walnut
Dumante – pistacchio
Kahana Royale – macadamia nut
Kazkar feni – cashew
Phillips Dirty Squirrel (beer) – hazelnut
Monteith’s golden lager (beer) – cashew
Feni – cashew
Serravinci – pistacchio
Jessica, I can’t thank you enough for these incredibly useful lists! I am sending them to my daughter immediately. I think I will also add them to the body of my post so they will be easier to find, in case readers do not read these comments. Thank you for your generous sharing of information that can help so many others!
Anyone with nut allergies having problems with makeup now? I purchased new makeup products- Revlon (shea butter), and then Physicians Formula and having nut reactions! Apparently they are using Shea butter, Murumuru butter, Cupuaçu Butter, and Tucuma Butter and others include another item called something else named Mucuna Pruriens Seed Extract (What are the side effects of Mucuna Pruriens?
The most common side effects include nausea and a sensation of abdominal bloating. Less common side effects include vomiting, abnormal body movements, and insomnia. Rare but possible side effects of other cowhage preparations include headache, pounding heartbeat, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, and delusions.) Why are they putting allergens in makeup now? Physicians Formula Revlon Milani is using Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil and Murumuru Seed Butter in Wet and Wild.
They don’t seem to be aware of the increasing cases of nut allergies! This is so unfair, especially when the consequences are severe. :(
You can add Poison Ivy and pistachios to the list belonging to the Anacardiaceae family.
My daughter has anaphylactic allergy to cashews, mango, pistachios, and poison ivy. She has experienced allergic reactions to Marula oil which is also related to mango.
I have never heard of pink peppercorns but I will now be watching closely for that ingredient on menus and will not use it in food that I prepare.
Thank you for sharing! This helps all of us be better parents and advocates for our children
Thank you for the added info on poison ivy and marula oil!
I’m allergic to Urushiol oil typically associated with Poison Ivy. I didn’t know the oil was in mango rinds until I had a reaction that required a prescription. Google mango mouth. Cashews and pistachios also have Urushiol. I need to see if any others are related.
Good to know, thank you for sharing here, Tish.
I appreciate so much that people are sharing these related foods that may illicit a reaction. My son had an allergic reaction to cashews the very first time he tried them in a treat on Christmas at age 2 1/2. His reaction was immediate and even though he had very little and spit it out, it was a severe enough reaction that we took an ambulance ride. I heard shortly after about how cashews are related to poison ivy and then after doing some reading I found out about pistachios. This is the first I’ve seen about mangoes and the pink peppercorns. I’m pretty strictly black pepper. Thankfully he has never reacted to mango but I also don’t recall if he has had fresh…I buy canned occasionally. I’m not sure if that would make a difference. But I also had the argan oil experience with him. I had a leave in hair product that I decided to spray onto his beautifully curly hair to help tame some frizz. I used it on him a few times with no noticable issues. It took me awhile to make the connection between the product and his reaction because I had used it on him before. One day I noticed he was developing a strange rash on his neck. He had tried mushrooms for the first time that day too so I was assuming a food allergy. I took him to see his pediatrician and she agreed it looked like an allergic reaction and I believe she prescribed some hydrocortisone or something. It was really odd because the rash stopped at his shirt collar. It dawned on me the next time I went to use the product on myself that maybe that’s what caused his reaction. I read the ingredients and then decided to look up what argan oil is. Mystery solved I guess! I will never use that product on him or myself ever again. He seems to do ok with Shea butter products but I always remind him when I use new products or feed him new foods to let me know immediately if it makes him feel sick or weird or itchy or hard to breathe, etc. It’s crazy how prevalent allergens are! And I also recently discovered my younger son is allergic to peanuts. My older son is not allergic to peanut butter but i already felt uncertain about offering peanut butter to my younger son for some reason so I made sure my husband was home and that I’d monitor closely. He took one taste off a spoon and pushed me away. He broke out in hives within minutes so I took him to the ER and later had him allergy tested. Sure enough he was allergic to peanuts (though he is actually negative to tree nuts at this point). Crazy how that works!
Hi Mary, I actually responded to your hummus comment first, so now I see that your sons are young. Yes, it’s so incredibly difficult navigating food AND other products when they’re young. As they get older, it’s difficult letting them manage on their own and then going off to college is so scary! Luckily, my daughter attended Villanova University which is a nut free campus (I cried with happiness when I found out this information AFTER we had placed a deposit!) Of course, this guarantees nothing, however, it tells me they take allergies seriously and they did. She graduated with no incidences (except a taste of some Indian food off campus which must have had nuts.)
I’m glad you’re vigilent about their allergies, and I wish you much luck in avoiding them for your family. It’s tough, and non-allergy parents don’t seem to “get it” at times. :(
Christina,
I had an anaphylactic shock from pine nuts in London a few months ago from a chicken pesto wrap at Pret. I only had a minor reaction to pine nuts years before, and have avoided them for the most part. When I was tested, Almonds, Pecans, and several other nuts showed positive. Pine nuts were off the chart. I wondered if the pine nut reaction could have had an effect on the other nuts showing positive ? Cashews were ok. I also discovered Argan oil in the Trader Joe’s shampoo and Shea butter in soap I have been using . I am wondering if those could Cross trigger a reaction for pine nuts. Doctors seem to be guessing at best and probably can’t afford to commit to possibilities.
I was probably a few minutes from dying, so I am doing everything I can to check labels, but the US is way behind Europe on labeling .
Eric
SO sorry to hear this, Eric! So scary. Honestly, I don’t think enough research is being put into food allergies, especially given the exponential increase in people affected. Just do your best to avoid as many things as you can. My daughter is finding that more and more companies are just adding “may contain traces of nuts” in EVERYTHING so that the number of foods she used to eat has dwindled significantly. It think it’s horrible to slap that notice on everything just to cover themselves. Meanwhile so many allergy sufferers have to do without something they’ve been eating for years and years. Good luck.
Yes there are so many companies that are doing this…I actually ended up on your site after looking up kids gummy vitamins because almost every brand has that on their label. But one brand says tree nuts (coconut). That right there drives me crazy because there isn’t even agreement about whether or not coconut is a nut. My son’s allergist says it’s a fruit and he can have it as long as he tolerates it. So I’m left wondering if coconut is the only ‘nut’ potentially in these vitamins or if there may be others. Hard to know if they’re safe or not. So of course I just avoid it. The brand we usually get (NatureMade) isn’t in stock right now.
Also, on a side note of sorts, I avoid all store brand snacks, dried fruit and baking ingredients (Great Value, Food Club, etc.) because almost all of them have a laundry list of potential cross contamination allergens. I also had a hard time with Wilton cake and cookie decorating products because some have that warning and others don’t. I ended up contacting them via email to ask very specific questions about individual products. These labels can vary with every production. It’s so difficult to find things like that that are allergen friendly too!
One last note: I completely agree that it’s difficult to find food and products that are allergen friendly, so I would highly encourage you not to take chances with processed food whenever possible. For example, you mentioned Wilton products. You won’t have a thing to worry about if you make homemade buttercream instead of buying Wilton cake products. Buttercream is essentially butter and confectioner’s sugar (cocoa if you want to make chocolate), but YOU have control over what you put in it, and butter and sugar are never an issue. Not to mention, you don’t want your children ingesting loads of corn syrup and preservatives and awful colors that are in those types of products, too. The more you make, the safer they are.
You’re also modeling for them to do this when they’re older. Have them help you in the kitchen. My son and daughter are both wonderful cooks and love it, so I feel much more confident that my daughter is eating her own food instead of chancing allergens in other food products and eating out all the time.
Oh, my gosh, I feel like a one woman army about shea butter. I am deathly allergic to latex, and cannot use avocado oil either. For one thing, shea butter is NOT non-comedogenic, that is, it can clog your pores. I ended up with adult acne (milia) and read all labels now. You can indeed be allergic to shea butter. You’re not alone. Why it’s in everything is anyone’s guess. I think it must be cheap, personally. I have great Italian skin and I just don’t need this stuff.
I simply don’t understand the need to put a hundred toxic ingredients in lotions, either! Glad you know about it and read labels though!
I find the Shea Butter thing so strange for my own allergy as I only react to higher concentrated products with it in on my face but no where else on the body. Same goes for Aloe Vera so keep an eye out for that one because so many people think it’s the saviour to everything but my face doesn’t like it at all.
Fascinating! My little guy has cashew and peanut allergies, and we just had to add pistachio. But Lipini beans, which in Europe are brined and have a thick skin are a common snack. I have seen them at more international stores like World Market. But my son tried them and spent the next few hours throwing them up. I figured it was a bad batch, but through further research found they are also related to cashews. Lupini beans. They are large and look like large white fava beans.
Hi Erin, so so sorry to hear this. I actually have a how to cook lupini beans post here on my site and include a warning. It’s not cashews they are related to, but peanuts. Where did you find the information that they are related to cashews? You should let them know they are misinforming others. The FDA issued a warning about two years ago. It also makes sense that they’re related to peanuts since both are plants versus a cashew being a tree.
Regardless, I’m glad your son is okay and that you know to avoid them in future. Good luck! CC
Lupini beans are considered a legume as are peanuts. If your son is allergic to peanuts then stay away from legumes or at least have your guard up if your son is going to eat a legume.
Legumes include alfalfa, clover, beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts, and tamarind
I hope you find this helpful
Thanks, SheriLee!!
I have always been what I consider “slightly” allergic to tree nuts but didn’t take it serious because the allergy wasn’t too bad. Recently my mother in law bought me Argan oil for my face and I had no idea that it could cause a reaction to those with tree but allergies. Well here I sit with my face bright red, itchy and a terrible rash. I am glad I came across your page in my search because it confirmed the tree but allergy for me and how bad things could actually get, very quick. I will be going to the doctor to get an Epi Pen because this has been eye opening for me.
Hi Lynn, I’m sorry to hear about your allergy, but I’m glad you’re getting an Epipen. Don’t mess around with allergies, it’s just not worth it. Hopefully yours doesn’t get worse and it’s always good to be apprised of new information. I’ve joined a few allergy pages on FB and I learn something new every now and then. Good luck and thanks for your note. CC
Thank you so much for the information. I am 64 years old and my allergy to tree nuts is now life threatening. Even when I get the necessary antihistamine, the reaction comes back on its own. To all parents who have allergic children, please make every effort to limit their exposure to the allergen. My reaction to tree nuts started at age 5 with brownies and has gotten worse with every subsequent exposure. I carry two epipens with me at all times just to give me enough time to get to an ER. Extreme hot weather and cold can decrease the effectiveness of the epipens. Do not leave them in the car. Epipens should also be replaced every six months.
Sorry to hear that, Angela. I know allergies can increase in severity every time there’s an exposure. My daughter never leaves hers in the car (is always with HER), but thank you for reiterating this. It’s so important. Thanks so much.
Thank you for the info on sumac, I have a nickel allergy and one of the many things that contain a high concentration of nickel are nuts. I had a reaction last night and the only thing different in the meal that I made was sumac.
So sorry I missed this comment earlier in spring, Jennifer. Wow, I didn’t know about the connection with nickel, nuts and sumac. Thanks for posting this here. It will hopefully help someone else in future, too.
Thank you for sharing what you’ve researched and learned with your daughter’s allergies. I found your article by searching for Amarula liquor as an allergen. Not too many people out there know it can affect folk negatively. I wish more folk would be like you and would share.
I’m overly educated when it comes to asthma, but a swelling tongue is entirely different thing. Inhalers and steroids control asthma attacks, my doctor says what I experienced with a bakery item that used Amarula was a one-off and probably related to my pollen allergies. I say I’m allergic to my doc – he’s the nut ;). I’m just trying to figure out what to expect if I encounter it again, and what else is related to it (I’ve not had any big issues with cashews or mangoes… yet.)
As an adult in my 40’s I suddenly I had an anaphylactic attack. Very serious. Never had one before.
It was mangoes which I had eaten several times before.
ALWAYS ALWAYS triple check in restaurants and any store-bought products.
Cashews and SUMAC are absolutely connected.
And ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have 2 epipens…. if you have only one, and you panic……..
Sorry to hear that Lynda. Yes, it can happen at any time to any one of us. Thanks for the tips.
Hi Christina,
I am specifically allergic to this family too. I’ve now been tested and am highly allergic to sumac and pink peppercorns as well as cashews, pistachios and some other tree nuts. Just FYI, it is the mango kernel that those who are allergic to this family are allergic to as it contains the same protien. I’ve recently found in the UK this is being used as a by product in chocolate/cookies, and has given me reactions. Look out for “vegetable oil (palm, mango, etc) ” on the ingredients list. It’s now being used very widely over here in a lot of big brands such as nestle.
Hope that helps,
Grace
I have an allergic reaction to the oils that mangos produce. Recently I started to use Argan Oil on my face and stared to notice I was having a reaction similar to what happens if Mangos touch my skin. As this person had done, I started to google and noticed that the oils could be similar between Mangos and the Argan so I’m glad I found this page because it gave me even more insight to what I was wondering. I don’t have reactions to Cashews, but I do have a reaction to Shea Butter which I understand why now realizing what is in it. I’m starting to wonder if I might have a different allergy than just the Mango Oils, but another thing to look out for is Papayas I was told seeing they’re in the same family as Poison Ivy and those that have an allergic reaction might show the same signs to those as well. Thank you for the helpful article, I hope my comment helps as well.
I’m sure it will help others in similar situations as yours, Brittany. Thank you so much for the additional information and glad mine helped you too. Good luck–allergies are terrible things. :(
And to add a little more info, my allergy has been getting worse everytime, reaching to where I get lumps in my throat that can’t let me breath. So many helpful details here including the sumac and shea butter as we use sumac in our Lebabese salads and I love it too! I guess not everything we love can be healthy.
Be sure to check with your dr and have an Epipen at all times!! Stay safe, Joyce!
Yes! I love hummus but a lot of that contains sumac. Between my older sons cashew allergy and my younger sons peanut allergy I think introducing them to hummus and the potential allergens of chickpeas and sumac might be a bad idea.
Absolutely disagree with you Mary; if you teach them ONLY to eat your/their own homemade hummus (not sure how old they are), they can enjoy a super nutritious and delicious dip/spread without any fear of hidden allergens. My daughter has enjoyed our homemade hummus since she was a little girl. I even have a recipe for you! It’s super easy since you just throw everything in a blender or food processor! Hope this helps!
I have an allergy to tree nuts and many other types of food. I used to eat black pepper with literally anything because I loved its taste. But everytime after it I would start coughing and my breath becomes short. I woke up this morning with swollen eyes and lips, shortness of breath, and I’ve been coughing ever since I woke up. I’ve sprinkled last night a bit of black pepper to my pasta which tasted yummy and I knew it had something to do with my morning reaction. So I finally googled it and was literally shocked to read that black pepper is a member of the cashews family as mom also thinks that pepper has its own family! With a further research because I couldn’t just let my info be a little and as I always do research for my allergy, I came up to this post and the post before about your daughter in the restaurant, and they were very helpful yet very shocking fir me. I could have died if I didn’t knew by now that black peppers are of the nut family and kept enjoying the taste. Thank you so much! And for the mangoes, as it is my favorite fruit, this was too a shocking info! May God bless you all and protect your children and loved ones from any kind of allergic reactions.
Oh dear, that sounds terrible, Joyce! I’m glad you discovered the cause, but yes it is so scary to realize what can happen when you don’t know something about allergens! God bless you, too!
I Don quite know the relationship between these two, but last year I developed an allergy to Figs. This year I haven’t eaten them, but I had a chocolate with hazelnuts the other day and had a reaction, googled it and it says that they do have the same allergen. So, if you’re allergic to hazelnuts, might wanna stay far from (raw) figs. (I did also read that cookes figs should be fine for most people (but not all) as cooking eliminates the allergen. Don’t trust me, though. Look it up.
Thank you for letting me know, Valeria. Good information to have!
I’ve found the same thing with Shea Butter some times I react, sometimes I don’t. I think it is to do with the amount of proteins in the Shea Butter (how pure it is) If the shea butter is highly purified then no reaction. If it’s not then reaction.
Good to know, Ellie. I’ve argued with my daughter on this point as she once broke out like crazy with a shea butter lotion for her face, but she claims she’s used other shea butter items with no issue. I’ll copy and paste your comment to her so she knows to be very cautious. Thank you.
My husband just made me dinner and used sumac for the first time. Shortly after we started eating, I started to feel like I was having an allergic reaction. I am allergic to tree nuts and peanuts so I am very careful about what I eat. I had no idea sumac was a tree nut. My reaction was minor, with slightly swollen lips and upset stomach, but no where near as sever as other nut reactions. I am dismayed that I now must add another item to the list to ask about when in public. But I am thankful I found your blog.
Cheers!
Maeve
Oh Maeve, I’m so sorry to hear this, BUT very happy that the reaction wasn’t life-threatening. It really is frustrating that this sort of information isn’t shared widely by media sources as it can save lives. I’m glad you found my site, too and hope you enjoy my recipes and travel posts :)
Maeve, that must have been concerning to have a reaction thinking you had not consumed any tree nut! I am glad everything turned out ok for you. However, what you described as a minor reaction was in fact an anaphylaxis reaction according to FARE since it involved two different systems even if mild and would have been treated with epinephrine! https://www.foodallergy.org/file/common-symptoms-poster.pdf
Hi there. I too am allergic to most nuts (cashews, peanuts etc.) and had the same reaction as you did when I first ate sumac sprinkled on Lebanese salad (fatoush). Apart from a tingly sensation on my lips and a mild upset stomach, it was nothing serious. I popped a Benadryl and was feeling better in an hour and normal a couple hours later.
Be careful as the reaction can get worse, each subsequent time.
Hey! Great posts about allergies. I just wanted to share that peaches are often the biggest offender among stone fruits (drupes) for people with tree nut allergies. I’m severely allergic to tree nuts as well, and peaches eventually started giving me lower-grade reactions (more minor swelling and hives inside my mouth), so now I avoid them entirely. They’re closely related to almonds, as are all stone fruit.
Thanks for that info, Jill. Allergies are so unpredictable! :(
Please, y’all, don’t automatically assume sumac is allergenic, even for those with known allergies to cashew/pistachio. I understand the impulse to head new threats off at the pass, and being aware of what is botanically related can be useful. But a close botanical relationship does not necessarily mean that an ingredient will share allergenic proteins.
http://allergicliving.com/2015/10/13/can-you-be-allergic-to-spices/
True, however, I feel it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Sharing this in case it may be useful to you or some of your readers. It’s a useful resource for learning about what is related to what: The Ultimate Food Allergy Cookbook and Survival Guide: How to Cook with Ease for Food Allergies and Recover Good Health, by Nicolette M Dumke.
Thank you, Debra. I’m sure it can be helpful to others. Thanks for sharing. CC
Has anyone else had issues with Pectin? My daughter is highly allergic to tree nuts and can not eat pectin. I’ve read that it is somehow related to cashews. I now make homemade jams since I cannot find any jams/jellies that don’t contain pectin. Anyone else?
Oh dear, no, I haven’t heard of this, but thank you for sharing. Hopefully, others will see this and chime in.
Oh, that is interesting! My tree nut allergic son has always avoided jams on his own for some reason and 2 weeks ago he had an anaphylactic reaction eating bread, butter and jam. Each was a new “healthier/organic” brand we had never tried, and I couldn’t figure out which he had reacted to. He is severely allergic to cashews.
Hi,
I have a severe allergy to all tree nuts and cannot eat pectin or sumac. It took me a while to figure out the pectin allergy, but it’s definitely there. Be careful!
Peppercorns also bother me sometimes- it’s interesting to read of others’ experiences with this.
Thank you!
Hi Caroline, sorry to hear about your allergies. Thank you for letting us know about pectin, that is very strange! Good luck avoiding all your allergens, it’s so terrible to have allergies. :( CC
Thank you for your extensive work here, Christina! This is clearly a great community.
Apparently pectin allergy is associated with cashew allergy.
My daughter has had a severe reaction to pectin twice. She is also highly allergic to cashews/pistachios. I just came across this post when I was doing some online research. I wish there was more info out there, but just wanted you to know you’re not alone.
I have a severe tree but allergy and am definitely allergic to pectin. Try Sarabeth’s preserves if you can— no pectin!
Sorry to hear that, April. Thank you Caroline. Do you both know about the Facebook groups on allergies? Sometimes there’s more information there.
My son has peanut and tree nut allergies (severe). Also allergic
reaction to shea butters (sigh) and argan oil (in shampoo) . This
week the new allergan appears to be cottonseed oil (protein almost
identical to peanut proteins); it hit the bronchial tubes with most
impact, not the usual tongue swelling though. Cottonseed oil is
everywhere — so Read The Labels.
Thank you, Liz. I’m so sorry to hear this, but thank you for passing on the information. Good luck with your son.
I found this post while looking up info in sumac. A few years ago I discovered that I have a severe reaction to mangoes. Mangoes are related to cashews and pistachios…. As posted here are all in the same family as poison ivy. The mango skin is what was the high concentration of the oils that cause reaction. I can eat mangoes if someone else peels them. Since I discovered this I learned pistachio shells (not the nuts) are also an issue. I want to eat sumac seasoning but am cautious.
Oh, and as a follow-up to my last comment, I’m one of those who are tree nut, drupe, and coconut allergic. Coconut has not ever been a hypoallergenic nut for me, despite all the claims.
Sorry to hear that. My daughter is okay with coconut. I always wonder why everyone is so different in reactions! :(
Christina, I’ve been tree nut and drupe allergic most of my life. Since your daughter reacts to the cashew family (which are actually the nuts of a drupe), she may also need to be careful with cherries, blackberries (druplets), nectarines, plums, etc, as they all are drupes and can cause a similar anyphalyxic reaction. In case you’re not aware, drupes are actually considered the fruit around the nut http://knowledgenuts.com/2013/12/22/difference-between-nuts-legumes-and-drupes/ and if she is allergic to walnuts or almonds, she is likely allergic to drupes as well.
One thing I learned about my drupe allergy is that I can eat cherries, plums, nectarines if they have been cooked or canned (which applies enough heat in in the canning process to be considered a form of cooking) because it neutralizes the protein that I’m most allergic to. My throat will close with raw cherries and plums but I have absolutely no reaction to canned cherries or cooked plums in a dessert.
I carry my epipens everywhere I go. I’m 51, and I’ve had to make knowing a lot about food my business for survival.
Oh goodness, I had no idea about this! She’s eaten all those fruits her whole life with no problems, but I will let her know, because you never know when these allergies take a turn! Thank you so much for the information, Maria!
You’re very welcome. One thing I have learned is that everyone reacts differently. Usually, when a person reacts to one or two members of the family like tree nuts, most allergists seem to recommend avoiding them all.
Raw plums and cherries don’t cause anaphylaxis for me – they make my lips tingle and swell. And, I was well into adulthood when the drupe allergy seemed to increase and move from just cashews to the fruits., though it’s a less severe reaction for me than hazelnuts or Brazil nuts. It appears the oils are the culprit.
Since we’re sharing information, I thought I’d also offer up another type of allergy that may be difficult to pin down. It took me years to figure out why some of my mother’s cooking was making me ill. I’ve been asthmatic from birth, and pine scents, oils, exposure to pine in the outdoors will all set me off as well as cause a serious rash when I touch them. As I tried to develop the list of foods to avoid, I realized rosemary is a coniferous herb, related to evergreen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary, and apparently, I react to that as well. I noticed it gave me the same stomach knots and chills I’d get from coconut/coconut oil about six hours after consumption.
A couple of years ago I was just getting over a poison ivy episode, ate some mangoes and broke out in a very painful face blistering. Did not know the connection at the time. After doing some research I read about the connection and potential reactions between poison ivy, mangoes, cashews etc.
I am able to eat cashews without a problem, but I do avoid mangoes. I get at least one to two cases of poison ivy a year even though I try really hard to avoid it. If we walk through a park area if I get a strange sensation in my throat, sure enough I find there is poison ivy in the area.
I do use pink peppercorns, so far no problem.
The more we know the better we can be prepared. Thanks for the reminder.
Hope you and your family have a happy and safe New Year.
This is why allergies are so scary, Susan! Why is it one way with one person and a different way with someone else? So strange! Good luck with your poison ivy, that sounds terrible!
I received a tea for Christmas that contains pink peppercorns – coco chai rooibos from David’s Tea. Just another product to take note of just in case!
Thank you for keeping up the good work, Christina! Your blog is such an invaluable resource!
Thank you so much, Ruchira! I appreciate it!
Thanks for sharing all this information. My daughter is allergic to Cashews and Pistaccios. Our allergist told us that she can eat mangoes as long as it is cut up. He said for her to avoid taking bites near the pit of the mangoes because that section would most likely cause a reaction. She is not allergic to Mangoes he said, but some folks allergic to cashews have had a reaction from eating the “meat” near the pit.
Wow, that’s so strange, Rose. I wouldn’t take a chance at all and surprised your doctor suggested this. Good luck to you and your daughter, it’s just not something any of us want to deal with! :( CC
I had NO idea or would have ever guessed that mangos were in the cashew family! Thanks again for supporting the food allergy community with your research on hidden allergens and alerts you publish here. Join us at http://www.safeplatefoods.com
Wonderful, thank you!
Happy to have found your posts about red peppercorns and this post also; and I wanted to share with you and your readers that shea nut is actually safe for those with nut allergies:
https://farrp.unl.edu/resources/gi-fas/opinion-and-summaries/shea-nut-butter
Watch out for Amchoor powder which is mango powder. It is found in a lot of Indian cuisine. I’m allergic to mango, and slightly sensitive to pistachios and cashews. Haven’t had a problem with shea butter, argan oil, or sumac luckily. Thanks for sharing. :)
Never heard of that, Kimberly, so thank you!!
Thanks for this info! I’ve used Argan oil on my tree nut-allergic daughter a few times. I had no idea!! No reaction that I could see, but she frequently has hives that we can’t identify what caused it. And she eats mangos too. One thing that I luckily discovered soon after my daughter’s 1st anaphylactic reaction, is that most pesto sauces contain tree nuts (walnut or pine). I looked up a recipe to make some & was so surprised by the ingredients! You probably knew this if you’re a cook & have a daughter with allergies, but most people are surprised. And it’s helpful to include pesto in our list of what we tell people (and my now 8-year-old) to avoid.
So glad you found the info, Jenn! Yes, it’s frustrating to not know what’s causing a reaction, so I hope this helps narrow down the causes.
You are right about pestos, I think some people don’t realize they are a nut-based sauce. When I was speaking to someone in charge of feeding my daughter’s swim team about the fact that my daughter is allergic to tree nuts, the first thing she said she’d be making was a pesto pasta! Ugh! You did see the other post about the pink peppercorns too, right? Good luck and I hope your daughter has an reaction free life ahead of her. :) CC
[…] PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS POST AS I HAVE ADDED MORE HIDDEN ALLERGENS! […]
Mangoes are also related to the poison ivy family. After a systemic reaction to poison ivy, I cut mangoes out of my diet.
Yup! A lot of people thought I had come in contact with poison ivy when I had my reaction to the Brazillian pepper plant’s sap and just like with poison ivy, you have to wash everything that might have he oils still on it. I had washed my PJs and bed sheets the next day when I realized there was sap on them. But then several days later I was still getting new rashes and the older rashes weren’t going away but getting worse. I had to rewash everything on the bed and then clean everything I probably touched that night. Door handles, light switches, the faucets on the sink, I went around and cleaned everything. Cause if I kept transferring oil to new spots, I could have stayed in that cycle. I ended up with a rash for over 2 weeks and nothing OTC had helped. The first steroid pack didn’t help and that’s why the doctors office went with an actual allergy to the plant whereas non allergic people will get over their rash quicker from poison ivy and some don’t even have reactions to poison ivy. The doctors office however did believe me when I said it was a Brazillian pepper plant and not poison ivy. I had known about my mango sap allergy since I was old enough to understand. Somehow when I was a baby, my mom and I came in contact with mango sap and we both ended up with huge rashes. Several times as a kid I have come into contact with sap and if I couldn’t wash it off soon enough, I would have a reaction but I noticed if I washed/scrubbed it off I would be fine. Same with the pepper sap, I had been in there many times to get the darn dog out (wish we had had a fenced in yard there, lol) but would just automatically wash the sap off. But that night I didn’t realize I had any on me bc it was dark and I was ready for bed, just was trying to get dog ready for bed. Now my fiancé and I live with his parents, brothers and sister and brother in law and the father and the boys (not my fiancé though) all work for a company that removes Exotic plants and they come home after removing Brazilian pepper plants but they shower right away and I constantly wash my hands now so that if I get oil on me, I can hopefully avoid another reaction. So far I have. Sorry this is so long but just wanted to try to help people with known mango allergies to be aware.
If anyone searches for this information, it will surely lead them to your comment, Patricia, so thank you. Hopefully, you’ll never have to go through this experience again, it sounds terrible! Thanks so much for sharing your story so that it might help others avoid the same situation. Have a lovely weekend, CC.
So many connections between plants, fruit and nuts! Scary!
My daughter is highly allergic to poison oak and cannot touch mangoes. She can, however, eat the fruit inside. The skin has the same oil that causes the allergic reaction to poison oak but it’s just on the skin so I peel them for her. She cannot have anything that is commercially prepared because they sometimes use the skin as well.
Sorry to hear that Cathe. I’ve told my daughter to avoid mangos just in case, since they are not in very many dishes and I don’t use them in home cooking, simply for this reason. Good luck to you and your daughter, we need it with these allergies.
Oh my goodness. Thanks for sharing this, Christina. Luckily we don’t have any one in our family with nut allergies but yesterday I had a chocolate and pastry walk in Paris with a girl in the group allergic to nuts and so this is extremely important to know. What a surprise with the mangos and argan oil.
Yes, it’s such important information, Jill!
That must have been so scary. I had no idea that mango and argon oil were related to tree nuts! The only allergy I have is to pineapple.
Wow, so much important information here for people with allergies. Who knew? I’m going to share this with a number of people I know will find it helpful, and I’m glad your daughter is okay.
Thank you, Lois!
Coconut oil is becoming a big thing right now and people are cooking with it too. I am sure that you know that coconut is a type of tree nuts.
Although coconuts are from trees, they are not in the same category as tree nuts such as hazelnuts, cashews and walnuts, Jonnie. My daughter is completely okay eating coconut: fresh, dried and oil. That’s not to say that some people who are allergic to tree nuts are not allergic to coconut. Allergies are very strange.
I just read that pink peppercorns are from Brazillian peppers. I was told by my dad growing up that they were poisonous and to never eat them. I wonder if he knew they were in the same family as mangos??
Maybe he did!
I’m allergic to mango tree sap and have known that since I was a baby. All my life I’ve avoided mangos and products with mangos. I have never had an allergic reaction to anything else since. Until 2013! I live in Florida and there’s an invasive plant species here called Brazillian Pepper(the pods are dangerous, this is not an edible pepper) and we had a huge plant in my backyard and my dog was outside on his chain one night and got stuck in there. This happened often, we always watched him and sometimes he could get out. If he couldn’t, we would get him out. Well on that one night, I went in and had to untangle his chain and I was climbing/stepping over limbs to get him. I got him out and went to bed. I woke up and had dried sap on me and my clothes. I didn’t realize that the night before and it hadn’t happened the other times either. I washed it off but noticed a small rash on my wrist. Within days I had rashes everywhere that the sap had touched me. I had to also wash every surface in the house I had touched that night to make sure there wasn’t any oil left. I had to re wash the bed sheets in case I had touched a dirty doorknob and then got into bed. It wasn’t going away, I ended up going to the doctors twice for steroid pills and the second visit I also got a shot and an antibiotic bc I had scratched so hard on my arm where it first showed up that it was showing signs of being infected.
I found out shortly after all that that Brazillian Peppers are in the same family as mangos. Luckily I can eat nuts but I also don’t go into shock from getting the sap on me. So it’s possible I could eat mangos and be okay. Some people can eat mangos and are only allergic to the sap. It’s curious to think I could be allergic to the sap of nut trees!
If anyone is reading this and have a known allergy to mango sap, please avoid Brazillian pepper plants in Florida!
Good advice, Patricia! Thanks for sharing that information and I’m so sorry you had to go through that ordeal in order to figure that out! Unfortunately, allergies are so strange and seem to affect everyone differently. I wish there was more known about them.
So glad that I don’t have any allergies and that no one in my family actually does either. Great info, I will pass it on to friends!
You are very lucky, Andi! Thank you for passing on the info! CC
Thank you!!!
You’re so welcome, Debbie!
Just found your blog Christina and wanted to thank you for posting this. My young adult son has the same allergy and I always forward this type of information to him to keep him on his toes….Mom still worries even when they are on their own!
I’ll have to read some of your older posts. Some of your recipes look very yummy!
Have a great weekend
Jeannette
Trust me Jeannette, I know. The photo of my daughter is from years ago, she’s starting college in August! I’m really concerned about her going off on her own with the fact that she has these allergies :( However, the more information we have the better it is. Thank you, I hope you do check out some recipes and hope you like them! CC