Another Tree Nut Allergy/Allergen Alert for Sumac, Argan, Shea Butter and Mango
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
Marula is used to make Amarula liqueur is also in the Anarcardiaceae family (like mangoes and cashews, stated above). Marula oil made from seeds of the marula plant may cause allergic reactions to those with nut allergies.
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 Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Thank you so much, dear Christina! I read your article today and it opened my eyes…
All the Best to you and yours from Switzerland
Connie
Thank you, Connie!
This is my second time here and I just wanted to thank you for helping my family solve the mystery of what two cookies and a beef kebab had in common to make my kid sick. One day my daughter took a bite of just beef and pita from a beef kebab sandwich and cried about how awful it made her feel and broke out in hives. The restaurant was no help (“beef, onion, and spices”) but I learned that sumac was a common ingredient in this food, and also found this blog post in that frantic search. So the common denominator between that and the cookies was sumac/cashew/pistachio.
Hi Luca, thank you so much for letting me know, but I’m so sorry that happened to your daughter. I’m glad you know what it is now so that she can avoid those foods. Food allergies are incredibly scary, especially when it’s not us who have them but our children. Stay safe and hope your daughter can stay away from these allergens. CC
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.
Thank you so much for this post. My nut allergies started as an adult and have been getting progressively worse. I am writing this from the ER room after getting treatment for an allergic reaction to something I ate. Turns out it was a garbanzo bean salad that had ground Sumac berries in it! Luckily it was not a severe reaction but having the information n this article is so helpful!!
Oh Brandi, I am sooo very sorry! Food allergies are the worst! You also read about the pink peppercorns, right? Please stay safe.
yes! will watch for those too. but hard to know what restaurants use. 😠at least now i know!
Put your EpiPen on the table of your restaurant where you dine, that way they know you are serious and not someone who claims to have “allergies”. Ask that the chef knows you cannot have sumac or pink peppercorns (often in 4 blend pepper) in addition to nuts. Glad you found out, Brandi! Good luck!
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!
Thanks! I have noticed some alcohols bother me as well but sometimes I cannot pin point it. Have you ever heard of Egg nog bothering someone with a nut allergy? I have tried it and it makes me so sick and my throat all itchy. I have tried it plain and with alcohol and both ways makes me feel the same.
No, but that doesn’t really mean anything. Go with your reaction and also stay away from Amarula liqueur, it’s made from nuts.
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. :(