Pink peppercorns seemed like an innocuous ingredient until they almost killed my daughter. I’m so thankful for an Amazon reviewer for solving the mystery for us.
The information about this hidden allergen is extremely important to share among the nut allergic community and I continually thank the Amazon reviewer who solved a mystery for us.
This post about pink peppercorns could very well save many lives; maybe even the life of someone you know.
my daughter in 2001, a few months before her first anaphylactic reaction to tree nuts
My daughter has a severe tree nut allergy,* meaning if she ingests any form of tree nuts, she will stop breathing (anaphylaxis) and die. Even a trace could do the deed–it’s that severe.
Discovering that my daughter was allergic to tree nuts (she was 4)
We learned this the hard way when she was four years old and ate a chocolate Christmas ornament which was filled with a hazelnut paste. I cannot adequately describe to you what it feels like, and the terror that fills every part of your being when you hear your child barely choke out the words, “I can’t breathe”, and to see her gasping for air.
I immediately called 911, and she was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. This was my family’s very first experience with any sort of allergy, and it was life-changing for all of us. Nuts were now a dreaded, dangerous and life-threatening food.
The incident at the restaurant
Fast forward 10 years: on the 4th of July, my daughter was at a restaurant at Disneyland with one of her best friends when I received a phone call from her friend’s mother. She told me that she thought my daughter had ingested some form of tree nuts, and was wondering whether to use the EpiPen (a shot of epinephrine) for her anaphylactic reaction.
Of course, I was petrified, and told her that my daughter had to be the one to make that decision based on how serious the reaction felt.
Luckily, she ended up getting the nuts out of her system and the use of the EpiPen was averted. I’ve since read several news reports that prove that this doesn’t always happen, and there’s a terrible outcome, instead of a happy ending. My daughter was incredibly fortunate to live.
A mystery
At this point, the biggest problem was that the chef was baffled as to how this occurred, as he was certain that the Tortellini Alfredo and focaccia were nut-free. It was the only incident in which we had no idea what had caused her reaction. I spoke to the chef the next day, but there was still no luck in deducing what instigated her anaphylaxis, so we were left with a mystery.
Mystery solved!
About two weeks after this incident, I was browsing peppercorns and pepper blends on Amazon.com, when I clicked on a Four Seasons Pepper Blend, which included pink peppercorns or pepper berries. The first review really caught my eye:
I couldn’t believe what I was reading, and wondered if the chef might have used this pepper blend in the pasta or focaccia that my daughter had eaten. I quickly did some research, and confirmed what the reviewer had posted. Pink peppercorns were in fact related to cashews!
Immediately, I called the restaurant, and began to ask the chef if he used this pepper blend. I hadn’t even finished asking the question, when he exclaimed, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” What a relief to finally know the ingredient which had caused her reaction.
It’s disconcerting to think that we actually had a pepperberry tree in the backyard of our previous house, and I used to cut the berries and use them for various crafts. This is what the berries look like.
From Wikipedia:
Peruvian pepper (Schinus molle, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, peppercorn tree, Californian pepper tree, pirul and Peruvian mastic.) is an evergreen tree that grows to 15 meters (50 feet). It is native to rhe Peruvian Andes. The bright pink fruits of Schinus molle are often sold as “pink peppercorns” although S. molle is unrelated to true pepper.
This information needs to be spread as widely as possible:
Pink peppercorns, pink pepperberries, pink berries, Peruvian pepper and whatever else they may be called, are related to CASHEWS and can cause an anaphylactic reaction in those who are allergic to CASHEWS/TREE NUTS.
Here’s what you can do to help spread the word:
- Forward this information to anyone you know who has a nut allergy. I have contacted Penzey’s Spices and other spice retailers to ask them to place this warning on their labels. If you can do the same thing, changes will happen more quickly, and hopefully avert potentially life-threatening allergic reactions in future (see update below: great news!)
- If you or your child has a nut allergy, make sure to ask at restaurants, at friends’ homes, and wherever your food is prepared if a pepper blend including pink pepper berries has been used. Inform them that the berries are related to tree nuts.
- Contact newspapers, local TV news, etc. to feature articles or segments on this information.
- Spread the info via social media; ask others to share, re-tweet, re-pin, etc.
- Translate the info into other languages, and share outside our borders.
- Pass on the information by word of mouth; you never know whose life you might save.
PLEASE click here to CHECK OUT THIS POST AS I HAVE DISCOVERED MORE HIDDEN ALLERGENS!
To all my loyal readers, thank you for allowing me to get “off-track” and get on my soapbox to spread the word about this berry. And to Kevin, the wonderful Amazon reviewer, I thank you and am so appreciative that you took the time to leave such an incredibly helpful review! A little information can go a long way, and hopefully this will.
My concerns and some points to remember ~
* Many people throw the word, “allergy” around loosely. Please be aware of how important it is that this term is used correctly.
First of all, it terrifies me that the server who is used to hearing guests order something “on-the-side” due to an “allergy”, notices they ate it anyway. Consequently, they won’t take allergies seriously anymore. Food Babe, who has hundreds and thousands of followers and has written books on the subject of food choices, advises her readers, “Go as far as telling the server you allergic to butter and dairy, soy and corn.”
I, and many others have commented on her post to tell her how this is endangering those who have LIFE-THREATENING allergies which occur within seconds. However, she refuses to remove this wording in her post. In fact, she banned me from her Facebook page when I wrote to tell her the consequences from her advice.
Many people don’t realize that simply touching nuts, and then touching other food is enough to cause anaphylaxis in some allergy sufferers. Although my daughter included, there are others whose allergies are even worse than hers. Think about the nuts being consumed in planes; it’s frightening.
Similarly, there is no barometer to measure or communicate how serious an allergy is. It’s completely open to interpretation. These things directly impact my daughter’s life and many others’, too.
Finally, please be mindful of the impact that use of the word “allergy” can have.
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LA Living…
Downtown Los Angeles as seen from Dante’s View in Griffith Park
pink peppercorns
I know this is an old post but near the end it says ” (see update below: great news!)” but I didn’t see any update with great news? has it been removed?
Goodness Gale, I don’t see it! Where exactly do you see the update? I’ve scanned up and down and just can’t see it, and I don’t know what the great news might have been. Sorry! Send me a screen shot, if you can.
For whatever it’s worth at this late date, your post has really helped me. My baby girl has been diagnosed with anaphylactic cashew pistachio allergy and we are on our way to Dinseyworld ! She will be eating at restaurants three meals a day for the duration. I am positively terrified! We have another child with medical problems with serious and severe food sensitivities. I willl just add, with regard to very long back and forth argument, THESE THINGS ARE NOT THE SAME! As I have both in my children I guess I am in a unique position to weigh in. I would rather have my son get “glutened” and be ill any day of the week rather than have even a single anaphylactic reaction in my daughter. No one is saying a food sensitivity is not significant. It is! My son gets sick and can have a cascading reaction that requires medical attention. It has run our lives for seven years. But it is not even in the same ball park as “my child can STOP BREATHING AND DIE WITHIN MINUTES” if she eats this. Just sayin’
Hi Naomi, I’m so glad you found this. Please do ask at restaurants if they use the 4 blend pepper as it’s so innocuous! Sorry to hear your daughter has severe allergies, too. Good luck on your trip with both of your kids, that’s so hard! I do completely agree that when people make a massive deal about a gluten intolerance, it s NOT the same as almost dying because your airway is closing up. Two completely different kettles of fish. I wish you all the best and thank you for your time to write the comment! CC
[…] Hidden Allergens: Pink Peppercorns and Tree Nut Allergies… […]
[…] Hidden Allergens: Pink Peppercorns […]
My 5 y/o daughter has a life-threatening allergy to Cashews and Pistachios. A friend of mine had forwarded this info to me a couple years ago. I bought my oldest daughter a Taylor Swift Incredible Things body spray for Christmas this past year. Our daughter with the nut allergy found the body spray and sprayed it on herself. She broke out in hives! The box didn’t have the floral ingredients so I googled it and the very first ingredient was Pink pepper! It infuriates me that there aren’t any warning labels regarding this. If you google Pink Pepper in perfume you will see it is used frequently and even in some high end perfumes such as Chanel!
Thank you for letting me know, Brittany! It is terrible that they don’t label more things like this. My daughter is also a big Taylor Swift fan and she could have easily done the same. I hope we both have better luck with things like this in the future!!
Thank you so much for this post. I have always been allergic to tree nuts but as I’ve aged I’ve developed more and more allergies. Recently I’ve had a couple of severe reactions and couldn’t figure out why (especially since I was the one cooking). Turns out it was the red peppercorns in the pepper blend I had just bought. When I read your article it made perfect sense! I also react to mango, elderberry, blueberry and buckwheat (as well as numerous other foods. Thank you so much for putting this out there. I was starting to second guess every food I was eating.
Allergies are horrible! I’m glad you found this too, Shannon! Good luck to you and hope there are no more “surprises” in your future!
My child has a minor pink peppercorn allergy and no other allergies. He can eat tree nuts fine, even black peppercorn but one bite of pink peppercorn and hive all over. We have no family history of food allergies
Allergies are so incredibly unpredictable! So sorry to hear that your son is allergic to pink peppercorns, but I’m so glad that’s all. Glad you realized that that is what he’s allergic to. CC
Thank you for this informative article, I had no idea!
May I ask how your daughter got the cashew substance “out of her system” without having to use the epi-pen? Are you referring to just vomiting, etc. — if so, that fills me with some hope for our daughter (severe peanut & tree nut allergy). Has your daughter’s allergies lessened as she’s gotten older, since the epi-pen was not required in this case?
Hi Jenna, sorry to hear that your daughter also has allergies. Yes, my daughter vomited and got very lucky. Sometimes there’s a condition where the allergen’s effects seems to go away, but then they come back, which really scares me. Her allergies have definitely not lessened, unfortunately. I don’t know how old your daughter is, but when you get to college choices, Villanova has nut-free cafeterias and food places! We had no idea, but what a godsend! Good luck with your daughter’s allergies-I hope she never has a reaction!
This is admittedly VERY much beside the point when the real and very important point here is that there are real and serious allergies out there that need to be acknowledged. But as one who is extremely gluten sensitive, with serious and painful reactions, but not genuinely celiac, I was curious to read some of the comments and your responses concerning the “those not allergic” comments in your article. I found it interesting that once confronted by those who considered themselves in the category of people who ask for things on the side because of genuine allergies, but ones that do not cause anaphylaxis, you back pedal and say that you’re really just talking about those who are just trying to lose weight or do not like a particular food. Really? Firstly, that’s not what you said in your article, and secondly, I wonder how you know the particular reasons and motives behind other restaurant goers. It sounds like a case of resentful “no one has it as bad as me, but they act like they do.” You had a perfectly captive audience without the bashing of those with less serious allergies. It was unnecessary.
Kristina,
I agree with you on one thing: your comment is VERY much beside the point. We should be focusing on the content at hand: PINK PEPPERCORNS CAN KILL PEOPLE WITH SEVERE NUT ALLERGIES.
However, I disagree with you regarding the “captive audience” because I do not make anyone read my posts, not even my family. In fact, even you CHOSE to come to my site to read my post.
I also disagree with you regarding your accusation that I change my stance, and with the statement that I feel that “no one has it as bad as me.” Actually, my daughter has it much worse than me, because she’s the one with the allergy. There are others out there who have it much worse than her (with multiple anaphylactic or airborne allergies) so you are absolutely off-base in your assumption. I will make an assumption that you do not have a child with life-threatening allergies because if you did, I highly doubt my post would insult you. No where in my article or my comments do I “bash” anyone except for Food Babe and those who claim to have an allergy that they do not, and that is because they endanger my daughter’s life and others’ lives by doing what they do.
I stand by everything I said and my opinion is firm: someone with an anaphylactic reaction to a food DOES have a much more serious condition than someone who has an allergy or sensitivity where they will get sick, break out, or even have a hospital stay because the consequence for the former is DEATH, and that’s pretty damn serious.
Christina
Thank you for writing this. I have many food allergies/sensitivities and have had life threatening reactions twice, but not until I was in my 50s. I do not mean any disrespect, but I have to say I am baffled that people with life-threatening reactions to foods would eat in restaurants. As Ruchira said, we all have a right to decide what we eat. But we don’t have an inalienable right to eat in restaurants. I have cooked all my own food from scratch ever since my second event, which was 8 years ago. I don’t want to die.
I understand your viewpoint, but there are circumstances that a bit out of our control unless we make a dire decision. Let me explain: my daughter has to eat every single meal in a cafeteria at this time of her life as she is a college student. The only thing she could do differently is decide not to go to college. I also don’t want to be disrespectful either, but even if you cook all your own food, there is no guarantee that you won’t have a reaction. It could also be a brand new reaction to a food you’ve never been allergic to. It could happen to any of us. We do our best and that is all we can do. CC
[…] For those who have or have family members with tree nut allergies, I came across this post today, and wanted to share it. It could save someone’s life. Our son has a nut allergy that is very serious, and I know how careful we have had to be about ingredients. The mother in this blog post warns of peppercorns and how some can trigger a tree nut reaction in those afflicted. Parents or individuals think to check ingredients, but would never stop to ask about this. You can read the post here. […]
[…] https://christinascucina.com/2014/02/hidden-allergens-pink-peppercorns-tree.html […]
[…] https://christinascucina.com/2014/02/hidden-allergens-pink-peppercorns-tree.html […]
Thank you for posting this warning about hidden allergens. Very important information! My seventeen year old daughter has peanut/tree nut/shellfish allergies and we continue to check labels like it is our religion and learn new things all the time. However, please do not be afraid to use that life saving epi-pen. In your post you state that it was up to your child to decide when to use it. According to our allergy doc at Johns Hopkins, Robert Wood, who is THE leader in peanut allergy research, USE THE EPI-PEN if there is any indication of an allergic reaction. It is not harmful to use it, but we all know what tragedies happen when it is not used. Also, you say that the allergen got out of her system, which I assume means that she vomited. But there are bi-phasic reactions that really sneak up on you after the initial reaction which can be more deadly than the original reaction. This is why it is important to go to the hospital for every single reaction so the allergic person can be observed. I have spent hours and hours in the ER with my child on a couple occasions so that she could be observed and cleared from the possibility of a second reaction.
Again thank you for the pink peppercorn and argan information! And happy label checking!!
Hi Lisa, thank you so much for your note. I have since read about the bi-phasic reactions, which scared me to death as I had never known that was possible. Thankfully she’s not had a reaction since I wrote the original post, but she does always carry her epipen and I shared all this info with her (she’s on her own at college, now). I’m very glad you found the info about the peppercorns! Good luck to you and your daughter too.
Lisa in the above post makes a very important point. Never hesitate- especially long enough to make a phone call to discuss whether using the pen or not. That is plenty of time for your airway to close & you can become unconscious. Then always to the ER- as Lisa highlighted. Great info to share! Thanks.
Someone just sent this article to me. Thank you so much for sharing your I’m sure nothing less than scary experience. There are so many “hidden” allergens that we simply just don’ t know, but to make it worse is that chefs in the kitchen may/may not know either. This is why the food allergy community needs better solutions to at least attempt to make eating more simple and safe. That’s what safeplatefoods.com seeks to do!!! I will definitely be sharing this with my readers. God bless!
Thanks, Adrianne! I’m glad you’re doing what you’re doing as it is much needed! I’ve liked your FB page and followed on Twitter! Good luck!
Thank you Christina! Best wishes to you as well! Hopefully we’ll connect again soon.
Hi, not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but I was wondering if anyone else has latex allergy, and the latex food fruit syndrome.
I have found it difficult out to dinners as I am always asked what are you allergic to, when I try to tell them to just cook it as I had requested. No Sauces,no spices, no garnishes, no Fruits and no salads.
It seems that waitress just don’t listen .when I mention allergies I get a mouthful of ” Your just saying this because it is your live style and they ignore my request, thus I have a reaction (anaphylaxis) or I just sit there watching my wife eat as I wait for my meal to be recooked again for the third time.
First of all, I’m so sorry I missed seeing your comment until now, Jose!
I’m also sorry to hear about your latex allergy. Yes, I have heard of many people having a latex allergy, so it is NOT a lifestyle choice! We really need to educate the public as to the dangers of ignoring people’s allergy requests. Maybe if you put your EpiPen on the table and THEN tell them you will stop breathing and die if your food is prepared in contact with Latex, they might listen to you more. Good luck!
I just found your article this morning when I was searching for other possible allergins related to tree nuts. I am a 40 year old woman who just developed a sensitivity to tree nuts. It creates stomach issues. If I eat them regularly they make me feel like I have flu like symptons. This is how I discovered I had an issue, because I use to eat raw almonds daily. Last night we had steak with a peppercorn marinade and this morning I am miserable! So glad to see this is the culprit and I now know what to watch for. I would have never thought about pink peppercorn. Thank you for sharing!
For those of you who have signed up to be notified when comments are updated on this post, please note that I have another warning for other tree nut related allergens on this post I published today: https://christinascucina.com/2015/07/another-tree-nut-allergyallergen-alert-for-sumac-argan-shea-butter-and-mango.html
[…] will find that post here, but I can tell you that the offending allergen was the pink peppercorns (which are related to […]
[…] depending on where they are produced, so be sure to check with the company if you are not sure. Pink peppercorns are a hidden allergen that can cause reactions in those with cashew allergies, so beware of […]
[…] a reaction to the pink peppercorns as well. I first read about this from Christina’s Cucina, here in this post. I found it to be very interesting, and informative, and if you have family who has nut allergies, […]
DO NOT FEAR the use of the Epi Pen! If you could update any of the above information in your blog, it should be to not fear using the Epi Pen, which can save a life.
There is another article out there where the mother was afraid to use the epi pen and their child died. Don’t reenact that mothers pain, when in doubt use the Epi pen!
It’s not a fear of the EpiPen per se, Mark, but the fear of not knowing when to use it. Some say use it every time, but that’s unreasonable as we’d be going through EpiPens and hospital visits like mad. I’ve also read articles where there are negative reactions to actually using the EpiPen, too. It’s a very difficult situation.
Mark is SPOT ON !!
Take a look at: FARE’s Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan ! It’s now easier to read ! And comes in multiple languages! I ask my patients to roll a copy around every epipen 2-pak. Hope it helps!
http://www.foodallergy.org/faap
Thanks, Susan!
Such important information. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Thank you! This is such important information to have and spread. On a side note. I know you comment about Food Babe suggesting that people Say they are allergic if they don’t want a good to be served to them, and feel that it’s dangerous to do so. However I just want to offer an alternate opinion. I don’t negate any of the seriousness of anaphylactic allergies because I do know that side too. But others in our family are severely sensitive to certain foods but not anaphylactic. I’ve found some restaurants and establishments are less than accomodating if you don’t say it’s an allergy. And before anyone tells me that it’s not as serious- I beg to differ. There are those that can eat foods and end up severely in pain and unable to get up the next day. Seeing kid in pain for a week because of one tiny exposure is no less important. For others to tell me I shouldn’t use the word allergy and just deal with the consequences is highly misguided. It’s all a matter of perspective. No side is right or wrong!
I disagree, I think there are some people who are wrong, but I think you’re misunderstanding what I’m saying: if someone just doesn’t “like” something, it IS wrong to say they have an allergy. You are absolutely correct in telling your waiter that your child is allergic if they get sick for a week! Of course, that is serious too, however, imagine if the consequence is death. You understand why I think it’s wrong to claim an allergy to lose weight, or forever other frivolous reasons, right? I never claimed that anyone who has real issues not to deal with those as they must, it’s Food Babe telling people to claim they have a dairy allergy so that they use less calories when they don’t cook their meal in butter, that I have issues with. I’m tired of hearing people die because restaurant staff didn’t take allergy claims seriously, and feel I am justified in what I wrote in my post. And in the end, yes your child may get sick and no one wants to see their child suffer, but be thankful that is the worst consequence. My worst nightmare is that I will no longer have a child and you can’t even imagine what that feels like, knowing it can happen today or any day.
MV are you certain this extreme sensitivity isn’t a legitimate allergy? If these family members have not been evaluated and tested (via both scratch and antibody blood testing) by an allergist, it may be worth looking into. The definition of anaphylaxis now encompasses severe GI distress including nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, as well as mood symptoms that either proceed or accompany the reaction such as anxiety or a sense of impending doom. The expansion of the definition is due to the fact that certain allergens (dairy products in particular) do not cause the release of histamine when the reaction cascade begins, and therefore individuals with these allergies do not experience the classic symptoms of anaphylaxis we think of like swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat which result in the closing of the airway. HOWEVER as scary as the closing of the airway is, one of the biggest concerns with allergic reactions is SHOCK – and allergies that don’t cause the histamine release still cause the antigens to be released into the body, and activates the reaction cascade which can result in shock and ultimately death. A GI reaction that severe could indicate a legitimate allergy which requires treatment with an EPIpen to eliminate that potential for shock. In my opinion these allergies are far more dangerous than those resulting in classic anaphylaxis because they tend to be dismissed because they don’t present with breathing difficulty and instead with GI upset so many people tend to think these allergies are the same thing as lactose intolerance (which they are not) and that an antacid or something like a Lactaid pill will treat this allergy (again, it will not, because it isn’t an intolerance to lactose and an inability to break it down, but instead it is a true autoimmune reaction to the presence of dairy as an allergen). These allergies are just as life threatening as those which cause breathing difficulty, though they are often viewed as much less serious due to misconceptions about their severity and their true nature. One additional note: with these allergies, reactions can have delayed onset (hours to days) from the exposure to the allergen and can present for up to a week later. For clarification I am an RN, BSN, CPN, CNCC and have a child with this type of allergy
Hello – Just wnated to thank you for this info – I happened to have a sample of a pepper covered goat cheese and had what felt like an allergic reaction. I am allergic to tree nuts and peanuts. I read the label and saw no nuts mentioned or any other allergy warning. I googled pepper and nut allergy and found this – I’m planning to reach out to the manufacturer. Thanks again for putting this out there!!
Oh dear! That’s terrible that it was on pepper coated goat cheese! Glad you’re okay and thank you for contacting the manufacturer. I hope they add a warning label. Let me know if you have any luck. CC
I’m glad this is now getting coverage. I also had an anaphalyaxis to pink peppercorns a couple years ago – the doctors were rather baffled, but I looked around and found the link also as I am highly allergic to cashews and pistachios.
Worth mentioning to all those allergic to Tree nuts/pink peppercorns. SUMAC (spice – used in middle eastern food, and becoming increasingly popular in UK supermarkets and restaurants) is part of the same family.
I asked my allergist to include this in my prick test, and had a huge histamine reaction to it – so AVOID THE SUMAC SPICE IF ALLERGIC TO TREE NUTS/PINK PEPPERCORNS. I was told by my allergist to try and avoid travel to middle eastern countries as a result (sadly..).
Thanks,
Grace
Yes, Grace-you are right about the sumac and I have told my daughter to avoid it, but it concerns me that it is becoming more popular recently. So sorry to hear that your allergist said you should avoid travel to middle eastern countries; allergies are so unfair on so many levels and in so many ways! Thank you for commenting and sharing the info as others will read this and hopefully the word will continue to spread. Take care, CC
[…] Hidden allergens: pink peppercorns, tree nut allergies and […]
Hi Christine, I read your warning about pink peppercorns too late! Fortunately my 18 year old daughter is recovering after being admitted to hospital yesterday after eating a pasta dish that I cooked with a KRAFT PHILADELPHIA SIMPLY STIR CREAMY PEPPERCORN COOKING SAUCE. There was no warning on the packaging. I have written to the UK office of Mondelez in Uxbridge as they need to change their packaging, I’m yet to hear back. My daughter was diagnosed with a tree nut allergy at the age of 6, she carries an epi pen but hasn’t had to use it so far. This is the third time we have been to hospital, the first was pistachio nuts, then cashew at the age of 8. She has been so careful but this was such a scare as we couldn’t fathom out what had caused it until we did some research last night and came across your blog.
Good luck with your trip to Scotland, shame we are on holiday in USA otherwise we would have visited you at BBC food show!
Regards, Ann from Aberdeen, Scotland
Oh dear, Ann! I’m so sorry to hear that your daughter had to go through another hospital stay! I hope the information about pink peppercorns spreads quickly as it is extremely scary to know that they are related to nuts, yet even large companies like Kraft do not know about it. Good luck with getting them to label it and please let me know if there’s anything I can do! Have a lovely trip in the US and sorry I’ll miss you at the show. CC
Good article, except for one thing… If you even suspect your child might have eaten something nut-related, give the EpiPen right anyway. It’s okay to given an EpiPen and be wrong (in our case, it means a hyper child for about 15 minutes) but to not use it immediately and be too late is far riskier.
Hi Marge, you are not the first person to give this advice, and it sounds as though you’ve given the EpiPen before. It also sounds as though you didn’t go to the hospital afterwards (saying the aftereffect is a hyper child), but my understanding is that as soon as you administer the EpiPen, you must go directly to ER. I understand as I’ve read where the EpiPen was given too late in certain circumstances, which is so scary.
My son is almost 23 and since we found out he was allergic to tree nuts at age two, we’ve had to make the EpiPen decision throughout elementary and middle school, High School, and even into college. What I’ve found is that you really need to teach your child to read every label, and to use the EpiPen right away if you suspect nut ingestion. As they get older, kids get in a hurry and mistakes happen. In High School, he returned to a group dinner after a sporting event, and trusted his friends to tell him that the “nut and non-nut desserts had been separated.” But, he was one of the last to eat, and as the kitchen staff was cleaning up, they combined all of the dessert items. As a result, he grabbed the wrong one and took a bite of a cupcake with peanut butter frosting. He knew right away. He has also developed other food allergies and once, while in a hurry between classes during his first year of college, he grabbed the “gluten-free” bag lunch only to find out the bread had nuts in it. Again, he could tell right away and self-administered the EpiPen. And yes, after every one of these episodes, he went to the Emergency Room to get a shot of Benedryl and, in some cases, more epinephrine. (That rush to grab a quick lunch cost him three hours in an emergency room). He recently graduated and has taken a job on the other end of the country. At this point, not only are his eating and label-reading habits well in place, but all of his close friends are aware of his food allergies and most know where his EpiPens are stored as well.
I can totally see how these things happen, and glad he’s a pro now! My daughter has never used the EpiPen yet and I’m afraid that she might be afraid to use it, which terrifies me. I’m going to have her read your comment as hopefully every little bit of information will help her to be more careful. She has never not read a label, it’s usually eating something which is labeled as nut-free, but isn’t. Thank you for your comment, every bit of information helps. CC
Just found this article and I will share. I agree 100% with your statement about throwing the word “allergy” around. I admit I use to say it all the time, “I cant have mushrooms, I am allergic.” then one day I was dining at a Fairmont hotel and the CHEF actually came to our table to find out, exactly what my allergy was. And what can he do, to ensure I have a fabulous dinner. I felt awful after that. Since becoming a mom and now a mom of an elementary student, I advocate for NUT allergies on a daily basis. We don’t have a single allergy in our family, or our extended family, so it was important for me to become aware and educated. Sadly, it is still a loose term and many parents and teachers don’t take it seriously enough.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Jess. Yes, part of the problem is just people’s ignorance (and I mean that in the literal way, that they simply do not know) about allergies. I agree, too many people don’t take it seriously enough. In fact, when we’d have swimming potlucks at my daughter’s school, I’d try to talk to the athletic director about my daughter’s allergies to ask about nuts in particular, but she wasn’t interested and basically gave me an “I’m too busy to deal with this” attitude, which is pretty sad. I’d have to bring my daughter her own snacks and meals to ensure her safety. Hope things begin to change for the better, and soon!
I shared this on Facebook. Though we don’t have a family member with a severe allergy, my daughter has celiac disease and I struggle with people understanding that she can’t have any gluten. No, she won’t go into anaphylactic shock, but eating gluten can make her ill and long-term exposure can lead to life-threatening health conditions. As a nurse, I was never dismissive of allergies; but having a child with celiac made me even more sensitive to the issue. Thank you for sharing this information!
Thank you so much for sharing the info, Lynann, you never know who it could help save from a reaction or worse. Good luck to your daughter, I know it’s different, but it’s still a difficulty. CC
[…] https://christinascucina.com/2014/02/hidden-allergens-pink-peppercorns-tree.html […]
Wow! Actually, I had the AR while driving, eating celery, on my way to exercise!!! Thank you for the warning I had no idea. I was truly blessed that day as my throat closed to the point I could not speak but I could still breathe. I had no idea how serious it was or could have been. We walked into a pharmacy and the pharmacist just said to take benadryl. I see you are part Scottish. I have heard that celeriac related allergies are more common among Europeans. I’m part German. Thank you for what you are doing to help educate regarding cross related allergies. I hope we all grow out of it. Is it just me or are food allergies on the rise?
Yes, it’s terrible that we have to learn all these things by trial and error and accidents! I do hope your allergies dissipate, as well as my daughter’s. I was actually born in Scotland to Italian parents, so yes, I am European, just not Scottish. I do believe they are on the rise as well, and I truly believe it’s due to all the genetic modifications to our food and the chemicals and pesticides being used on our food and included in packaged and processed items. Very scary indeed.
PS–I didn’t get full-blown anaphylaxis (to my knowledge) until age 34! You never know when eating any food of any kind will be the “event” you might not come back from. Furthermore, my allergist thinks it may be related to a Mugwort Allergy. We had to stop the skin prick testing because I am so severely allergic to common allergens–trees, grasses, etc. You can have blood tests done instead. Latex Allergic individuals be warned that somehow celery is also related. When I would go to the dentist, just the latex dust in the air from the latex gloves would make my throat scratchy and cough. http://latexallergyresources.org/cross-reactive-food
I haven’t used my epi-pen yet. I’m kinda scared to. I will certainly research up on it to get better informed.
Yes, I think you should work on the fear of your epipen as it can save your life. Good luck, Tammy!
PS–I didn’t get full-blown anaphylaxis (to my knowledge) until age 34! You never know when eating any food of any kind will be “event” you might not come back from. Furthermore, my allergist thinks it may be related to a Mugwort Allergy. We had to stop by skin prick testing because I am so severely allergic to common allergens–trees, grasses, etc. You can have blood tests done instead. Latex Allergic individuals be warned that somehow celery is also related. When I would go to the dentist, just the latex dust in the air from the latex gloves would make my throat scratchy and cough. http://latexallergyresources.org/cross-reactive-food
I haven’t used my epi-pen yet. I’m kinda scared to. I appreciate the information about using it if you think you need it. I will certainly research up on it to get better informed.
Thank you for the information and attention you have brought to this matter. I think “spices” are not specific enough on ingredient labels. I have an anaphylaxis reaction to celery and any celery-related ingredients…it is often a mystery hidden ingredient in soups, stews, sauces, salads, stuffings, etc. Do you know if there is any movement with the FDA or regulators to declare ALL ingredients–no matter how minimal?
Hi Tammy, so sorry to hear of your celery allergy, and I will give you another warning: there is an exercise allergy called “cholinergic urticaria” and I have read that some people who have this condition, can have an anaphylactic reaction if they eat celery and then exercise. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. I know someone who had it happen three times, and celery is so innocuous! I actually have the cholinergic urticaria, but have never experienced an AR, thank God. I truly don’t know what the FDA is doing about labeling spices. I think companies sometimes do not want to specify everything because then they are giving away their prized recipe (for example, for KFC to list all their spices). However, if people are dying from lack of information, I really think things need to change!
We think this may be the culprit for the severe reaction I had yesterday at a local festival, as it makes sense. We got a list of ingredients from the vendor (local restaurant) of my meal and nothing on the list I should react to…except the spices. I thought of this today. I am now wondering if pink peppercorn was listed or Brazilian pepper or Peruvian Pepper (all about the same thing) in the spices they use.
For me, it was several rounds of epi and benedryl, one trip by ambulance to the hospital, and 5 hrs there with more rounds of drugs.
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear this, but am glad you made it through. I continue to see the 4 blend pepper more and more, and no labeling for nut allergies! I truly hope this information spreads quickly because you are the prime example of why it is so urgent and important to share. Please let me know if you find out that they did use the pink peppercorns. Many others are reading these comments and so these are helpful, too. Good luck!
I found out tonight my cousin has a lot of food allergies also….and some are similar to mine. She does have the celery and latex combination.
Now sunflower lecithan is becoming more and more popular to use in gluten free foods. I’m very allergic, and found out the hard way.
Hi Janet, sorry to hear that! I’ve never even heard of sunflower lecithin. When will it end? :(
I have heard that honey helps people with allergies. However, I was wondering how it might affect people with severe allergies. Say, for example, honey collected from the pink peppercorn tree or here in Florida, we have Brazilian Pepper. Is your daughter allergic to honey?
I have also thought of this in the past, Tammy, but I don’t think it matters. My daughter has never reacted to any honey, and hope it stays that way. Thanks for your comment. CC
[…] often these stories are plagued by panic and confusion — like this post about pink peppercorns. The point was to let folks know about a potentially hidden nut allergen but what about the fact […]
I would suggest for all with a life threatening allergy, that if you start to have a reaction, go find someone to be with you. Don’t wander off to the bathroom to throw up and possibly die. Our daughter was diagnosed with gluten intolerance at 19 and with a tree nut allergy at 24. She is now so severely allergic to nuts that just touching it could cause anaphylaxis. She recently was going out with friends and I told her that if she got sick to find a friend to be with her and to help her. Well, one week later she accidentally was exposed to tree nuts. She wasn’t feeling well, came and got me and I ended up using her EpiPen and calling 911. We were at a family wedding and we left the venue and she sat in the car and vomited into the street and then she started swelling up and having trouble breathing. It would have been too hard to use the epinephrine and call 911 by herself.
Don’t be alone if something is happening! Find someone to go with you or just be with you while you figure out what is going on.
My 26 year old daughter developed a tree nut allergy two years ago. Two months after the diagnosis she ate one bite of a peach and had full blown anaphylaxis. It was the first time and since we didn’t know she was allergic to peaches neither she nor I realized what was happening at first. Luckily we used her Epi Pen and got her to hospital but it was horrible. If you are allergic to tree nuts there is a strong chance that you are also allergic to tree fruits, be sure to ask your allergist.
We have since discovered that some places use cashew paste to thicken the sauce in butter chicken. If you eat Indian food, be sure to ask if they use that.
Thanks for passing the word about the pink peppercorns. I have forwarded this to her.
BTW, Allerject is available in Canada, not sure about the US. It is an auto injector that also has voice instructions. It’s also more compact than Epi Pen. Google Allerject to find out more. I have used both EpiPen and Allerject on her and like the Allerject more.
Thank you for sharing! I saw this posted on a Girl Scout FB Group and took notice because my son has a peanut allergy. I mentioned it to my husband, who immediately said “Send me the link, my friend is allergic to cashews.” He forwarded the link, and almost immediately the friend sent a message with a picture of a package of pepper blend from his cupboard that included pink peppercorns with the comment, “I just bought this about a month ago and hadn’t opened it yet. Thank you!”
THIS IS AWESOME!! Thank you so much for sharing the info, Kristin! Both you and your husband probably saved his friend from a nasty reaction, or maybe worse. I hope the news keeps spreading. Thank you for letting me know! CC
I am deathly allergic to chicken cooked and/or processed in either in any way. I can not even be in the kitchen when it’s cooking! I have an Epipen and have become an avid label reader! Thanks for sharing your information.
Wow, that’s pretty severe, LaDonna! Good luck to you, stay safe! CC
I checked the Penzye’s site. So far, all they have is a rather bland statement that pink peppercorns are a member of the cashew family. No “warning” per se. Also, nothing at all in the description of the four peppercorn blend, which also contains the pink peppercorns. Hope they can do better in the future.
THANK YOU for posting this! My 4 year old is allergic to tree nuts (cashews & walnuts specifically) & we carry an EpiPen for him. You are right…it’s terrifying to watch your child go through it. His allergist told us that pistachios are also in the cashew family & that if he reacts to cashews, he will certainly react to pistachios too. Great post. Thanks again!
Thank you for letting me know you got the info, Breegan! I’m so ecstatic to know home many people have learned of this information. I hope your son is one of the lucky ones who outgrow his allergy!CC
I am sorry your daughter had to go through this, thank you for sharing this information it is most helpful. I do however find troubling that you debated the use of the epipen and said that the allergen got out of her body (assuming she threw up – that does not get it out). There was a horrible case last summer in California where there was a wait before using the epipen and it ended in a death of a child. Don’t hesitate, if you think your child is having an anaphylactic reaction or has been exposed to their allergen use it! It can’t hurt, it can only help and save their life.
Thank you, I understand your point of view, but I was not there. I didn’t debate the use of the pen. I hope she ever has anything like this again. CC
Thank you for this info. My oldest daughter is allergic to tree nuts one of which being cashews. We are planning on traveling to Peru in Jan 2015, so this is perfect timing.
So happy you got the information, Heather! Safe travels to all of you! CC
[…] Important news for kids with nut allergies. [h/t the karianna spectrum] […]
“I wonder if the General Mills lady would have blown you off if she had a daughter with severe nut allergies?”
You are right. It is only people with severe allergies (and their moms :)… that understand how serious a nut allergy is. Thank you for this post. I have reposted it to many on FB, but I will also check my peppercorns! I’m a mom of 2 kids with epipens. One with a peanut/shrimp allergy and one with peanut/ tree nut allergy. The first isn’t very severe, however, because he has asthma he needs to carry an epipen to extend the treatment time window. His allergy could be desensitized (something the person from CT mentioned). However, my younger with the tree nut allergy is SO allergic to peanuts that she has had a reaction (asthma and hives) to someone eating peanut butter next to her and the latest reaction (asthma) was when she walked into a cookie store and they were cooking peanut cookies in the back!
Needless to say, we carry an emergency bag (pencil case) with an inhaler, epipen (and we use cetirizine – which works just as fast as Benedryl (the first generation drug) and it doesn’t mask her allergy symptoms with the tiredness / lethargy you can have with Dipenhydramine- (generic name for Benedryl). In the UK, (where my daughter was first diagnosed and had Dr Andrew Clark – top allergist for children in UK at Cambridge University), he has successfully desensitized children with nut allergies and he recommends Cetirizine (Zyrtec).
We received an action plan from the Dr which gave clear guidance as to when to just give the Cetirizine and when to give the Epipen. (Did you receive that from your allergist?) Thanks again.
I just passed your article on to my twin nephews (they’re 19yo now). As preschoolers, they were diagnosed with severe nut allergies.
Thank you, Rosie! Great to hear (that they now know about the dangers of pink peppercorns, not that they were diagnosed with severe nut allergies)! CC
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. My son has a severe tree nut allergy and knowledge is power so thank you for enlightening us! I shared on my FB page and hope others do as well since this is such as serious issue. Best, Vanessa
You are correct, Vanessa! Thank you for spreading the word, CC
My daughter has a nut allergy too and she has always insisted that Chex mix makes her tongue burn (the same way tasting nuts would). Now I’m wondering if the “spices” on the ingredients label includes pink peppercorns. Of course, the lady at General Mills blew me off when I called and asked because “if it had nuts in it, they would be indicated on the label.”
I wonder if the General Mills lady would have blown you off if she had a daughter with severe nut allergies? I highly doubt it. I bet that the 4 blend pepper could very well be the culprit in your daughter’s reaction to the Chex mix. Good luck, Kimberly!
As both an Emergency Department Registered Nurse and an anaphylactic reaction allergy sufferer, I would recommend that if your daughter has been prescribed an epi-pen, that she use it immediately upon feeling like she is having a reaction. Allergic reactions can change over time and epi is crucial to expand the treatment time window. Epinephrine does not actually treat the anaphylactic reaction. The other drugs they can give (Benadryl, zantac, steroids, ventolin etc.) will help to resolve the symptoms. If your daughter is experiencing a reaction, take the epi and then get her to a hospital. I’ve treated people that has not had full anaphylactic reactions before, but still prescribed an epi-pen require intubation because they didn’t use the epi-pen and get to the emergency department and the reaction had changed. Good luck with your daughter’s allergies. I would be in full support of legislation that supports full identification of allergens.
Thanks Jennifer, I actually took my daughter to an allergist today and he gave us more thorough instructions on the epipen. I do hope that labels become clearer in future, it’s such a matter of life and death. CC
I can’t thank you enough for sharing this critical information!!!! Two dear friends of mine just shared your posts with me and I will be forever grateful!! We found out just 3 weeks ago that my 8 year old son has a very severe, life threatening allergy to tree nuts!! It was the scariest day of my life because he suddenly started having an anaphylactic reaction to a new snack (which had cashews). I had never been around anyone having a reaction like this, but thank God I got him to the dr fast enough that he is ok! I am completely terrified and overwhelmed after finding this out!!! I know our lives have changed forever and know that I NEVER want to experience that kind of fear for either of us ever again! Thank you for sharing this information!!! Would love to contact you via email to get any other helpful insight in dealing with tree but allergies!
Hi Elizabeth, I am so sorry that you’ve had to join us in this terrible situation of being a mother of a child with severe allergies :( I can say that I know exactly how you felt, and I too hope we never have to experience that feeling ever again. I found out about my daughter’s allergy when she was 4 and she is now almost 17, and it wasn’t until I read all the comments on this post that it occurred to me to take her to an allergist! That would be my first advice to you. I am taking my daughter for her first appointment this morning. Please feel free to email me, you’ll find my contact info under the CONTACT tab on my homepage. Good luck to you and your son!
Thank you for this information. My husband is allergic to tree nuts. He had never had a serious reaction until about 10 years ago. He was in Phoenix on a business trip and he and his colleagues ate lunch at an Italian restaurant. He ordered something he has had many other times but at different restaurants. After eating lunch they got back into the car to continue their trip to a very small town in Arizona. Fortunately, they had some time to kill so his co-workers decided to stop at a local attraction. At this point my husband is already not feeling well but is not sure what is going on. He asks them to first stop at a drug store to get some Benadryl. He is sitting in the back seat and drinks the Benadryl but continues to feel worse. At this point he tells his co workers to take him to the hospital because he knows he is in trouble. They happen to notice a clinic right there and pull in and at this point have to carry him into the clinic. The nurses did not want to let him in but his friends push through and yell for a Dr. The Dr. took one look at him and administered two shots of epinephrin. The Dr. could not get any blood pressure and my husband was unconscious. Happily because of the persistence of his friends and the actions of the doctor my husband recovered quickly and didn’t even have to be admitted to the hospital. Here is the frustrating part. When I called the restaurant they would not give me a list of ingredients. Even after I explained the situation and told him we were just trying to determine what caused my husbands very violent reaction he still would not tell us. He assured me when I explained that he was allergic to nuts that there were no nuts in the items he ate. We were frustrated and completely baffled. Subsequent allergy blood testing did not show any new allergies. It has remained a mystery to us but has always made us nervous afraid the same thing could happen again. I think you may have solved the mystery. I wonder if this restaurant used a similar spice? Thank you
That is unbelievable, Mary Ann, for so many reasons! First of all, the restaurant is lucky your husband didn’t sue them for withholding the ingredients in something that almost killed him, and the nurse wouldn’t let your husband in when he was unconscious? Wow, people just don’t seem to understand how serious food allergies can be. I’m so glad your husband was with friends with common sense and who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
I would guess that the four blend pepper with the pink peppercorns could very well have been used in that restaurant, but at least now you know to alert wait staff in future, and tell them not to use it in your husband’s food if they indeed use it. Thank you for letting me know you got this information; as you can see from all the comments, I am very happy that so many nut-allergy sufferers are hearing this and passing it on to others. Good luck to your husband and I hope he never has such an experience again. CC
Thank you Christina- my son has a severe allergy and has been anaphylactic. I will forward this and print it for him. Thank you again. – Cheryl
Wonderful that you found the post, Cheryl! You are very welcome and thanks for passing it on! CC
Thank you for these very important info to know, share and comment on. My daughter shared this on Facebook and I am willing to do so and posted on my website also. It is very serious issue when it comes to allergies specially from nuts. I have a Mediterranean bakery in which I use many kinds of nuts and I think such articles are a must to know for all people. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Amal! That is great that you are sharing the info and so glad you are well-informed, having a Mediterranean style bakery. I really appreciate your comment! CC
I’m sorry but have you talked to Dr’s about this? It seems like an exceedingly RARE condition to cross react to pink peppercorns. I have seen this blow up and am kind of hoping someone will speak to a Dr. about this before continuing to spread this. This does not seem to be common but you have blown it up and it’s everywhere now and last i checked someone posting on Amazon isn’t an authority.
Even if it is rare, it’s better to be informed, Stephanie. If you read through these comments, there is a published case on a woman reacting to them, and many other commenters stating they or their children also reacted to pink peppercorns. I think it would do everyone a disservice to sweep this incident under the rug, and not share the information. What harm will be done by sharing that pink peppercorns are a hazard to nut allergy sufferers? Also, because someone is not an authority on a subject, it does not preclude them from being correct.
Thank you for this information. I am allergic to tree nuts, and while I have never had a reaction as severe as your daughter’s it is still not comfortable for me when I have a reaction. It is always good to have more information. Thank you again.
I’m glad your allergy isn’t as bad as my daughter’s, Faith, but you are correct, it’s always better to have more information. Thank you so much, CC
I have a nut allergy. I’m a weirdo when it comes to them too – can eat peanuts & almonds, just not the rest. Used to eat Pistaschio pudding, but haven’t for years since my SIL accidentally fed me grated Brazil nuts on a salad – it was one that had almonds normally and I didn’t even think about the fact that she would have changed that on me. That reaction was the worst one I’ve ever had. Hives, trouble breathing etc. Even spent the night in the hospital. And now have an Epi-Pen. That my mother can’t, for the life of her, understand why I won’t wear on a chain around my neck.
I finally got allergy tested two years ago, and feel so much better for knowing. I was told to avoid almonds as well, as I did slightly react to them. I have cut back considerably on my consumption of them, but they just are so yummy! I hate being the one who has to avoid all carrot cake but my own, but it’s a fact of my life. It’s okay…we as society just have to learn that when someone declines something, they might not be doing it because they are on a crazy diet – they could die. That’s the hard part, when people who are on a diet make a bigger deal about avoiding something than a person who is actually, truly allergic to it.
I’m glad your daughter handles her allergy well. It makes life so much better for her and the rest of your family. Kudos to you!
Thank you so much, Jennifer! It’s comments like yours that have made me realize that I should have had my daughter see an allergist years ago! Would you believe I now have an appointment for her to see one tomorrow. I hope she will also feel better after being tested and having a better plan in case of an emergency.
By the way, I know you have to avoid carrot cake if you are somewhere like a restaurant and it has nuts in it, but don’t torture yourself completely! Here’s a great recipe I make and my daughter loves it! :) https://christinascucina.com/2013/04/moist-pineapple-carrot-cake-with-cream.html I also have a Pumpkin Carrot Cupcake recipe on my blog. Thanks again, good luck and stay nut-free! CC
Thanks Christina for your advocacy, and I’m happy this incident ended well for your daughter.
I’d like to comment about epinephrine use. You say “my daughter had to be the one to make that decision based on how serious the reaction felt, and luckily she ended up getting the nuts out of her system and the use of the EpiPen was averted.”
My understanding, based on various credible sources including our excellent allergist, is that there is virtually no reason not to inject epinephrine if it’s known that the allergen was consumed. There is very little or no risk to having epinephrine in the body when there is no allergen present but there is quite substantial risk of not having epinephrine when the allergen is present.
One supporting source is allergyhome.org (in part the work of respected allergist Dr Michael Pistiner): “Epinephrine works the best when given early. It can be dangerous to wait to give epinephrine.” See here: http://www.allergyhome.org/handbook/table-of-contents/recognize-and-treat-allergic-reactions/being-prepared/if-theres-an-emergency/
Your thoughts?
Kurt, my thoughts exactly. Both of my kids have severe allergies to multiple foods, including tree nuts. Our allergist’s have all said… “When in doubt, ADMINISTER THE EPI.” It can’t hurt them, but if they are having anaphylaxis, the epi will be the only thing that saves their life. When my kids are at playdates or at school, we say the same thing… if they are displaying signs of a serious reaction, give them the epi.
As for the rest of the article I thought it was very informative and I will now be on the lookout for this type of allergen. Thank you Christina.
Thanks, Corinne. You’ll see from my response to Kurt, that I have made an appointment for my daughter to see an allergist, however, I do believe that saying, “administering the EPI can’t hurt” is incorrect. I have read about several incidences when there was a negative reaction to the Epipen. Some commenters have also mentioned this on this post, but I do think that the risk is probably worth it as I don’t think this is as common as the Epipen doing it’s job. I’m glad you got the information on the pepper berries, and thank you for your comment; I know I will feel better after taking my daughter to an allergist. CC
Hi Kurt, here’s our biggest problem: my daughter has never been to an allergist. Her pediatrician gave instructions on what to do, with a prescription for an inhaler, Benadryl and the Epipen, but never referred her to an allergist, and it is only from all your comments here that I now realize how ridiculous that is. I actually have her scheduled to see one tomorrow, so everything that we’ve done up until now has been following the advice of a doctor, but not a specialist. Thank you for your comment, and I hope to have a clearer “plan of attack” for my daughter, especially before she goes off to college next year. CC
Thank you. I have a tree nut allergy and didnt know this!
PS- I’m also allergic to latex and I found out the hard way that bananas are a cousin to the latex tree. I had an anaphylactic reaction after eating a banana and had an ambulance ride to the hosp.- it was scary.
Thank you, Michelle~I’m so glad you found this post. Another commenter talked about her latex allergy and suggested by daughter avoid it and I think it’s a great idea, given the relationship with nut allergies. Glad you were okay after your banana incident, but so sad that it’s yet another allergy to deal with. Thanks again and good luck to you! CC
[…] Ever since, she has been spreading this message to families of people with nut allergies on her blog, Christina’s Cucina: […]
My daughter as well is allergic to cashew mostly/treenuts. Thank you so much for sharing this. Had no idea.
Very happy to know that you got this information, Shanna! Good luck to you and your daughter! CC
Christina, i am so glad that you shared this and that our comments helped you learn about anaphylaxis management. If there is one thing I have learned with my ana son: dont fear the epi! It may spike your blood pressure but it is vital to use it in a systemic reaction (more than one bodily reaction). I hope you find a personable and educational allergist. Best of luck!
Thank you, Laurie! I actually have an appointment for my daughter to see an allergist tomorrow! I wrote this post to help others and you have all helped me in return! Thank you so much!! CC
I have a severe nut allergy and carry an epi pen…this is great info. Nuts are disguised in many dishes I average about 1 a year.
SO glad you saw this information, Kristi!! CC
This is so useful to know. My daughter is allergic to many things from being tested after and egg reacton. Honestly we don’t know how severe or not she is to tree nuts, so I’m constantly on guard for the worst. It’s crazy how much trust we must have in the food manufacturers, I’m glad it worked out well for you and your daughter and that it’s now labelled. On a side note, there is an allergist here in my state of CT that is working to desensitize patients of severe allergies like nuts. I don’t think they can eat them like normal, but it greatly lessens the effect. It might be something to look into near you. After our daughters 3year allergy test we plan on looking into it for her.
Thank you, Amber. It is extremely something to raise anxiety whether you do or don’t know how allergic your child is, because either way, you never know the outcome. Thanks for the info on the doctor, do you know his/her name? CC
I’m so sorry, I never saw your response on this. this is the website for the allergist http://nefoodallergy.org/
It’s led by Dr. Factor, he is the Division Head, Allergy and Immunology, at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and Director of its Food Allergy Clinic. My daugther turned 4 in October, so we’re upping our insurance coverage and starting there after the new year. I am soo excited. I hope you can find something closer to you. I know there are a bunch of doctors starting this around the country. Currently it’s considered a clinical trial I believe.
I feel like you have saved my son’s life by posting this- my son has a class 6 (highest life threatening ranking on IGE level) to cashews, peanuts and pistacios. I have a blended pepper mill with pink peppercorns in it and sometimes use that in soups, (never do I use pepper on his food otherwise). I never can pin point why when he ate soup that he gets sick…I am now dumping all the peppercorns in the garbage and buying only black. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
I am SO happy that you came across my post, Andrea!! That is so scary that you have been using the pink pepper blend in your son’s food! You are so incredibly welcome…and thank you for letting me know, as this was my main goal: to reach those who have nut allergies. Good luck and I wish your son a reaction free future!! CC
Thank you for this info. I passed it along to 4 different freinds who each have a child with severe nut allergies among other allergies.
So glad you found this information to pass on to your friends! Thank you so much, Drea!! CC
Sadly, if you tell someone your kid has a sensitivity to something they figure that you are ridiculous and see no reason that they should help your kid avoid that item wherever possible. However, if you say that he has an allergy they will do everything possible to avoid it. Due to this my doctor put on my son’s medical forms for BSA that he’s allergic to the things that he just has a sensitivity to, in order to make sure he gets as little exposure to them as possible. He can have them, and as such does get them at times, just not all the time and in high doses.
You are correct, Skie, however here’s another point: if your son is sensitive now, there is no telling when that sensitivity could increase to an allergy. I think it is in everyone’s best interest (but especially your son’s) that he avoid the food/allergen completely. My mother was never allergic to any mushrooms, but one day she ate chanterelles and got violently ill. The doctor told her she’d probably become allergic to them and to avoid them in future. Apparently, she “checked” once more after that incident and almost died (this was many years ago and with virtually no information about how serious allergies can be).
Better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to your child. Thanks for your comment, CC
Heya, great post, and I had no idea about that pepper blend, we’ll be sharing this info on FB amongst my friends. I have some “significant” allergies to moldy/blue cheeses and jalapenos/chipotle peppers (though other peppers seem fine, I just stay away from hot peppers in general, and it’s amazing how many people even in restaurants do NOT know that chipotles are just smoked jalapenos… and it’s everywhere.
Anyway, when I’m in a place and I’m talking to the waitstaff about my order and my allergies, if I suspect they’re not taking me seriously (Protip to a server: if someone tells you they have a serious allergy, WRITE IT DOWN. It makes us feel better) about it, I pull out my epipen and set it on the table in front of them. No big showy deal, no speech, but I do tap it on the table once or twice gently until they either glance at it or make eye contact with me.
I’ve never had an issue from the kitchen when I’ve done that.
Hi Nickie, I like your idea of having the epipen on the table!! Way to make them understand the seriousness of the issue!! Thank you so much, and good luck in all your future restaurant outings :) CC
Thanks so much for posting this. I’ve had severe nut and legume allergies all my life, and I grew up before there was consistent, specific ingredient labeling on foods. Every meal was Russian Roulette, and I’d made more than 20 emergency room visits with anaphylaxis by the time I graduated from college. I never thought I’d make it past 24. I’m now 50–26 years of borrowed time so far! : )
I’m a professional storyteller and am working on a story about my peanut allergy that I hope will raise awareness and give scared parents hope. I have reposted your article. Thanks again.
Wow, Darci! That’s a lot of ER visits!! I’m glad you are still with us and so happy to hear you are writing to raise awareness on allergies. Every little bit helps! Thank you for sharing the info! CC
I appreciate the info as my daughter is allergic to cashews as well. I thought I would give you this website that is pretty good about distributing information about food allergies. I think your story would reach a lot of people this way. http://www.foodallergy.org
Thank you, Lori. Other commenters suggested the same thing, so I have sent my post to FARE. Thank you so much and good luck to your daughter, CC
THANK YOU! My oldest son has a tree nut allergy, though thankfully his reaction hasn’t progressed to life threatening. Yet. But you never know when it could happen! We’re crossing our fingers that he outgrows it too, but until that day, we’re going to continue to be extra cautious so that we don’t have to go through the life threatening situation! Thanks you, and so glad your daughter is okay.
You are so very welcome, Molly! I do hope your son outgrows his allergy. I was hoping the same for my daughter and her exercise induced asthma, but so far no luck. :( Good luck and I hope your son stays safe either way, CC
It might have also been nutmeg. I used to love tortellini but I had to stop eating it because almost all tortellini has nutmeg. If you read labels, they just say “spices”… But the peppercorn thing is interesting as I’ve had a few reactions recently that I have not been able to pinpoint…
No Sarah, it definitely wasn’t nutmeg. My daughter regularly has nutmeg (which isn’t a nut), however, that doesn’t mean that others cannot be allergic to nutmeg. Good luck and hopefully this solves your mystery reactions. Thank you for commenting! CC
This is good information.
However, this concerns me:
” my daughter was at a restaurant at Disneyland with one of her best friends when I received a phone call from her friend’s mother who told me that she thought my daughter had ingested some form of tree nuts, and was wondering whether to use the EpiPen (a shot of epinephrine) for her anaphylactic reaction. Of course, I was petrified, and told her that my daughter had to be the one to make that decision based on how serious the reaction felt, and luckily she ended up getting the nuts out of her system and the use of the EpiPen was averted. ”
Your daughter should have a clear if-then plan from her doctor that outlines what to do based on symptoms and ingestion. She’s very lucky that it self-resolved. Many reactions do, but there is no way to tell if one will or not until it does. If you’ve guessed right, you’re lucky. If you’ve guessed wrong, it’s a tragedy. It also is well-documented that reactions can alter the victim’s perception of things, which is why Epi administration shouldn’t be subjective, but rather following a clear plan. With that said, the prevailing thinking is “If your gut says Epi should be given,” then it should be. No, it’s no fun to spend Disney time in the ER, but it’s at best an inconvenience and a little lost fun. If she was wrong and waited too long (if the reaction cascade has gone too far, Epi won’t be enough), your next call could have been from the coroner.
Thank you, Meg. As others have posted, I have learned a lot from all of your comments. I will be taking my daughter to an allergist, which I now realize I should have done years ago, but I relied on her doctor’s information and didn’t think anything more about it. I would feel much more comfortable sending her off to college with an “if-then” plan, you are correct. However, I honestly don’t think there was any thought about whether the epipen would inconvenience their Disney time (my daughter is there all the time as her friend has lifetime passes, so it wasn’t like a once in a lifetime trip, as it might be for others). Thank you for your suggestions, and I will follow up on them. CC
MY 3 sons,myself, my cousin and niece are all allergic to cashews/tree nuts thank you very much for the info! u prob helped save some lives.
Thank you for letting me know, Sadia! So happy to hear that you all will be safer from getting this information! Please continue to pass it on! Good luck to all of you! CC
Christina,
RE: your concern that there isn’t a barometer to say how serious an allergy is When I had a tree nut allergy panel done about 8 yrs ago, the results were given to me with a number scale. 0-.75 were safe, 1-1.99 were “avoid if possible” anything higher then 2 was listed as “this can kill you.” i.e. on my test cashews were a 1.5 so i shouldn’t eat them. Peanuts ranked in at 2.5, walnuts at 4.5 and pistachios at a whopping 7! Needles to say I have to be very vigilant for the last three and have my epipen ready in case of an accident. If i get into hazelnuts (a 1) any antihistamine and I’ll be fine. You may want to see if your allergist can provide you a scale for your daughter.
Wow – this is all very enlightening. I am highly allergic to Cashews and Pistachios but can eat virtually every other nut without problem. I have never eaten Brazil nuts or Macadamia nuts for fear that it may cause a reaction. Now I know why it’s limited to Cashew and Pistachio – they are both Anacardiaceaes! I will most definitely stay away from these pink peppercorns as well. Thanks for the post!
I have alerted ClubHouse and Signal, two Canadian food brands that I noticed sell products with pink peppercorns, about the severity of this issue and how necessary it is to have these products labelled with an allergy warning. I also contacted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. ….I’m hoping for some kind of positive response….
Once again, Christina, thank you for this information. As an allergy sufferer it scares me to think of all the people out there who don’t know about this.
Trying to spread the word….
Thank you so much for this information. My daughter is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. We recently learned that she’s allergic to lotions that contain almond oil. Turns out many lotions contain this! Sometimes only the Latin name is used on products: prunus amygdalus. Her skin gets red and itchy from it. So check your lotions and skin products if you are allergic to almonds.
Thank you, Miriam. My daughter has reacted to several lotions, but as I recall it was macadamia nut oil. She is able to eat almonds, so that doesn’t affect her skin either. Good luck to your daughter and thanks for the info, it will likely help other readers here! CC
I don’t understand why your daughter did not use her epipen. Allergic reactions happen so fast even though you feel fine one minute you may not the next and then it may be too late. Can you explain her symptoms and why she chose not to use it?
Ann, the reason we have never used the epipen is that we have followed her doctor’s instructions, and from all the comments on this post, I’m thinking that her instructions are not at all good ones. She took Benadryl and then vomited and was fine afterwards, but I’m reading about delayed reactions and secondary reactions which also scare me now.
Was the homeopathic treatment your cousins son went thru called NAET?
I had severe environmental, wasp and banana allergies from nearly birth until my mid-20s. I started shots at age 5. By my 20s, the allergist released me, after the shots threw me into the 20 th anaphylactic reaction to that point. He said there was nothing more they could do. I ate Tylenol sinus like candy, desperate to relieve the symptoms my Rx meds didn’t.
Out of desperation, I tried NAET with my Chiro. It involves resetting the energy meridians in the body, while holding a vial of the allergen (in a specific sequence), then avoiding that substance and all related for 24 hours. It sounded ridiculous, but I would have drunk mule pee at midnight, on a mountain if it would have helped by that point! I have no idea how/why this worked for me, but it did! It wasn’t even because I believed it would, because I didn’t! But after the series of treatments, I was no longer allergic to all the trees, grasses, animals, mold, etc that I had been! And the severity of my worst reactions to banana and latex were significantly reduced. They didn’t have wasp avail, so I still carry an epi pen for that. I was able o get off all my OTC and Rx meds! I can now enjoy fall and spring, rather than dreading it!
I have no idea if I just happened to be an ideal subject, or if the NAET treatments, that truly SOUND ridiculous, i know, would work on anyone, but I just wondered if it were the same program as your family member.
Also, having been a Paramedic for 14 years, I would like to stress the importance of calling 911 any time you have to use an epi-pen. The epi DOES NOT REVERSE a reaction. It BUYS YOU TIME to get an anti-histamine into the bloodstream to actually stop the reaction. The epi only works to slow the reaction for 5 to 15 minutes. Anything you take by mouth will take a minimum of 20 – 30 minutes to get into the bloodstream, so taking Benedryl by mouth (even in liquid form) is less effective than getting it by IV or IM. Most ambulances also carry a steroid (often Solumedrol) that can shut the reaction down completely. So, if you or your hold are having a reaction severe enough to use an epi pen, immediately call 911, or if near a hospital, get to it the ER ASAP!
No, the treatment they received was completely different, it was more like slow immunization by adding trace allergens to their food. Thank you for the info on the epipen, and benadryl. I will be taking my daughter to an allergist for more specific info on when to administer it.
I have to say seeing this actually made me happy, not because of what happened to your daughter but because it has enlightened people that having a food allergy to certain categories doesn’t rule out specific ingredients. I had only a food allergy to strawberries since I was roughly 4 years old and last September 23rd, at the age of 28 I ate chicken ramen one Sunday evening. I, having other allergies and a nursing student knew that the burning of my hands and face less than 10 minutes later were not a good sign. I looked down to see I looked liked a lobster on my hands and arms. My lips began to tingle and swell. Instantly I ran for the benadryl and called my PCP who luckily was my uncle since I only changed doctors the month before when my NP retired. I met him at his office minutes later for an injection of solu-Medrol, intramuscularly. I reacted to the MSG from the chicken ramen. Seven days later I was back in his office for another injection. I had avoided all MSG and had a home made pizza using Ragu All Natural Home style pizza sauce. Well we were baffled. After some research, I found out the natural flavoring and spices were hidden ingredients of MSG. Along with over 40 other ingredients. That is when my life changed completely. Zyrtec every morning, benadryl every night per my first allergist and Epi Pens if need be. Organic, All Natural, Gluten Free foods all have hidden ingredients. Slow cooked meat was out of the picture…..goodbye a traditional Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day or Easter dinner for me. Medications, hair products and even some vaccines have the ingredients.
I gave up 90% of the things I ate at least. Anaphylaxis happens in 1% of all adults with this allergy since they are ones who have a true allergy to it not an intolerance. Some doctors say it is not an allergy but an excitotoxin….then again all allergies cause mast and IgE cells to create the reaction. It is an excitotoxin to some doctors because Glutamic acid is natural in our body but I bet those doctors never had t0 anphylactic shock start to kick in either when they ingested any form of it.
Packages can place MSG Free on the labels as long as monosodium glutamate is non in the ingredients. Unfortunately those of us with true allergies need to know labels, individual ingredients and then some. I scare my servers every time I go out to eat and ask about their food. They get their managers all the time which I prefer then I know I can get answers.
I am glad that you have shed light on ingredients that can contain an allergen so Thank You!
Brigid, I am so sorry to hear of your allergy experience…that is truly terrible to have so many allergies and to such widely used ingredients! Thank you for your explanation as I’m sure others will read it and learn more, too. Good luck to you and I appreciate your kind words. CC
How utterly terrifying! I will be posting about this on my allergy blog, too, and appreciate the education. My son’s allergic to peanuts and many other nuts, and I had absolutely no idea about the connection. Thanks for posting!
Thank you for spreading the word, Alex! It’s the best we can do at this point! CC
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3512604/
Thank you so much, Melissa!
Thank you immensely for this information. My daughter also has a life-threatening allergy to cashews. I am so thankful to be aware of this potential threat. I agree, most people do not understand the severity of a true allergy, or the fear with which we mothers live.
So happy that you got this info, Wendy, and I agree wholeheartedly with your comment. Good luck to your daughter and a wish her a nut-free future. CC
sounds like your daughter is another case report – consider discussing her case with her doctor to publish (will help advance knowledge in the scientific community about this). there is only 1 published case report on this out there that I could find.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3512604/
Wow, that’s unbelievable that there is only one published report. Thank you, Caroline, I will look into it. CC
Thank you so much for sharing. My daughter is seriously allergic to cashews , we found out when she was 2, and has since determined many nut allergies. I too suffer from nut allergies as well as Sesame seed & oils. Of which many frozen foods use in their seasonings. Thank you for sharing !! I can relate to your scare, I have been there 1 to many times with my daughter also.
So sorry to hear of all your allergies and your daughter’s, Liz. I am so happy to know that now you know about pink peppercorns and can hopefully always avoid them in future! Thanks so much, CC
Thanks for the information. Maybe I didn’t read your post correctly…but it sounds like you haven’t been to an allergist with your daughter in a long time. I would recommend getting her skin tested and getting a treatment plan in place. Good luck. My daughter was diagnosed as teenager. In some ways it’s been easier because she great at reading labels but not so great because she won’t always carry an epi-pen
No, you are correct, Cynthia, I have not ever taken my daughter to an allergist, just because her doctor gave instructions (which don’t sound like good ones) on what to do in case of a reaction. I will be taking her before she goes to college, for sure.
I share articles with my daughter to make sure she truly understands how important it its to have her epipen with her at all times. For example, just a few months ago, a family was eating at an Asian buffet in Ireland, when the nut-allergic daughter accidentally ate some peanut sauce or curry which I believe they misread or was mislabeled. She had not brought her epipen, so they ran down the street to a pharmacy and the mother went in, begging the pharmacist for an epipen. He refused to give it to her without a prescription and her daughter died on the sidewalk. These are horrific stories, but they are true, and we surely don’t want the same thing happening to our daughters. Please try to convince her to have it be a part of her…always. Good luck, CC
I had no idea! Thank you for posting this. A friend shared it with me. I shared, this could save lives!
Absolutely, Crystal! Thank you for passing it on! CC
Btw, thank you for this rich discussion. I was aware of the pink peppercorn issue, I stumbled on it somehow when researching cashew allergy (my 5 yr old is allergic), but it’s great to be reminded since it’s one of those easily missed things.
Also, wanted to say that I find the hardest thing to explain to someone unfamiliar with real allergy is that reactions are not predictable. While many people seem to react the same way to each exposure, some people have hives one time then full blown anaphylaxis the next. There’s no predicting how someone will respond to an exposure, which is why complete avoidance is the golden standard. Most of the people who die from allergic reaction had never had a severe reaction previously and either didn’t have an epipen or didn’t use it.
People (well meaning) always ask “how severe” my son’s allergy is, as if that actually means anything. Allergic is allergic. And yes, many people live their whole lives with mild allergic responses to their allergies (my husband is like this, hopefully it won’t bite him on the ass one day) and nothing bad ever happens. But there really is no predicting when or why the body might mount a massive allergic response that is life-threatening, so you just have to assume it could be any time. That seems to be difficult for people to comprehend.
You make some very good points, Maia. This is exactly what scares me the most: than one reaction will be a massive allergic response and not like the others in the past. Thank you so much for commenting and your suggestion for the FDA, I really appreciate it. CC
Seems like Pink Pepper Berries pretty clearly fits the FDAs definition of treenut.
(I know several posters have mentioned that cashews, pine nuts, etc are not true treenuts- but most of what we call treenuts aren’t botanical treenuts yet are considered culinary treenuts which is how the FDA seems to group them.)
Maybe contacting the FDA to have them included in their list if treenuts… This would mean all sellers of these pepper blends would be required by law to label the allergen.
Mind if I share with my readers on my Food Allergy blog, Allergy Shmallergy? Thanks for putting this out there!
Please, please share and pass this on to anyone who may have allergy issues! Thank you so much for asking though! CC
The question I have from the following is – what condition were they being grown in before and are other foods grown in those same conditions? – What changed?
from wikipedia
Pink peppercorn
In 1982, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States banned the import of Brazilian peppercorns from France into the US, asserting that people who eat the berries risk an array of acute symptoms, such as swollen eyelids and indigestion. In response, the Government of France maintained that the berries are safe to eat if grown in prescribed conditions.[1] The United States later lifted the ban.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_peppercorn
Wow! This is really eye-opening, Brett! So they used to be banned! I too, would like to know what has changed?
Thanks so much! My daughter is allergic as well and this helps so much!
Very happy that you found this information, Brendan, and good luck to your daughter! CC
At the age of 63, I still suffer the same severe consequences when ingesting tree nuts – NOT peanuts, NOT pine nuts – TREE nuts. Always thinking I’m one step ahead of the ER or Epipen, I always ask about food prep in restaurants when I see a tree nut dessert on the menu (nuts chopped on a wooden board and then the veal pounded on the same one? trust me, I had a reaction to that one!). At potlucks I’m the one always asking what’s in the dish (in the nicest way possible, of course). So when a Penzey’s finally opened here in ATL, I was beyond excited! The first thing I did was taste a few blends and then spotted pink peppercorns. We love to cook, so I popped one in my mouth in order to decide how I would love to incorporate them into recipes and we continued our culinary tour. For the life of me (no pun intended) I couldn’t figure out why the itchy mouth and swollen lip. NOW I KNOW!!! Holy cow! And I cook – a lot – my daughter is a chef who preaches the gospel about tree nut allergies and the difference between that and peanuts (legumes) to everyone in the kitchen(s). But pink peppercorns? Thank you, thank you for sharing this. I can assure you we will do the same far and wide. BTW, the one peppercorn ingestion fortunately didn’t cause anything but discomfort, but don’t get me started on hazelnuts…!
Wow, Becky! That’s unbelievable! SO glad your pink peppercorn incident didn’t cause a full anaphylactic reaction! I’m very happy that you found my post and now know why you reacted to the peppercorn in the first place. Yes, I also know that hazelnuts are the original problem that my daughter had, so we really fear those the most! Good luck to you and please spread the word! CC
I definitely will be passing this on. I don’t personally have nut allergies in my family, we have shell fish and wheat. Which can be just as deadly. This information could and will help save anyone going thru a reaction is worth the time it takes to post and forward. Thank You so very much Christina .
I really appreciate your message, Melody! You are 100% correct, that this information would definitely save someone from a reaction and possibly even death. Thank you for passing on the info, and good luck with your allergies, too! CC
Thank you so much for this information! I was travelling in Germany two summers ago when I had a severe allergic reaction to the pepper that I put on my meal. It was not regular black pepper. Now I know why!!
So glad you figured out the mystery, too, Amanda! Thanks for letting me know! CC
Are “pink peppercorns” listed that way on the labels or does the ingredient “pepper” include this?
Thanks so much for this information!!
Margaret, that’s a very good question. I don’t know because each company can label things differently. I would call the company in question and ask them directly. Good luck and you are very welcome! CC
Thank you so much for sharing. My grandson has a severe tree nut allergy and this is something we did not know about. It is so difficult to eat out because unless someone has a nut allergy or has a loved one with a nut allergy, I really don’t think they take it seriously. When asking a chef, they are usually very helpful but the added seasonings, I am not sure they consider as having something that could be harmful to the person allergic. Thanks again and I will spread the word.
I completely understand, Kathy, but it is SO refreshing when someone does understand and goes out of their way to make sure the meal is truly nut-free. I was going to be in Europe when my daughter went to winter formal last December, so I spoke to the chef at the hotel where the dance was being held, beforehand. He went as far as making her her own meal and let her choose what she wanted, her table also was given a selection of nut-free desserts! I couldn’t believe he took so much time for one guest, but was so relieved to know she was in good hands when I was so far away.
Do make sure to ask in restaurants if they use this 4 blend pepper as I’m sure no one considers it a nut-allergen. Good luck and thank you for sharing the information! CC
Thank you so much for sharing this information. My son is allergic to tree nuts and especially to cashews. I’ve let him know and will spread the word.
So glad you found this information and are passing it on to your son!! Thank you! CC
Thank you so much for this important information. My 4 year old is very allergic to tree nuts, we also found the allergy when he ate a Christmas treat. Thank you again for spreading the information, I will be sending this along to everyone I know.
Sorry to hear your son is in the same boat as my daughter, but I am so happy that your got this information! Thank you for sharing it with others! CC
We quickly learned that there is a small amount of pine nuts used on focaccia while on a cruise last year. It was such a small amount, the chef didn’t even know about it. Luckily, the epipen wasn’t needed.
Hi Brittany, yes, my daughter is also allergic to pine nuts, even though they are not considered tree nuts. I’m glad whoever was allergic was fine as that would be super scary to have an anaphylactic reaction on a cruise! Good luck, CC
Christina,
This was passed on to me as I sell herbs & spices, including pink peppercorns. I’ve sent an email to Frontier Coop, where I get many of my spices in bulk. I’ll send another one to Salt Traders, who only sell salt and pepper (and have fabulous product, fyi).
Thank you so much for posting this and I will continue passing the word along to my customers.
All the best,
Alexandra
Wonderful, Alexandra!! Thank you SO much! This really makes a difference to let companies know, as I am quite sure most of them are unaware of this issue. The word is truly spreading thanks to people like you! We all appreciate it! CC
Christina, I cannot thank you enough for this information!! My son has the exact same kind of allergies as your daughter and we have had some unexplainable reactions and I think this might be the answer. It also scares me that I’ve actually used these peppercorns myself just not in the kids food.
I wish you and your family happiness and good luck with the allergies in the future.
With gratitude,
Linda
Oh goodness, that is so scary!! I am so happy that you got this information and now can avoid those pink peppercorns completely! Thank you for letting me know, and I too, wish your family and son a lifetime of happiness and no reactions! CC
Thank you for. This article I’ve passed on the information to my husband who is allergic to tree nuts. However I find it strange that there is no mention of mangoes in your article. I hope that most of you are aware that mangoes are in the treenut family. I struggle so often with the staff at our nut safe schools that still serve mango juice. Word of mouth will hopefully help save a person or two.
J
Hi JB, I have just learned about the connection with cashews and mangoes from comments to my post. My daughter has eaten mangoes in the past, with no reaction whatsoever, which is why I didn’t mention it: I simply didn’t know. I have told her that she should stay away from them in future, though, just to be safe. Thank you for sharing and hopefully others will read this and learn about the connection, too! CC
I have lived with a peanut allergy my whole life and just learned my 2.5 year old son sadly has to learn to live with it also. At least there is more awareness of it now. But I did notice the picture you used of ‘no nuts’ is actually a bag of seeds. Pine nuts are actually seeds, not nuts. I guess along those same lines peanuts are a legume. The point is these allergies are actually more subtle than a blanket of all things nuts so it’s good to get tested to know the specifics and the severity for each. Great information though and thanks for sharing.
Hi Mike, I’m sorry to hear of your allergy and now your son’s too. I have changed the photo of the pine nuts, even though my daughter is also allergic to pine nuts which is why I didn’t really think about the nut/seed difference when I first posted it. You are correct, there are so many different allergies and one cannot just say, “I’m allergic to nuts” and it covers only nuts. Many people who are allergic to tree nuts, also cannot eat almonds (stone fruit), however my daughter is fine with almonds. Then there are others who are fine with pine nuts, but my daughter cannot touch them. Good luck to you and your son, and I wish you reaction-free days ahead! CC
I often use my own experience to illustrate the differences between a food intolerance and a food allergy. I have an onion intolerance, meaning that if I eat certain varieties of onions I get very unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms. I have a severe allergy to horseradish, for which I carry a EpiPen because that stuff can kill me. Intolerance and allergy is the difference between discomfort and dead.
Excellent explanation, Ren! Thank you! CC
Thank you so much for sharing this! My 9 yr old daughter has an anaphylactic allergy to cashews/nuts, my 13 yr old son is also allergic to nuts and shellfish and I have a severe allergy to bee stings but recently had reaction to almonds. I had no idea about the peppercorns, and did not know that fruits with stones are related to almonds either. Its hard enough eating out at restaurants and friends houses, i feel like I’m callimg food companies on a daily basis, so every little bit of info helps! I will pass this along.
Sorry to hear about all the allergies in your family, Linda! One is bad enough! Glad you found this information and yes, almonds are not tree nuts, so be careful with other stone fruits. Thank you for doing your part in informing companies about your experience; you are right, every little bit of info does help! Good luck to you and your family, CC
My sister goes into anaphylactic shock when she eats cashews too. We found out that mangoes are actually closely related to cashews, and can cause similar reactions as cashews.
I myself am allergic to latex, Geodon (a mood-stabilizer) and to something in the gelatin capsules on Advil Liqui-Gels and some antibiotics. Latex causes and Geodon cause hives, and the capsules for some reason cause me to hallucinate, itch and run a fever.
So many allergic reactions to so many things, all these comments are making my head spin! So sorry, Willow! I hope you can avoid all your allergens! Good luck and thanks for sharing! CC
Thanks for posting. Members of my family, including me, have reactions to nuts especially black walnuts. I’m lucky as I only get an uncomfortable almost painful feeling in my mouth after ingesting them but my mom’s throat closes up. I wasn’t aware of the pink peppercorns though and will pass that information on. I just wanted to bring attention to a related allergy. Latex. Apparently many people who suffer from tree nut allergies are also sensitive to the tree sap latex and “natural rubber” is derived from.The most common reaction is contact dermatitis e.g. rashes and hives and many people don’t realize that latex culprit. I did not develop or become aware of my allergy until my late teens and the sensitivity has gradually increased. I can not use a standard Band-aid without the surrounding skin breaking out in itchy, painful blisters. Recently I have noticed that the elastic used in waistbands and especially bras have started causing blotchy red rashes. So far I have had only mild anaphylactic symptoms with prolonged contact. With the amount of latex used in medical supplies and hidden in everyday materials it pays to be vigilant. Thanks again for the information and all the insightful comments from other readers!
Thank you for sharing this information about Latex, Leigh. I am so sorry to hear that you have this allergy on top of the nuts! I have told my daughter, just in case she begins to react to Latex, too. Thanks again, and good luck to you, CC
Thank you so much for this information. My daughter is two and has the peanut allergy as well as other food allergies. I never even heard of pink pepper berries before and will watch for it on labels now. Grateful!
Audra, be careful, because they may not be listed on labels as such as it could even be part of “spices”. Also, like my daughter experienced, it could be used in a restaurant, so make sure to advise the wait staff each time you take her out. Good luck! CC
EpiPen and Corn allergies. I have a friend to deathly allergic to bee stings and was advised to have the EpiPen with her at all times. However, EpiPen has corn and with her severe corn allergy she can not use the pen. Just letting everyone know because corn allergies are very common.
Wow! That’s unbelievable, Lindielee! Thanks for passing on the info and good luck to your friend! CC
What great information!
I just wanted to share that a very good friend of mine is a severe allergy sufferer. She is now in her 30s and well aware of each individual allergy, but figuring them all out was a long journey. But , for parents , it’s important to know there is a safe future out there. She special orders most foods online, a luxury that is mostly new, and cooks every meal. Having such severe allergies has not limited her, and has also turned her into a truly creative chef! It’s our favorite night when she volunteers to cook. That being said, a fair amount of our coworkers are trained on how to use her epi pens. Maybe that should be a part of your daughters college plan? Have her teach a few good friends where her epi pens are and how and when to safely use them. I imagine it’s scary having her out in a situation where food and exposure can’t be controlled. Best of luck with all of it!
Thank you, Lori, that is definitely a good plan for when my daughter goes to college. Your friend sounds likes she’s made the best of a bad situation…good for her! Thank you for your comment and your kind words, I really appreciate it! CC
Thank you so much!!! for this information on the pepper berries. My two kids (9 and 6) are anaphylactic to peanuts and tree nuts and sunflower seeds. We will continue to take all the precautions necessary to keep them safe. It’s so helpful to read this blog and be on the lookout for hidden allergens that could cause an allergic reaction in my children. I have been so sad that my kids have not outgrown their allergies (just completed allery testing this summer) but the best I can do for them is teach them to always ask if a food is safe, read all labels every time, never take a chance and always be armed with their Benadryl and epipens at all times. I was armed with 6 epipens and 3 bottles of Benadryl while my daughter reacted to sun butter. I was well prepared and I was still scared.
We will be having an epipen party before school starts. This will include my entire family and close friends administering expired epipens into grape fruits so they can learn how to use an epipen . Epipens are life saving for those people with anaphylactic reactions. (Unless a person is allergic to epinephrine of course) My kids always have an epipen on hand! Let’s continue to share this valuable information.
I completely understand being well-prepared, and yet still scared, Lisa. You just never know the outcome, and you feel terrible seeing your child go through the experience. I’m glad you found this information, and I will have to look up “sun butter” as I’ve never heard of it.
Great to hear you are having an Epipen party, and thank you for passing on the info to others! Good luck and hope your children stay safe! CC
Great message. Thanks for sharing! Have you contacted FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) http://www.foodallergy. org ?
I think they would like to include this information if they don’t already have it,
Thank you, Maria! No I have not, but I definitely will now! I appreciate you letting me know! CC
Both myself and my soon are allergic to all nuts. My son had his first reaction at 3 and still remembers it. I have also always been allergic but did not have severe [requiring hospital visits) until high school. There is a NEW epipen out that gives audible instructions on what to do including to call 911. The brand is Auvi q , if you go to their website you can get a rebate for a free pen. This is great to send with him and not worry that each patent may or may not know what to do.
Thank you, Heather! I will definitely look into the Auvi Q! I appreciate your comment and hope you and your son never need to use any form of epinephrine! Thanks again! CC
Thanks for posting. I shared this to my SIL’s page b/c my nephew is highly allergic to tree nuts, especially cashews. She does her diligent research, but it seems as if sharing this put it on her radar. Hopefully he won’t have any reaction to this culprit now that they are aware to look out for this!
Yes, Jen! It absolutely makes it easier to avoid! Thank you so very much for passing it on to her. Makes me so happy to know that little children (especially) will hopefully avoid a potential reaction due to my post! Thank you again! CC
And now, we’re passing it around Facebook – so it’ll get an even better exposure.
You are wonderful, Marsha!! Thank you!! I just reposted on my Facebook page for my blog and it’s reached over 50K people and had over 500 shares! I’ve never seen any of my posts spread so widely on FB and am SO happy that this is the one going viral! Thanks again! CC
Thanks for this info. In 1979 (I was 3), I ingested Pine Nuts at my Mom’s friends house. I was able to live pine nut free until the mid-90’s when they made a resurgence in the midwest. In 2007 I ingested them multiple times in just a few months, even telling the wait staff “I will die from pine nuts”. I ended up with PTSD from the entire situation. I spent thousands of dollars being tested for allergies.
Thank you for spreading this information. As the mother of two young children who has a nut allergy, I am always on the look out. And I always have two epipens wherever I go!
Hi Cynthia, I can absolutely understand why you’d have PTSD from so many incidences within a short period of time! I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I found out my daughter was also allergic to pine nuts when she was eating ravioli and told me she thought there were nuts in them. Of course she was right (although they are considered seeds) but she is allergic to them, too! Good luck to you and your children, and I hope that your epipens are never necessary!! CC
Thank you so much for writing this! As a parent of a child with severe food allergies (including tree nuts), I can relate to everything you are saying. Food allergies are so scary!
Thank you, Deitra! It’s nice to hear from parents who can completely relate! Thank you so much! CC
How can I forward or share this information. Could you email me this article so I can forward to my son and daughter-in-law who are not on facebook. Their 5 yr. old is anaphylactic to peanuts, tree nuts, etc. Don’t know if they’re aware of the peppercorns. Thank you so much
Hi Roz, here is the link to the article which you can copy and paste into an email (you may have to ask someone to help you copy and paste, but it’s pretty easy): https://christinascucina.com/2014/02/hidden-allergens-pink-peppercorns-tree.html Or you can simply verbally tell them to visit my site at christinascucina.com and search the word “allergy”. Thank you so much for passing on the information! CC
Thank you so much for sharing! My daughter also has a severe tree nut allergy and the reactions are life threatening. It took me forever to realize that her reaction to mangoes was legit as it’s the same family as cashews as well.
Thank you for your comment, Tiffany! I have now told my daughter to avoid mangoes, too. We are not big on mangoes in my family, so it’s never been a problem but now she knows just to stay clear of them. Better to be safe than sorry! Thank you again! CC
My sister sent this to me. I, too, have serious allergy issues and unfortunately, they seem to be growing. It’s easier to state what I’m not allergic to and can eat rather than give my list. My worst ones (ones that send me for immediate help): peppers (chili pepper / capsaicin faimly which is ALL ribbed peppers in the world), cocoa bean/products, coffee beans/products, and peanuts. Please, also, be aware that some so-called Pink Peppercorns are also related to the capsaicin (chili pepper) family – at least, one version. I found this out the hard way when I had a violent reaction to one of WildTree’s spice mixes. They weren’t too concerned, but I was – especially as it was not listed on the ingredient list, I had no idea WHY I had reacted, and had to do a lot of research to discover the problem. These days, I try to look up the plant family due to inter-related issues. As you noted – the cashew family. BTW – did you know that Mangoes, Cashews, and a couple of other foods have the same “protective” oil around them as Poison Ivy/Poison Oak? They are OK if cleaned/harvested/cut correctly. But, again, I learned that after eating a Mango and my mouth/face swelling and breaking out with poison ivy style blisters. It wasn’t on any of the tests that I took.
I have been so frustrated with some of my favorite restaurants where I once could eat safely. The menu and listed ingredients have not changed, but the chef has changed and thinks that hot peppers should be placed in everything. The other problem is cross-contamination while preparing; that’s the hardest one to get across to kitchen staff. It is a struggle, but I continue to try and explain “allergies” to waiters and chefs and my work colleagues. My work colleagues now completely understand the problem and several I have trained on the Epi-pen trainer – they know where it is and what to do should the worst happen. I carry benadryl everywhere for those “surprises.”
Thanks for sharing!
Donna, I cannot imagine having your allergies! It truly must be a daily nightmare…and I am so sorry you have to deal with them. Due to your comment and others on this post, I have told my daughter not to eat mangoes, it’s just not worth risking it, since she’s already allergic to their relatives!
I’m so glad your colleagues are all trained in using the Epipen! Good job…I hope you never need ti! Take care, CC
THANK YOU! My son has a major tree nut allergy. This was super helpful, and I’ve passed it on.
Sorry to hear your son has a nut allergy, but so happy that you got this information!! Thank you for letting me know, DeeDee! I appreciate it! CC
I mean this with total respect but am wondering about something… I have a son who has an allergy and when he was growing up I had to keep an epi pen with me at all times. At the beginning of your post you explained what your daughter’s allergy would mean if she ingested nuts. Shortly after you speak of your daughter being in Disneyland and the other mom calling to say she had ingested nuts and should she give her the shot. Your comment was it had to be your daughter’s choice whether she took the shot or not. I am surprised. Someone who has that severe of an allergy to anything that they would die if taken would not be in a position of deciding if they should take the shot or not. As I said I am sorry if this is coming off as being disrespectful. That is not my intention. Coming from a mother of a child with that severe of an allergy it would never have offured to me to give my child the choice of taking the shot or not as they would already be at the point of not breathing
Hi Sally, if you go back and re-read my post, you will see that my friend did not say that my daughter ingested nuts, but they thought she must have had something with nuts because she was having a reaction. However the chef swore that there were no nuts in her meal, so this was the difficulty they were facing: to decide to give her the shot if she hadn’t even had any nuts. My experience with my daughter and her nut allergy is not the same as yours with your child, and being miles away, I wanted my daughter to be the one to decide, not me (having no clue what was going on or how she was feeling), and I wonder how you knew she was at the point of not breathing? I too, am the mother of a child with a severe allergy, but I am not you. Thank you for offering your opinion on how I mishandled the situation, but I did my best, given the circumstances and the information I was given. CC
Thank you so much for taking the time to write about your experience! My two year old daughter is severely allergic to peanut and almonds, and allergic to eggs. I had no idea about the pink peppercorns, I am sharing this article with my family and on social media to help spread the word. When a reaction does happen, it helps to know what caused it and now I know to check for this pepper just in case!
Yes, Cassandra, it is definitely terrible not to know what caused a reaction! Sorry to hear about your daughter’s allergies, but so glad you found my post! Good luck! CC
Thank you! I will watch out for these as my daughter is allergic to cashews.
So happy that you found the information, Sarah!! CC
Oh my goodness! I’m sorry that you discovered this, but so thankful at the same time! I have one with a cashew allergy and never heard of this before. But we are now aware and will add this to our “list” we ask about when ordering at restaurants and check on at friends houses.
Good move, Kim! Better to be safe than sorry…thanks for letting me know! CC
i am allergic to latex. Since i am allergic to latex, i developed allergies to a HOST of foods…i did not realize the food connection till 3 years ago now, my mother made strawberry shortcake for my birthday “cake”. this was great, i was happy…till on the way home i realized my lips were itchy, and my tongue was slightly swollen. uh-oh. i had benadryl in my purse (because we’d been traveling and it halps me sleep when i can’t get to sleep on my own…so it helped.
when i got home, i started researching and using some VERY foul language. strawberries. tomatoes. kiwifruit. broccoli. potatoes. watermelon. all of those are now off my list. (that’s just what i remember off the top of my head) latex allergies can cause a LOT of cross allergens because the protiens are *similar* enough that the body says “wnough is enough!” and goes on the warpath attacking every similar protein. and yes, repeated exposure to latex is enough to cause allergy, isn’t THAT a bummer to every person wanting to follow safer sex practices??
Oh you poor thing! That is terrible! I had no idea about the latex allergy and its cross-allergens! Wishing you the best of luck! CC
This absolutely terrifies me. And I feel so lucky knowing as a young child he was anaphylactic to tree nuts. Luckily latest tests reveal nothing more than seafood and peanuts, but he is still terrified of eating most nuts. (He was orally tested on Almonds in the doctors office and if we are careful with how they are prepared he will eat them). I use pepper blends All. The. Time. now. I didn’t use to. To think he could have stopped breathing and I’d never know what happened! Though…it explains what the “natural flavors” Kraft refused to disclose were when he landed in the hospital twice after consuming BBQ sauce. I’m almost certain it was something like this. To this day I avoid anything that says “smoked flavoring” because I suspect that is what was in it.
Regarding the statements “if you don’t need an epi pen stop harassing restaurant staff”…we don’t know why people avoid foods. Some it may cause serious GI issues they’d rather avoid. Others, like both of my sons are on the spectrum. No, they will not need to use the epi pen if they consume dairy/gluten/artificial sweeteners and colors, but I can assure you, after extensive testing along side their doctor…I am faced with weeks, and sometimes more than a month of GI and behavioral issues as their bodies try to clear what their brain interprets as a toxin. I do ask how food is prepared. Peanuts and shell fish are easy to avoid out and about. Gluten and dairy and artificial made in a lab stuff…terrifyingly difficult. These boys have made way too much progress with their spectrum disorders for me to risk it for the sake of not harassing a waitress. And in fact, I have 3 restaurants I use. Only three. They recognize me when we come in. They know exactly what we will order and work diligently to make sure my boys can have a “normal” experience. In the past when we dealt with 9 food allergies that would cause breathing problems….I had one restaurant. I would call ahead of time and alert them that we were coming and they would prepare the food while en route. They appreciated the heads up. I appreciated they worked with us.
There are ways to work around allergies, if you are open with management. If you are kind and respectful with their policies. And if you give them enough time to prepare.
Thank you, Susan. Sounds like you’ve found some great restaurants who will work with you. Good luck to your sons with their allergies! CC
Great blog post with critical information! Only thing I wanted to caution you with is to never hesitate to use the epipen if it is believed that your daughter is having an anaphylactic reaction. I work in healthcare and know that the is risk of epipen use in children is incomparable to the risk of not using it. If your daughter feels a reaction coming on she should use it ASAP as there have been incidences of the epipen malfunctioning or the first dose proving to not be enough. I’m sure that there are other hidden allergies out there that are not yet in the public’s mind so please encourage your daughter to have a low threshold for epipen use.
Hi Christie, I will share this information with my daughter, as we were never told to use it in this manner. We were told to give Benadryl first, along with an inhaler, and it those didn’t seem to help, to use the Epipen, but from all these comments, it seems like that is bad advice (and it was from her doctor)! Thank you so much; we will definitely be seeing an allergist very soon! CC
Thank you SOOOO much for this post, my son is allergic to cashews/pistacios and I had NO idea this pepper was in the same family (along with mango…)
Thank you thank you thank you!!
You are so very welcome, Shannon! I’m so happy you got this information!! It was definitely meant for you/your son! Wishing him safe days ahead! CC
I just wanted to say im sorry for your daughters experience. HOWEVER I REALLY dislike the fact that the picture of the epipen n hidden allergies lead me to believe that theres hidden allergens in the pen. As I have gotten older I have become seriously allergic to more and more things and have an epipen that I luckily haven’t used yet. Please change your title to something else that states something about tree nut allergies and NOT ABOUT HIDDEN ALLERGIES and put in a picture of epipens. You should have posted a picture of a pepper mill or something pepper related.
Jenn, I’m sorry you misconstrued my post via the photo of the epipen, but what you are asking me to change is already in the title as you suggest. Thank you for stopping by, CC
You might want to contact Trader Joe’s. they have a Rainbow Peppercorn blend with a grinder… and there are pink peppercorns in it. They are very good with allergen information, so I would bet they would adjust their label. My daughter has peanut (not tree nut) allergies, so I understand well the panic one can feel!
(Sorry if this is duplicate, didn’t have time to read all the comments.)
Thanks, Jennifer. I actually did already contact TJs but their rep responded with a rather curt response that they cannot put the warning on their product as per FDA rules or something to that effect. No, “sorry” or anything else which truly surprised me. I wrote back to tell them that I was surprised by their response and got another cold email in return. Not what I’d expect from TJs, and I need to go higher up the ladder.
Did you notify the FDA?
Excellent idea, Angelo, although I do not know if anyone in our support group has contacted the FDA. I just know the medical community, doctors included, look at you like you have two heads. This allergy is so rare, it is just now starting to be recognized. There have been a few news stories on it in with in the last year. Maybe a total of 2,000 people in the whole world have it. As we get deeper into climate change and the tick boundaries are expanding, I am afraid we are going to see more and more people affected by this allergy. Trust me, it is a life changer.
No, Angelo, I did not, but I will do so now that you and another commenter asked me about it. Thank you very much! CC
I am not allergic to nuts but I am allergic to beef, bison, pork (red meat) and dairy products. I am one of the ones to have gotten the Alpha Gal allergy, a rare and potentially deadly allergy, from the bite of a Lone Star tick. It is very difficult navigating and managing this allergy as meat and meat by products have many uses and are used in almost all packaged /boxed products, disguised and hidden behind big, fancy, chemical sounding names and then also the simple words” natural flavors” . Even our medicines, OTC and prescription, are made up of mammal by products. Gelatin capsules, lactose monohydrate as a filler, magnesium stearate as a binder, right down to our soaps and shampoos, laundry soaps and fabric softners. I am even affected by and have allergic reactions to fumes of meat being cooked by restaurants and delis at the grocery store. It is next to impossible to avoid these things in day to day living. The world is a deadly place to me now.
Christina, I cannot tell you how sorry I am to hear this. I have never heard of the Alpha Gal allergy; how terrible! Is there any place that offers some kind of treatment or hope for any changes? I cannot even imagine how difficult your life must be. Good luck to you! CC
Thanks for posting this. I am allergic to at least 75 items, including nuts. However, since I don’t go anaphylactic, I’m one of those people who will confuse waiters when I’ll taste something I’m not sure about. Staying awake scratching my skin apart for 3 days is painful, but not life-threatening, so I can afford to be careless at times. Sorry for making your work harder. I hope your daughter outgrows some of her allergies. No hope for me in sight, since I’m old.
Even a skin reaction is terrible, Lynne, I’m so sorry you are allergic to so many things! Good luck to you! CC
I just checked my spice cabinet and the McCormick peppercorn medley grinder I use has the pink peppercorns and no allergy label. I am sharing your post with my friends with kids with allergies. I will keep this in mind as my kids have friends join us for dinner.
Thank you, Leslie. I will be forwarding this post to McCormick, along with all these comments! IT’s the perfect way to get our message across! I appreciate you posting a comment about it! Thank you for passing along the info to others, too! CC
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Cashews are my son’s most severe allergy. We also found out the hard way when he was two years old (six hours to stabilize and three days in the ICU). We too have had some completely unexplained reactions. This seems to fit those. A thousand times thank you to you!
Amy, truly no need to thank me as I am ELATED to know that my daughter’s experience is helping even just one allergy sufferer, such as your son, who is so very allergic! The good thing is, it looks like it’s getting out to A LOT of allergy sufferers! Over 80,000 people saw this post JUST TODAY! I hope you can continue to spread the word to chefs, restaurants, friends, etc. Thank you so much for your comment! CC
Thank you for this priceless info !!! Between my son and I, we cover 4 allergens. I am always amazed at how ignorant people are about allergies. “Can’t you just pick the nuts out?” Ummmmm…. NO !!! I’m sharing this on FB and tagging a few friends. Thanks so much! PS… We wear road id bracelets. (Used to do medic alert, but these bands are much more comfy) My entire medical profile can be accessed with one phone call. It states the allergy in the first line, so if I was ever alone or with someone who doesn’t know me well, I could be helped. I beg you all to consider wearing a road id or medic alert bracelet if you have allergies !!! :)
Thanks for the info you posted in your comment, too! I will look into the road id bracelet! Such a great idea! CC
Wow! Thanks for the great information! File this under #youlearnsomethingneweveryday ! I am the mom of an 18 year old aspiring chef that uses all kinds of interesting ingredients who has a cashew allergy AND a school nurse so you bet I will be sharing this info far and wide. Did you share with FARE via their website? They reach so many.
THANK YOU!!
Hi Kathleen, so happy that you will pass this on to your 18 year old “chef”! I’m glad you will let him/her know so that they can avoid the 4 blend pepper which very well may be one of the peppers used one day! I don’t know what FARE is, but I will google and share it with them! Btw, pass on my blog to your son or daughter, as I have so many step by step dishes (most are very healthy and made from scratch). Thank YOU! CC
Thank you for posting this. I will repost this on a facebook page I belong to (that is for “Parents with kids Allergic to Nuts”). Sometimes my dog has eaten peanuts that a neighbor has put out for the birds, and when she has licked my son he has developed hives. I will now look at the trees in my yard to see what type of berries they have.
Thank you for sharing, Sharon. Yes, that’s a good idea as they may have a pepper berry tree! Good luck to you son! CC
This is so important… I don’t think allergy doctors spend enough time on this topic either. My last allergist. ..eh. new allergist went over some stuff like what falls into same category and might cause reaction. You’d think this would be standard and maybe in handouts for people. Nobody wants to use the epi pen.
You are right, Danielle, it would be nice for this sort of information to be compiled somehow. Good luck to you, CC
Thank you for this very important info! I am a pre-school teacher and have had a few children over the years who have suffered from tree-nut allergies. I just passed this on to our director and also the head of our ECC, who happens to have 2 children with tree-nut allergies.
Wonderful, Tara!! Thank you for letting me know! CC
Thank you, Thank you for this information. My son has a anaphylactic reaction to cashews. I never would have thought!
Happy that you found this info, Melanie! Hope your son stays nut-free! CC
Christina-
Thank you so much for sharing this invaluable information! Like your daughter I have a tree nut allergy and am anaphylactic to multiple foods. Unlike your daughter I was diagnosed in my late 30s after going into anaphylactic shock at the office (yikes!). I am will be sharing this information with my followers. Thanks again!
Wow, that must have been shocking (no pun intended) to have happen in your 30s, Kate! Good luck to staying away from your allergens and so happy you found this info and will share with others! CC
Thank you for posting! Severe tree nut allergy here, too. Also cashews , almonds, basically any nut that grows on a tree or bush.
I wanted to mention a “hidden” allergen that I discovered the hard way. Shea butter is in many lotions and creams. Years ago I purchased a foot cream with the highest percentage of shea butter that I could find at Bath & Body Works. I slathered it on my feet that night and when I woke up the next day, I could hardly walk. I had very deep hives on the bottom of my feet for at least 2 weeks. Shea butter is derived from a shea nut. When I was looking for cloth diaper safe rash cream, sunscreen, and other baby lotions that are organic and natural, many of them contained shea butter. Hope my experience helps someone avoid potential problems!
Yes, Heidi! Unfortunately, my daughter had a similar experience to you, and also with a Bath and Body Works item! What really upset me is that we specifically asked for a product without any nuts, including shea butter, but the day after my daughter used the lotion on her face, she had a terrible rash. Obviously it had some form of a nut oil in it, probably shea butter. Thank you for posting here as others will probably read it and learn yet another danger to avoid! Thanks for stopping by!! CC
Thanks for sharing this. I passed it along to my niece who is allergic to tree nuts.
Did you know that fruits with pits, i.e. peaches, apricots, nectarines, cherries and plums are in the same family as the almond? My niece found this out the hard way after eating a nectarine several years ago and having a reaction. I’m not sure why it isn’t common knowledge. I even had a hard time finding an article to share to back it up. This one actually explains it pretty well.
http://home.allergicchild.com/top-8-tree-nuts/
You’re welcome, Lelia, and thank you for forwarding on the info to your niece. Yes, I do know that because my daughter’s pediatrician told me to get every nut product out of the house when she was first diagnosed with her nut allergy as she said if she’s allergic to hazelnuts, she’s probably allergic to all tree nuts. I told her she couldn’t be allergic to almonds as she ate them all the time in her Trader Joe’s cereal. So that’s when I discovered, by doing research, that almonds are related to stone fruits and are not actual nuts (even though many people who are allergic to nuts are ALSO allergic to almonds!) A woman in a bakery actually wanted to argue the fact that almonds are nuts; you can’t force people to believe facts. ;) Thank you for your comment! CC
Ditto the thank you- I have a son with tree nut allergies as well and I had no idea. After reading your article I did a quick search on the web. I found this article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3512604/ which says there haven’t been many reported cases of this kind of reaction from pink peppercorns. I am sure there are more cases like yours. Did you daughters allergist report this to the gov? I am hoping labels will start to give a tree nut warning on labels of product that contain this. Unsure of the process for this change?
Thanks, Danielle. I have no idea either, but have no idea how to go about reporting this to the government but will have to start with some research, I suppose. I think for many people, they probably never figured out what allergen caused the reaction. If I wouldn’t have found the Amazon review that day, I don’t think we would know what made her react that day. Thanks for your comment and I will look into reporting it to the FDA or whichever office will take the info. CC
Thanks very much for the warning that will be helpful to many people.
I wonder what to do about this:
‘People throw the word, “allergy” around so loosely, that it scares me.
‘It terrifies me that the waiter who is used to hearing guests order something “on-the-side” because they’re “allergic”, then sees them eating it anyway, won’t take allergies seriously anymore.
…
‘It worries me because there is no barometer to measure or communicate how serious an allergy is, so it’s completely open to interpretation, and it concerns me, because these things directly impact my daughter’s life and many others’, too.
‘Please be mindful of the impact that use of the word “allergy” can have.’
A little over a year ago, I had a skin prick panel done at UCSF and found that I’m allergic to: peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, lima beans, potatoes, peas, soy, cinnamon. (I had found I’m also allergic to raw apples through a previous skin prick test.)
Clearly these are much milder allergies than your daughter has — I didn’t even know about them. Furthermore, this is a lot of foods to avoid unless food is cooked specifically for me, so occasionally I do still eat them when at a restaurant or a party.
On the other hand, it’s not that I’m ‘throwing the word “allergy” around loosely’. The reason I had gone to the allergist is that I had a skin rash on my face that persisted for two months. It was red, itchy, and burning, and kept me up at night (though by the time I got an appointment with the allergist it had mostly resolved on its own). Also, when I stopped eating all these foods I noticed a persistent headache went away. Both of these problems still do sometimes flare up especially when I eat these foods.
In short, my allergies are not life-threatening, however they’re quite real. What would you suggest that I do?
Ruchira, you actually do have allergies, so of course you should tell waiters and people that you visit for dinner or whatever the dining situation is, that you are allergic to those foods. I am talking about people who say that they are allergic because they don’t like something; if you are truly allergic, you don’t ask for it “on the side.” This is the kind of person I am talking about: http://thebitchywaiter.com/2014/07/this-woman-lies-about-allergies-and-is-fine-with-it.html Hope this clarifies my post. Good luck with your allergies, any kind of allergy is terrible. Thanks for your comment. CC
Thank you for the clarification, Christina. Yes, i understand now what you are talking about.
Sorry, that link had some coarse language, I forgot to warn you, but it’s so very concise! :)
I also have a treenut allergy. I remember specifically the day when I felt like I could not breath. They took me to the doctors but since it subsided by the time I arrived at the office, they did not take it seriously. I can, for whatever reason, eat cashews and I have had Nutella (hazelnuts) as well peanuts. Walnuts, pecans, and almonds are my nemesis, especially raw. It has gotten to the point that items that are made at the same area as things with treenuts. I also get hives, severe heartburn, itching and sometimes the hard time breathing from the skin on apples and peaches. Nectarines have had me running to the bathroom to vomit. Yet, I can eat apples and peaches. I worry about the day that I will have the full fledged reaction as many of my friends have. I have had a similar reaction to your daughter at an Applebee’s restaurant from eating at a salad bar that claimed to be nut free.
Wow, how random and confusing these allergies can be, Holly! I am so sorry to hear of all your allergies. Good luck to you and I hope you never have to experience a full fledged reaction, ever!
Thank you so much for the info re the peppercorns. I had no idea. My daughter, a college sophomore, has a nut allergy as well as anaphylactic OAS. With these life threatening allergies, it is impossible to know which reaction will be the deadly reaction, so using the Epi pen, followed by a visit to the er and steroids to stave off a latent reaction, is definitely the safe thing to do.
Thanks, JJ-I definitely need to get more info on when to administer the epipen as we’ve obviously been very lucky so far. Thank you for your comment, CC
Thank you so much for this information! Your blog was shared on Facebook and I will again share it with my friends that have children with nut allergies.
I believe CETAPHIL lotion has macadamia nut oil in it – NO LABEL. So even some products that our children may put on their skin can cause a reaction. :-(
Thank you, Molly! Thanks for the notice on Cetaphil. My daughter has reacted to some lotions in the past, so that is very good to know! Thanks again! CC
Thanks for the notice. There’s an easier-to-use alternative to the EpiPen out now called Auvi-Q (http://www.auvi-q.com/) It fits in your pocket, talks you through the injection process, and the needle auto-retracts upon injection.
If pink peppercorn is in the cashew family, then it is not in the tree nut family. Cashews are not tree nuts (neither are coconuts, peanuts, etc). I understand if someone has a cashew allergy, but it is not a nut, so why not just label the cashew allergy separately? My nephew has a tree nut allergy (I had custody- got him the testing , etc), but he has no problems with peanuts, cashews, or coconut.
Honestly, I thnk it’s better to be safe than sorry Leah, because many tree nut allergy sufferers are also allergic to cashews (my daughter is). It’s the exact same thing with almonds and pine nuts; neither one are tree nuts and while my daughter can eat almonds, she is allergic to pine nuts. I’d rather have my daughter stay away from all of them than start picking and choosing and end up having an anaphylactic reaction. Many times, these “non-nuts” may have been cross-contaminated with real nuts, too. I’m glass your nephew isn’t allergic to other similar foods, and hope he stays safe. Thank you for stopping by. CC
Dear Christina , your article was a tremendous help. My daughter is 21 and just became an RN,With that said,back in February, while at college, she ate 2 kale chips from trader joes, they are made with cashew! She had to go in an ambulance,to the ER , and the emts used the epi pen,My point is, the older they get the harder it is to control, and they cannot get lax when it comes to trying new foods.This article was very helpful, we are foodies and eat out frequently.Hope my tip was helpful as well .
Oh no! That’s terrible, Andrea! Is it listed on the packaging or not? I must tell my daughter, but am very glad your daughter was okay. Yes, I’ve read that the most dangerous time for nut allergy sufferers is late teens and early twenties because they become less vigilant, and we are not there to guide them and remind them for every thing they put in their mouths. Yes, your tip was very helpful to me and hopefully to other readers as well! Thanks so much! CC
My mother chooses not to eat gluten or sugar, and it makes me furious when we’re in a restaurant and she tells them she’s “allergic.” Nothing bad will happen to her if she eats these things, but she uses the word “allergic” so be sure they “take her seriously.” Yet she’ll often take a bite of pasta, baked goods, etc. off of other people plates. No amount of my explaining to her that she shouldn’t do this has made her change. We discovered my son was allergic to tree nuts at age 3 when he grabbed an unmarked walnut cookie off the cookie bar at Whole Foods and took a bite. He went into anaphylactic shock. From that moment on, I don’t just tell people he’s allergic to nuts. I always say he’s anaphylactic to nuts, so people know it’s not just an imagined allergy.
Thank you for your comment, Tia. As you know from my post that I too, am so frustrated with the situation you described with your mother. Maybe if you have her read my post and explain to her that her actions are actually a serious threat to her grandson, the information may register with her? I love what you say about your son being “anaphylactic to nuts”! I am very concerned about my daughter going to restaurants alone (with friends) because she is quite meek about telling wait staff that she is allergic to nuts. I hope your mother realizes that her actions are truly a threat to people with real allergies, including your son, and changes her statement when eating out. Thanks again, and I wish your son a nut-free life!
Thank You so much for sharing. My daughter is allergic to cashews and I had no idea.
All these comments like yours are really making my day, as there is a good chance that a terrible incident can be avoided in future! Thank you for letting me know and you are SO welcome!! CC
Our son is severely allergic to cashews and we did not know this!!! Thank you so much for posting it!
So happy for you to get this information!! Good luck to your son, CC
Thank you so much for this information! Our son has anaphylactic allergies to tree nuts and this would never have occurred to me! Have you contacted the Food Allergy Network (FAAN)?
No Linda, I have not, but I will do so now that you’ve suggested it! Thank you so much! CC
Thank you for sharing this life saving information
You are welcome, Caroline! It makes me happy that you got the information! CC
Thank you so very much for your post. My Grandson has a severe allergy to nuts and my niece has posted this to Facebook and I will share. This is great information and I really appreciate it. No one knows how severe the nut allergy can be unless it is in your family. Thanks again.
You are totally correct, and I really appreciate you continuing to spread the word! Thank you Kathy! CC
Thank you for sharing! My son has an anaphylactic allergy to eggs and I know exactly how you feel when you go to a restaurant and the server says “I am pretty sure” or “we don’t put eggs in” or “I think it is safe but we don’t have any allergy menu or ingredient lists” I can’t count how many times we have walked out with out ordering because we could not be certain if he could be safe. I shared this with a friend who has an anaphylactic allergy to nuts.
I know, it’s absolutely terrible, Diane! Re: eggs, my cousins son in Scotland is now able to eat eggs after undergoing a homeopathic treatment program in Glasgow. He has been in the program for years, and is now 17 and was just given the okay for eating eggs, hidden or otherwise! Pretty amazing results. His brother is in the same program and should be able to eat eggs next year. Thank you for passing this info on to others with nut allergies! CC
I happened upon this post from a friend, and became much more intrigued when I noticed “pink peppercorns”.
Other countries have instituted restrictions that govern the use of certain substances in the manufacture of fragrance (perfumes, colognes, etc.). Substances such as oak moss have already been limited as to their inclusion and concentration in any fragrance in keeping with the recommendations, since it causes skin irritation on some people.. Purists have decried the move, which was originally done by certain segments of the industry due to skin reactions and the availability of synthetic compounds that don’t have the same effect.
My reason for bringing this up is the mention of “pink peppercorn”. It’s very widely used as a fragrance note in too many different scents to count, and perfumers like it because of the impact that it can have in a scent. It’s something useful to know in the event that anyone might have a transdermal reaction to the element. And frankly, perfumers are not going to tell you their trade secrets for what makes their scent different or why it smells so compelling, so you won’t find it listed on the back of a bottle as easily as you would on food or spice mixes.
Thanks for posting this.
Wow! Who knew? Thank you, Andrew, I hope others will read your comment here and also pass on this information. Although it’s not as life threatening in cologne, it still would be good to know that this can cause reactions, too. I appreciate your comment. CC
Thank you Christina for this information!! My young son has a severe peanut allergy and it is the most terrifying experience to go through….especially when you know it is life threatening. He has grown out of his tree nut allergy, but his peanut allergy is something we are managing everyday. Recently we had an experience with a hidden ingredient as well – expelled peanut oil. Expelled peanut oil is not listed in the allergens information of this particular tortilla chip that was served to my child. We discovered it was there when my son had a reaction and had to be administered 2 epi pens, steroids and a trip to the er….ugh! The er physician told me that the FDA is not required to list this information….scary!! To all those with a peanut allergy, let alone any other allergy , please be diligent and read all ingredients, plus the allergens listed. Stay safe and please pass to any who suffer from this!
That is absolutely inexcusable, Simone! What on earth is the FDA thinking not to have this information required when the outcome is what your son had to go through? These allergens are life-threatening, and if that’s how our government agencies treat them, no wonder people throw the word “allergy” around as if it’s no big deal. I am so sorry you son had this experience (as well as what you had to go through) and hope the labeling becomes more honest in future. Thank you and good luck! CC
I wholeheartedly agree that people who do not suffer from a true allergy should not be using the term, particularly in restaurants. My daughter is 3 1/2 and allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. Lots of helpful information in here but there’s something I’d like to clarify.
Does your daughter has a treatment plan in place? A list of symptoms by which the epipen should be administered (for ex, hives, no, vomiting, yes)? If she ingested an allergen and was throwing up, I would strongly recommend that she administer the epinephrine in that situation. Because she threw up the food doesn’t mean all of the allergen is out of her body.
Of course a teenager should be empowered to make her own health decisions but how a person feels in the moment is probably not a good way to determine treatment. There was a teenager who ingested peanuts at a camp in California a few years ago who felt fine initially and later died because they didn’t give her the epipen until too late.
Bottom line – no one ever died from an epipen shot. I’d love to see more clear information from allergy moms and folks with severe allergies (by that I mean any allergy that could result in anaphylaxis) so that there is less mystery and fear surrounding epinephrine.
Also, re: the comment above, I feel compelled to say (as others did) — there is no diet that cures allergies. Also, homeopathy is a treatment based on the magical belief that water has memory. The treatment for peanut allergies described in the NY Times article is based on science. There has been some success with the molecular treatment but my understanding is that it hasn’t worked for all kids. The research is still underway.
Thank you again for posting.
I just wanted to agree with what Jenny so eloquently wrote. In my opinion, a child shouldn’t have to decide how they feel in the moment, as to whether or not the EpiPen should be administered. Also, the wording “luckily…the use of the EpiPen was averted” concerns me because we don’t want people to be afraid of using this life-saving device when necessary. I have been told repeatedly that using the EpiPen when it is not needed will NOT harm the child, but not using it when it IS needed may kill the child.
I have read something similar recently and with the fact that my daughter will be going off to college next year, will definitely be meeting with a doctor, hopefully an allergy specialist to go over what to do in such a situation. It’s difficult because there actually are life-threatening issues that come with the use of an epipen if getting to the hospital immediately is an issue. There seems to be no “right” answer or easy fix for this horrid allergy and it’s repercussions from a reaction. Thank you so much to you and Jenny, I will take your advice, as there is just too much at stake.
Like you, I’m another concerned parent of a child with food allergies. All true food allergies have the potential for severe allergic reactions regardless of previous reactions. You can use the term severe if it makes you feel more confident, however food allergies must always be taken seriously. I want to note that sometimes action plans from doctors are ridiculous and unreliable, causing caregivers and sufferers to waste time counting symptoms! Though, I am also not sure a person would always know in enough time if they are in the process of a dreaded reaction. My understanding is when one is exposed to their allergen; epinephrine should be given. There are contraindications listed being that epinephrine raises the heart rate and that may effect people with heart and medication concerns. You should always read the inserts and speak with physicians. With that said many people have died from allergic reactions, because they have not gotten an epinephrine injection, or hadn’t gotten it in time to stop the reaction. With your daughter at college she definitely needs to be responsible for her care plan and I think that is great that you have empowered her in the past. I hope she can get the best information available and have a confidence that if she is ever exposed to an allergen she fears not the Epi-pen. After all, she will need to train her roommates and other friends. Here is a link to an online training course that gives great information doctors should be giving at diagnoses or follow up but often neglect http://www.epipentraining.com/ I really appreciate you sharing this information concerning the berries, we will take precautionary avoidance, and I have forwarded it to many as well. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your comment, Debra. I appreciate the epipen training link, as I never heard of it before, and you forwarding the post to others. Hoping for reaction free futures for everyone! CC
Christina—–In respond to Jenny that said ——– Bottom line – no one ever died from an epipen shot.— Well That’s not true! I remember reading a few years back a young girl died because her parents gave her two shots epinephrine and she died—thinking they did the right thing but finding out later she was allergic to the shot——I too am Allergic to Epinephrine and was told by two different Doctors to never use it as it would kill me —–I found out by having it administrated in me when I had my first born son –it was in the drug called Xylocaine they gave me before delivery and my reaction was so bad I almost died including having a anaphylactic reaction—–they gave me high doses of Benadryl to save my life and than again when I was at the dentist and the Dentist gave me Novacaine and couldn’t breath and again very scary!! And again they gave me Benadryl and that saved my life –SO I carry Dye Free Benadryl with me all the time –Can not have the Epipen as I am Allergic to the Epinephrine that is in it —-Novocaine and Xylocaine both have Epinephrine in it( I checked it out after my Doctors told me) I can Have Carbocaine when needed for dental work when going to my Dentists and that doesn’t brother me as that doesn’t have Epinephrine in it –so you not only have to watch out for Foods that are related but also Drugs/Medicines that are related and can cause you to react and not be able to breath and go a anaphylactic shock —-I have ALOT Of Allergies —– air born, food, dyes and meds allergies but also have been able to celebrate my 62 Birthday this year – In my family my Mother, Grand mother and now my grand daughter also have a lot of allergies –we don’t expect others to watch out for us –we always know what we are eating before we eat it –we make almost everything from scratch —-and when we go out to eat we usually go to the same places so we know its ok ——-If I told you how many things I have had reactions to –you probably wouldn’t believe me but those and my Doctors who know me know its true—our little grand daughter doesn’t have as many as me or my mother had but we have written them all down BUT to tell you the truth –it changes all the time as now I am allergic to even more foods than I ever was and the only way I usually find out is by have a BAD reaction to it –Hives, White tongue, and tongue starts to get large and puffy or anaphylactic—and everytime I have taken Benadryl and That’s what saved my life each time so far!! The Epipen is good for those that can take it but be sure before you give it to anyone they can have it and NOT allergic to it ——- what you think is helping could kill them —–I also wear a bracelet stating the meds and food that caused me to have the anaphylactic. So please educate yourself as much as you all can —and be sure you can have the Epipen before you take it –There are no cures for allergies –just educate yourself—–the only thing you can do is what I do and this is just my opinion but it has worked for me for many years and it is—– take care of your self and Prayers and when its our time its our time —–BLESSINGS!!!!
Jenny, in response to your question: no, we do not have a treatment plan. It has always been extremely vague to me in regards to when to actually give the epi-pen. Due to all these comments, I am going to take my daughter to an allergist (she has never seen one before, because we know she’s allergic to nuts) but I’d really like to know more about giving the shot. Thank you for your comment, this post has been very helpful to me, too! CC
Christina, my allergist tells me not to wait to give myself the epi-pen. She said the times she gets emergency calls from or about a patient are usually when they have waited too long or not given the epi-pen and when they do not call an ambulance and go to the hospital after the epi-pen (no matter how I feel). I recently learned about having secondary reactions hours or days after the initial reactions.
My daughter had anaphylaxis 9 days ago. When she asked me to administer her EpiPen, I thought, “really, already, she doesn’t look that bad”. Like I knew better than her (she’s 26 years old). I gave it to her, we called 911 and she went to the ER. She did so much better this time than she did the first time she reacted because she got the EpiPen so quickly. She has tree fruit allergies as well, plus a gluten intolerance. The gluten issue is often more difficult because gluten is so hard to avoid. Sometimes she just throws up because of gluten so we are not always sure if its gluten or anaphylaxis.
Also, I had told her that if she ever is out and is feeling sick that she must keep someone with her, not to go off to the bathroom by herself. She could die if she was alone. Well, we were at a wedding when she had that reaction and she came to me and asked me to come with her, she wasn’t feeling well. Then the anaphylaxis happened.
I think it’s really important to tell our kids (or adults!) not to be alone. If they are starting to feel like they are having a reaction or just plain not feeling well, they need to get a friend or family member and tell them and ask them to stay.
Came back to check and see if you responded and I see others have raised the same issue. I’m really glad to hear that you’re bringing her to an allergist. My experience with pediatricians has been that they don’t usually have the expertise in this area to give you the right advice. I think you’ll both feel much more confident with a treatment plan in place.
Thanks, Jenny! I’ve already taken her for her first appointment and we’re going back on Thursday for her to be tested. I think he’s really good, and I already feel better! CC
Christina,
First, thank you so much for sharing this information. As the parent of a child with a cashew allergy, this will be added to my list of things to look for on labels/menus/etc.
As I’ve skimmed this thread, I am so glad to hear that you are taking your daughter in for testing. Our preschooler had an anaphylactic reaction to a cashew when she was 2.5 yrs old – terrifying. Luckily, her pediatrician is wonderful and scheduled a full allergy panel of tree nuts and mango (at my request, after reading about their relationship to cashews). This is how we learned that she also has a severe allergy to pistachios…but she is fine with all other nuts and mango. Without testing, you just never know.
I’d also echo what several other readers posted: our doctor has been VERY clear that if we are ever in doubt about whether to use the Epi Pen, use it. If we use it unnecessarily, it will not hurt her. But if we don’t use it fast enough, it could have incredibly serious consequences.
Best wishes as you learn more about your daughter’s allergies.
Thank you for your comment, Jackie. Yes, it is better to have more information and I also wish your daughter the best of luck in avoiding any reactions in future! Take care, CC
I can not thank you enough for this post. Like you I was unaware my child had a severe nut allergy until I was faced with calling 911 to save his life one morning after I made pancakes with almond meal in it. People use and abuse the “allergy” label to justify being a picky eater while I am going from place to place asking about what oil they use to fry food in, do they toast nuts in the oil and on and on. I carry around an epi-pen like I do my phone; never far from my hands. I had NO idea about these peppercorns and truly thank you. We had an incident last week when a BBQ place swore their food was nut free but my son reacted to the bread they severed. Thanks for speaking up!
You are so very welcome, but there is no need to thank me as I’m so elated to hear more and more nut allergy sufferers becoming aware of the pink pepper berries being allergens for them as well. Yes, I’m sure you can relate, when people claim they are “allergic” when all they are is picky…not fair at all, and they jeopardize our children’s lives by doing this. I truly believe that. Good luck to you and I wish your son a nut free future! CC
My daughter (9) is also allergic to tree nuts. She recently had two reactions (severe hives and scratchy throat for her) to what we believe were cherries. Apparently cherries and other stone fruits are related to almonds. She’s heartbroken since she loves cherries, but those reactions were enoug to acare her. The next step for bus is more testing of all stow fruits.
Here’s an interesting fact: almonds are not nuts. As you said, almonds are related to stone fruits, but some nut allergy sufferers are also allergic to almonds, like your daughter. I’m so sorry she is allergic to stone fruits too, if that is truly the case. It is horrible to have an allergy, but so hard especially for kids to have to give up a food they love. Wishing you the best, Christina
Just FYI: Mango is related to cashew as well; the mango seed and the cashew nut are very chemically similar. My 11yo daughter is anaphylactic to cashew and pistachio, and all other tree nuts make her intensely uncomfortable (although she doesn’t, thank goodness, actually stop breathing with those).
Wow, that’s good to know, Jenn! I think my daughter has eaten mango before, but will make sure to tell her this, as it’s better to be safe than sorry! Thank you so much for the information. Good luck to your daughter, and it’s great that other nuts don’t actually make her go into anaphylactic shock. Take care, CC
Thank you for this info. I am passing it onto my sister-in-law who is severely allergic to nuts. I am sorry that you had to find out the hard way, but glad your daughter was able to overcome the incident. I wish all allergens were readily available to consumers on every product, even less common allergens like blue cheese. I know it is a weird allergy but a lot of people who are severely allergic to molds have that allergy and may not even know it. I have to read every box label whenever I go grocery shopping and there is a new product or newer recipe of a product I previously bought because of the blue cheese allergy.
Thank you so much for passing the information on, and for your kind comment. I didn’t even know about mould allergies! Goodness, so many things we don’t know. I agree, I wish it was all there in black and white! Good luck with your allergy and thanks so much for commenting! CC
WOW! Thank you so much for posting!! I’m going to bring this to the Walt Disney World’s special diets attention. They have the best trained chefs on the planet, but some may not know about this.
Thank you so much for posting!
Great idea, Lizzie! Thank you very much, the more chefs know, the less incidences there will be! CC
Thank you for the commentary on the seriousness of allergies. My son is anaphylactic to dairy products – one M&M is deadly. Often when he tells someone that he is allergic, they respond by suggesting he take a lact-aid – clearly not understanding the significance of an allergy vs an intolerance. I will be sharing this forward – good luck.
Yes Lise, it is so difficult sometimes, when people have not had any experience with allergies. Maybe this post will help them to understand it better. I think I get my frustration across. Good luck and thanks for letting me know you’ll be sharing! :) CC
I am also very allergic to milk and as an adult people try to suggest the l act – aid pills, they don’t understand how bad of a reaction it causes.
I know Jessica, if they are uninformed, they just cannot relate to your allergy. Do you explain the difference between an intolerance and an allergy to them? CC
I do try to explain but they still give me a hard time. I’m also very allergic to ginger it turns out. on top of other things. thank you for taking the time to make sure people are informed. I’m a nanny for a family with nut allergies, the mom heard this today, so now she’s going to check to keep her kids safe
I completely understand. Sometimes I feel I get further talking to the wall than some people when explaining things about severe allergies :( Glad you passed on the info for the kids you watch! Every single time someone else learns of this danger, I feel we are potentially saving more lives! Thank you, Jessica!
THANK YOU so very much for this info. I have a 13 year old daughter who is allergic to tree nuts, specifically cashews and pistachios…need to go home and clean out my spices!!! I will be passing the word along as well.
Great, Amy! SO glad you found this post! Make sure to ask at restaurants too. Thanks for commenting and letting me know, I appreciate it! Good luck to you and your daughter! CC
I know what you mean about allergies not being taken seriously — I’m allergic to milk, but all that means is it makes my nose run (and gave me constant ear infections, clogged ears _and a speech impediment due to not hearing properly as a young child) so I usually say “mildly allergic.” And a friend brushed off my daughter’s allergy to fresh ( but not dried or cooked) pineapple as, oh, it made her mouth tingly because it’s acidic. But we take allergies very seriously, or at least ask others how serious it is, b/c I do have friends with severe nut allergies. I’ll definitely pass this info on.
I completely understand, Miriam. What’s really important to realize too, is that sometimes the allergy will worsen with each subsequent exposure. So your daughter’s current allergy to pineapple could get even worse, so why not avoid it and not take a chance. I have had friends question my daughter’s allergy and say things like, “Well, my family doesn’t have any allergies.” as if I requested an allergic child when I was pregnant! Education is key…thanks for spreading the information! CC
I have a similar allergy to mangoes as your daughter has to pineapples. I’m very allergic to the tree (hives upon contact, respiratory reaction just being near), and the skin of the mango contains an oil that triggers my allergy. So if the mango has been peeled and cooked (by someone else, obviously), it doesn’t bother me. The more processed it is, the less I react. The “tingly mouth” is my first warning that something’s not right, and it’s a bad idea to ignore it.
I have a peanut allergy, and was amazed to hear a (TV) physician state that it was perfectly safe for a person with a peanut allergy to eat food fried in peanut oil because the allergen was not present in the “refined” oil. Allergens are most commonly proteins, and it is impossible to completely remove them from oils due to chemical bonding. That Nationally televised “advice” could potentially be deadly. Fortunately, my reaction is not severe at this point, but I cannot handle or cook with peanut products without itching and/or breaking out in hives.
Wow! That is really scary, Claire! Misinformation like that is deadly. Good luck and hope you avoid everything peanut, always! CC
The FDA and the soy corp. say the same thing with soy oil yet there are plenty of people (me included) that are allergic to it. Rarely do you find a label that considers soy oil an allergen.
Actually my daughter’s allergist told us the same thing. He said the refined peanut oil is so processed that there isn’t protein left in the oil. He also said that peanut oil from a health food store on the other hand would cause a reaction. She was a toddler when we were there, but she has only had hives so far from peanuts/peanut butter. We still avoid peanuts and carry an epi pen though.
Watch out for Duncan Hines mixes. They are processed near tree nuts but they don’t state it on the label. The brownies my son ate, we are lucky he is alive. These companies need to be accountable, this is something that could kill someone. Crasins are another product with sunflower oil and they don’t state in in the ingredients. Another product I stay clear of.
Thanks for posting this, Claire. I stay clear of all packaged and processed mixes for this and other reasons (multiple ingredients I do not want my family ingesting). You’ve reminded me that I do not have a brownie post on my blog. I need to rectify that! Thank you for stopping by! CC
Wow! I am allergic to sunflower seeds and had been wondering why snacking on craisins was bothering my throat. I really hate when it is hard to figure out what the ingredients are. I am also allergic to nutmeg and corn(fortunately I do not seem to react with small amounts of corn syrup), making processed food a nightmare.
THANK YOU for this important share!!
You are so incredibly welcome, Alexandra! Please pass on the info to others :) CC
I’m sharing this all around today. Six months after your original post, it’s still making its way around :) My husband is tree nut allergic, and I have many friends whose children are as well. Thank you so much!
Thank YOU, Sayre, for sharing! I’m so glad you found this post! Take care, CC
Thank you so much! A friend shared this with me and I am sharing with others. My daughter has nut allergies and we have done as well as we can to avoid it all, but sometimes there is a reaction seemingly out of nowhere, even though there is no warning on the label. It’s so scarey! And more than likely it’s due to some vague detail like this. I swear nothing has increased my prayer life like parenting a child with nut allergies! :)
Angela, I am right there with you! My daughter is in England without me right now and it’s been one of the hardest things to realize I can’t always be there in case something happens. I’m so happy you learned this information and now can be more careful to ask in restaurants if this pepper is being used, and in turn educate the chefs for future patrons! Thank you for letting me know and I hope your daughter never has a reaction, ever again. :) Christina
Thank you so much for this information! My “daughter-in-love” passed this on to me because my grandson has a nut allergy. We both love to cook and we have this pepper blend in our kitchens! I will be cleaning it out today! As precious as my grandson is, I can only imagine what you went through with your daughter! God bless you and your family and thanks again for this info!
What a sweet comment! Thank you, Angie! God bless you and your family too, and now that your pepper blend will be out of your kitchens, it’s one less accident waiting to happen! So happy that you were made aware of this. Keep passing on the information! Thank you again! Christina
We discovered the same thing about two years ago when my daughter had a reaction to a bison burger that she ate at Ted’s Montana Grill. We couldn’t figure out why until we learned that Ted’s uses a pepper spice blend that includes pink peppercorns. My daughter is anaphylactic to cashews so we always ask now whether there are pink peppercorns in the food item. Certainly not enough people know about this, so it was good to see your post.
Best –
Amy
Glad to hear that your daughter was okay after being exposed to these berries, but yes, very few people, restaurants and chefs are aware of this allergen. Thank you so much for writing to let me know, I really appreciate it! :) CC
my son is also allergic to tree nuts. He was retested this year for allergies and his doctor decided to test him for sesame seed allergy as well. He said children who have tree nut allergies are also showing sensitivity to sesame seeds. sure enough he tested positive for sesame seed allergy. Maybe this could be an explanation for one of these people who had a mystery reaction.
WOW! Four of six of us in my immediate family have life threatening peanut & tree nut allergies-myself included. We’ve been managing the allergies and living nut free for over a decade. That said, I had NO idea about pink pepper berries being that closely related to cashews. I’ve personally experienced mystery reactions after dining out that I’ve never been able to track down. Thank you si much for sharing the information, Christina!
Oh I am so happy to hear that you read my post, Kirsten! I have a feeling that a little grating of that 4 blend pepper could have been the culprit to your mystery reactions. Thank you for letting me know that you read this and I’m sure will be passing on the info everywhere you go! Stay safe! CC
Christina thank you for sharing this very important information.
My 22 year old son is very allergic to Peanuts and Tree Nuts and has been since he was a toddler.
Last year he participated in The Peanut Desensitization Program at New England Food Allergy Treatment Center in West Hartford Ct. Anyone who has a food allergy or knows someone who does should check out their website.
That’s wonderful, Janet! I hope this treatment becomes more widely available for all allergy sufferers. I’m glad you found this information so that your son can make sure to avoid these berries. Thank you so much for letting me know, it makes me happy each time I get one more comment that someone has passed on the information to another allergy sufferer! :) CC
This is crazy!! I sent right away to my sister who has a severe allergy to nuts. I had no idea about the pink pepper corns and cant wait to hear from her if shes heard this or had and weird unexplanable allergies to foods. Im just glad I dont cook for her because I have a pepper blend that has those in it!! THANK YOU!!
Wow! I too am glad you haven’t cooked for your sister using the pepper blend! Someone also commented that they’d made a rub for friends using the four blend pepper and the person who is allergic to nuts got called in to work and when she came home, her family had finished the roast…thank God! So scary to think of what could happen in these situations. You are more than welcome, Julie! This is exactly the reason that I wrote this post: to get the information out to nut allergy sufferers. Thanks for passing it on and letting me know about your sister! :)
Lots of hugs from another food allergy mom! This is especially scary, becuase Disney is the gold standard for accommodating diners with food allergies and my son absolutely loves going there. Two of his non “Big 8” allergies are to garlic and cumin, and I have had to give up essentially ALL commercial herbs and spices due to cross contamination. I also have to call every single food manufacturer who lists “spices”, “seasonings”, or “flavors” on their ingredient label.
Thank you for writing this, and I will be happy to share the post!
Thank you, Libby and hugs back to you! I can’t even imagine having multiple allergies to cope with, but am so happy that you have learned about pink peppercorns and will be passing it on! Love to hear the news spread as I’m sure it will help someone, sometime in future. Thank you for sharing, I really appreciate it! xx
I friend emailed me this blog. My daughter has no documented allergies but became severely anaphylactic after eating Ragu pasta sauce. It was difficult to get ingredients from the company because of propriety information. They finally disclosed the info to her doctor but it left me with no answers. It is very difficult to be taken seriously when you say your daughter had anaphylaxis but unsure of what the ingredient was. You have given me hope that in time it will come to light. I also am now afraid of unknown herbs and spices in products….because I do not know if there was cross contamination etc. I was told by the doctor to just avoid the product but the chemist back ground in me is just not satisfied with that answer. Good luck and Ty for sharing.
That is really scary, Janae! It was bad enough not knowing what my daughter reacted to this one time, but not knowing all together would be worse! Good luck, I hope you do find out what it was, and in the meantime, check out my Quick Pasta Sauce recipe here on my blog, and you won’t ever need Ragu. Thanks for your comment and good luck to you, too!
Libby, FYI, Rainforest Cafe is not a Disney-owned restaurant.
That is correct, AT. Thank you for clarifying. CC
As a fellow FA mom, thank you for the information. The only thing I would suggest, never apologize for educating people about FA.
You are right, Stacy! Thank you, and I’m so happy that the word is spreading about his relatively unknown allergen. CC
[…] to the conscientious effort of Christina who writes Christina’s Cucina blog, I now have important allergenic information to […]
Thank you so much for posting this information! I have multiple food allergies, and cashews has become one of my most severe. I agree with what you said about throwing the word “allergy” around and how it impacts those with severe allergies. I am glad to know of another hidden food to avoid.
Elated that you found this, Erin! Truly, people who do not have experience with life-threatening allergies cannot imagine the impact that gaining such information can have on an allergy sufferer. I wish you many, many allergen-free days ahead. CC
What a scary incident for you with your daughter at Disney and you not there with her! we are headed to Disney in September and your information is so helpful as my youngest has a tree nut allergy and most server to cashews! I will share this info on my FB page today! Thank you!
It was the Rainforest Cafe, Brenda, in case you go there. Thank you for sharing and have a lovely time when you go in September! CC
Hi, it is interesting information, and I’m glad your daughter is okay. FYI, Rainforest Cafe is not a Disney-owned restaurant. Many people feel that Disney restaurants are superb at handling food allergies while this is unfortunate, Rainforest is not a Disney owned business.
My daughter is also allergic to cashew and I will ask our allergist about this when we see her next. Did you call your allergist for his/her opinion? I’m curious as to his/her advice on your situation.
I should have said, it is unfortunate that Rainforest Cafe had this incident, but they are not owned by Disney.
Thanks so much Christina about this important information. My son who is almost 13 yrs. is severely allergic to Peanuts and cashews. I would have never known about this. It makes me wonder now how many other things have these hidden ingredients. Thanks again.
So happy that you came across this post, Bonnie! This is my goal, to reach those directly affected and hopefully save them from going through what my daughter went through, or even worse. I too wonder the same thing, about how many other nut related foods are out there unknown to us. Thank you for letting me know you saw this, I appreciate it and hope you will spread the word. :) CC
Thank you! I had NO idea about this, and I am quite on top of these things! I will pass this along!
Great, Jeni!! So glad you saw this and thanks for passing it on! CC
I imagine the chef is also forever grateful.
Most likely, yes Mary, I agree. CC
Thank you so much! Our son is 15 yrs old and has a anaphlaxis allergic to tree nuts. We also have had mystery reactions and now I know why! Your description of anaphylaxis was everything we have experiences. Please know it has gotten better for us. My son is a amazing advocate for himself. Today we were at a wedding, where he had a great time because he ate before we left and socialized rather than risk a reaction. Good luck to your family and thanks for sharing
Good to know, DE, and I’m glad you found this information so your son can avoid these berries and sumac in future! CC
You should look into the Gaps diet, which can HEAL IgE allergies, or lessen their severity. I now this goes agains ALL information from a conventional (allopathic) Doctor or allergist, but it’s totally true. Also, if you are interested and want to hear firsthand stories from Mommies helping their children kick this and other issues to the curb, join GapsKids on FB and start asking questions. Do a search to look up stories previously written (magnifying glass on upper R side of the page). It’s a serious commitment, but you can have hope, and no longer fear this kind of thing. Good Luck!
Nothing heals systemic allergies. Sometimes they result in anaphylaxis, sometimes they don’t but they can’t be healed. Misinformation like this kills people.
Actually, I had severe environmental allergies from nearly birth until my mid 20s. So severe that the allergist finally gave up on me, after throwing me into an anaphylactic reaction for the 20 th time in my life, after shots. Out of desperation, I tried something suggested by my Chiro called NAET. The treatments are not invasive and involve resetting the energy meridians in the body, while holding a vial of the allergens (in a specific order), then avoiding that substance for 24 hours. It makes no sense as to why it worked. But it did! For the first time in my life, I wasn’t having to eat Tylenol sinus like candy to take care of the symptoms my allergy meds didn’t! I was able to get off all allergy medicine! So I would call that CURED!
Nonsense – you may call it cured, I call it a placebo effect. It is exactly this same nonsense that drives people away from real medicine and viable treatment options and into the arms of quacks, con men and frauds.
Actually, Stanford has healed children with peanut allergies, and my cousins’ sons have gone for treatment at a homeopathic clinic in Glasgow and had many of their allergies treated, so I know first hand that allergies can be treated, of course this is all done under proper doctors’ care. The NY Times calls this treatment new, but my relatives started treatment in Glasgow over 10 years ago which is the exact treatment outlined in this article in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/magazine/can-a-radical-new-treatment-save-children-with-severe-allergies.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Hi,
I also had this awful discovery first hand (was diagnosed allergic to tree nuts but then ate these by mistake without realising)
Just so you know I have also discovered that Sumac (middle eastern spice ) that is becoming fashionable is also part of the same family, and when tested, I was also found to be severely allergic, so avoid this as well.
Thank you SO MUCH for that added information!! SO important to spread these facts as they can potentially save lives! I am telling my daughter right now.
Sumac is in the Genus Rhus, which also includes Poison Ivy. (In fact some species of Sumac are so genetically close to Poison Ivy that the two cross-pollinate & produce viable offspring.) So normally you want to stay away from Poison Ivy anyway, but be aware that if your daughter might be hyper-sensitive to it.
Also be away that “Rhus” is a common botanical used in homeopathic & herbal muscle pain treatments.
Thank you, Rachel! I was just talking to someone about Sumac today. Being from Michigan, I remember hearing “poison sumac” so I was surprised to hear it used as a spice and wondered it is was from the same plant. Especially good to know about the Rhus being used in ointments for muscle pain. I will tell my daughter so she looks for it. I appreciate your advice. CC
Thanks for this post! I am severely allergic to tree nuts, as well as peanuts and sesame, and I didn’t know the pink peppercorn was related … I would never have guessed it! We have some pepper trees in the landscaping at work, and I’ve never had any problems, but then I don’t think I’ve ever touched the berries, either. Now I’ll be sure to avoid them!
Very happy for you to have seen this post! Yes, better just to avoid them, even though you may not react, but you never know. Thanks for stopping by. CC
Thanks, Christina! This is really a surprise and such important information. I will be telling everyone I know. ~ David
Thank you, David! I appreciate that so much! CC
So sorry about your Daughter, So glad she is ok! Fantastic Piece! Thanks so much for the Great information!! I will surely pass this around everywhere!!
Thank you so much, Laurie!!!
Great post Christina, I found out about pink peppercorn being in the tree nut family by accident and found it so disturbing that the information is not included in pepper mixes. There has to be a disclaimer regarding this the results can be deadly. Very sorry about your daughters allergic reaction but very happy that everything is alright,
Yes! That’s why I contacted Penzey’s Spices and other spice companies, but I doubt one phone call will make a difference (even though it should).
Thank you! My two year old is allergic to tree nuts (as well as soy, peanut, egg, chickpea and sesame). It’s especially scary because she can’t verbalize when she’s having a reaction
Oh my! I can’t even imagine that many allergies when tree nuts are bad enough on their own. I hope she outgrows all of them! So glad you have this information now!
That IS scary.
That IS scary. Maybe you can develop a system using pictures.
Hi Christina,
I am sorry that you had to learn the hard way about this information. I can imagine how this must have been for you and your daughter. I never had this problem happen to my son when he was young or anyone that I know, but you are 100% correct that many people have no idea when they say they are allergic. I am also an advocate for leaving a review online of anything that you purchase. That is the first thing I look at when I am thinking of purchasing a product from food, to lamps.. That was good that the chef realized the full impact of this problem. I am glad that your daughter is well, but she will be more aware now that she knows what to look for. Great post…sometimes we don’t always need a recipe, information is a recipe as well, if you think about it… Blessings to your family…
Dottie :) PS good luck on the Homie awards, I am not going as far as you…Hope that you get into the “five”…
Thank you for your kind words, Dottie, I truly appreciate them. Christina
I am so sorry you had to learn things in such way.. I can only imagine how it feels. And who would have knows that pepper can also be so dangerous, this is definitely very important and useful information. Thanks!
Thank you, Medeja…yes, you never know when it could help someone.
Wow so scary but so good to know with all the nut allergies.. Praying for your daughter, I couldn’t imagine!
Thank you so much, Serena! She’s off to college next year…wish she could outgrow the allergy. CC
HI Christina,
thank you so much for you post about this. My son, now 23, has had peanut allergies and tree nut allergies since he was 4 too. (same kinda thing…Christmas candy!…scariest thing ever). Just want to encourage your daughter to talk to the food services people at school herself about what she needs. At Matthew’s school one day they forgot to label one of the sauces and it meant a trip to the hospital. Matthew has learned not to eat any sauce that’s mustard colored unless he’s absolutely sure!
thanks again!
Great post. Nut allergies are a terrifying subject and hopefully this will help spread the work on pink peppercorns!
Yes, they are, Alanna. Thanks for speeding the word! CC
Wonderful post, Christina, I’m so sorry you had to go through all this…my nephew is also deathly allergic to tree nuts, I’m going to forward this to my sister, thanks for the great info!
So sorry to hear your nephew is also allergic, but so glad to get the info out to your sister who I’m sure will share it with others with nut allergies, etc. Thank you, Sue! CC
Gread info, Christina! I’ve sent this along to my cousin (who happens to be a chef) whose son is allergic to nuts. Thanks for sharing.
Angela
That’s the kind of comment I was looking for…passing on the info to those who are directly affected!! Thanks, Angela!
Thank you for passing on this information and I will as well. It is truly terrifying to have a child with a life threatening allergy, only made worse by the ‘ignorance’ of others. I have family members who do not take my child’s allergies seriously, you are so on point that people need to stop throwing the term “allergy” around just because they don’t like a food. Thank you again.
Thank you for this! I too am allergic to tree nuts and had a friend forward this to me. Cashews and Walnuts are the worst for me so this could have been dangerous. Thank you for following up with the company, I am sure you have saved someone’s life.
Very happy to know you got this information, Denise! I can only hope this has helped save at least one person’s life or even one person from having a scary reaction! Thanks for letting me know you found this and hope you pass it on to others. :) CC
I agree. Just because you don’t like a food doesn’t mean you’re allergic to it. Allergies are serious. One can have a sensitivity or intolerance to something like gluten, but does that person get a serious, life-threatening, reaction, like anaphylaxis, or hives, rash, or itch?
Yes. Celiac is that serious. It may not risk death with one exposure, but it can have longer lasting effects than a rash.
If I am exposed to gluten in the air or a small bit of cross contamination, maybe I’m only sick for the rest or the day with cold symptoms, but more than a few strains of the protein can give me asthma, crippling headaches, chronic fatigue, skin blistering, depression, and suicidal thoughts. The last time I was exposed (by a waiter on purpose, they settled out of court), I had these symptoms for 6 weeks after I are two bites.
How about those of us in the food allergy and food allergy adjacent communities build each other up instead of trying to reduce the other as not as serious? That’s why I avoid the word intolerance and use the medically inaccurate “allergy” to describe my celiac or dairy protein that causes severe migraines intolerance reactions. Because no one takes intolerances seriously, while the only difference is the risk of anaphylaxis. Other than that, the symptoms range from mild to severe.
Emma, I’m sorry you feel I was saying celiac is not serious, but as you yourself stated in your first sentence, you will not die with one exposure or one bite, but my daughter will. Please understand the seriousness of knowing that one taste, not even swallowing sometimes, can mean death. Although your symptoms are serious, none of them include dying within minutes. I want everyone to realize the severity of anaphylaxis, that’s all.
It’s a sad comment on society if people will only take something seriously if a person risks death with one exposure. Completely apart from any health issues, what about personal autonomy? People should have control over their own bodies, therefore they should have full freedom to decide what they do or do not eat, and consequently they have every right to know what’s in their food, period. I find it irritating sometimes when I ask whether something’s in the food and the server asks “why are you asking?” Why are they asking why am I asking, so they can lie to me or just make something up if it’s not life-threatening?
I completely agree, Ruchira. We absolutely should have the right to know what’s in our food, however as was shown last year, here in California, we voted NOT to know, if you can believe it! I personally didn’t vote that way, but was dumbfounded when it did not pass! People just don’t realize, and more importantly, don’t want to know about our food sources. It truly is sad.
And I don’t think that the way to educate people into taking anaphylaxis seriously involves trying to draw a line in the sand between how cautiously food service people should take my condition and your daughter’s condition. Last time I was exposed I had constant suicidal thoughts for the first week after exposure. I had to keep telling myself that the thoughts were created by my condition. And this will happen with every exposure. Imagine what could happen to a person who is depressed for other reasons?