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.
Originally published February 20, 2014
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 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. Denisa 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.
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. Sometimes there’s a death, instead of a happy ending. My daughter was incredibly fortunate.
PRINT THIS FOR TRAVELING WITH NUT ALLERGIES!
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 had 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 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 what 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 (who have still done nothing to label the warning 5 years later!) 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!
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.
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, my daughter included. However, there are others whose allergies are even worse than hers. Think about the nuts being consumed in planes; it’s frightening.
UPDATED 10/19: I flew Norwegian airlines for the first time in June and was horrified at the filthy condition of the floor, including peanuts! I gave them another try this past week and guess what? The same conditions! Do they never clean their planes? This is unacceptable, especially for nut allergy sufferers!
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 so many others’, too.
Finally, please be mindful of the impact that use of the word “allergy” can have.
UPDATE: my daughter attended Villanova University which has a “no nut” policy, which we didn’t discover until after we placed our deposit! I was elated. If you are concerned about your child going off to university with a nut allergy, besides being a top university, Villanova takes allergies extremely seriously. She graduated without an incident at the dining halls and restaurants.
pink peppercorns
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