Process may cut peanut products' allergy potential

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kleenex

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http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=8709248

Fermentation is a biochemical process in which microorganisms break down a substance into simpler ones, such as when yeast is used to form alcohol from sugar. Many foods, from beer and wine to yogurt and soy sauce, are fermented.

Now researchers have discovered that a special fermentation process can cut levels of major allergy-triggering proteins in peanut flour by up to 70 percent. The hope is to refine the processing method to the point where it can render the culprit proteins completely non-allergenic, according to Dr. Jianmei Yu, one of the researchers on the study.

This is some great news.
 
This is wonderful news - my youngest daughter (9) is severely allergic to peanuts and has to carry an epinephrine syringe (epipen) everywhere she goes in case she has a reaction to something. It's so bad that she could die if she doesn't get the injection within a few minutes. It affects our whole lives - some people just don't understand how serious these allergies can be, and we have to be very careful who we trust with her care, at Birthday Parties, camp etc. Halloween, Valentines and Easter are very difficult times for us - about 95% of the chocolate based holiday candy will have peanut allergy warnings on, and isn't safe for her. It's a truly a nightmare searching the shelves for safe things for her...Try buying granola bars or similar school snacks for a peanut-allergic child....

Peanut shows up in the most unlikely of places - even in stuff like canned turkey stew - so we have to check everything we buy. Companies change their recipes often, so we also have to check the ingredients on things she has been eating safely previously. Bakeries can use the same baking pans to cook peanut products, then non-peanut products without scrubbing the pans (they use paper liners, but just a tiny crumb of peanut will cause a reaction). Ice-Cream parlours use the same scoops for peanut and non-peanut ice-creams....donut shops use the same tongs. She can even have a reaction from poorly cleaned table tops, or play equipment that another kid has used after eating PB & J sandwiches....

The recent increase in use of (cheaper) peanut flour in products has increased the problem for us. They are substituting peanut flour in quite a few of the products that were previously safe for my daughter to eat :(

My daughter is lucky - peanuts are easy to avoid in comparison to things such as milk proteins, which also cause severe reactions in many people. Whenever she get's down about her allergy, I just tell her that it could be worse - she could be allergic to milk.

Anything that helps with this problem is very welcome!

Paint.
 
Peanuts are not true nuts they are legumes . Be careful as my son has the same allergy and is also affected by chick peas, peas and lentils .
 

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