I am not in favor of using peanut oil or any other oil made from a substance to which you’re allergic. This sounds obvious, but it’s actually a controversial topic, since conflicting information exists saying that highly refined oils are GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe).
The Food Allergy Initiative says that “peanut protein is found in cold pressed, expressed, expelled, and extruded peanut oils. Highly processed peanut oil has been shown to be safe for the vast majority of individuals allergic to peanut. As the degree of processing of commercial peanut oil may be difficult to determine, avoidance is prudent.” You can read the full article by clicking here.
Also on the subject of peanut oil, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) states that “people with allergies to peanut can also experience reactions to the oil.” The full article can be read here (Update January 2012 – unfortunately AAAAI has removed that page). It should be noted that AAAAI also stated in the article that people allergic to soy can react to soybean oil.
In conclusion, in order not to expose yourself to your allergen, it’s best not to consume oils made from that allergen. Here is the allergy facts page from www.planters.com, which was prepared in conjunction with the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN): http://planters.com/nutsandnutrition/articles/allergyfacts.aspx#a11 The safety of peanut oil is not addressed at all on that page.
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A little girl in Chicago just died in December from eating Chinese food cooked in peanut oil. So, yeah, avoid that crap!
That’s good to know. Chik-fil-A recently told us that their peanut oil has all the allergens removed but I wasn’t about to try it out on my severely allergic 4yo.