Tree Nut Allergy

General Guidelines for Food Allergies

An allergy-free diet avoids all food you are allergic to. The food you are allergic to is called an allergen. Even tiny amounts of allergens can be life-threatening.

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) is a law that requires food makers to list common food allergens on food labels in simple terms. Food allergens that must be listed are: milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy. All food must be labeled. The law does not have rules for labeling foods that may contain or may have touched an allergen. This can make it hard to know if the food is safe. If you do not know what is in the food, do not give it to your child. It can be helpful to call the company that makes the food. Ask them how they prepare their product and ask if there is a chance it may contain or have come in contact with the food your child is allergic to.

Try to prepare baked goods, sauces, soups, and casseroles “from scratch” yourself as often as you can. The Food Allergy Network (1-800-929-4040 / www.foodallergy.org) has many good and easy to make allergy free recipes that will give your child many safe food choices. They also will let you know if the food company has changed their products or if they have things that are not listed on their labels. Always read the label on each food each time you buy it. Call the company that makes the food if you are not sure what is in their product.

How to Read a Label for a Tree Nut Free Diet

AVOID foods that contain any of these ingredients:

• almonds
• brazil nuts
• cashews
• chestnuts
• filberts
• hazelnuts
• gianduja (a creamy mixture of chocolate and chopped toasted nuts found in premium or imported chocolate)
• hickory nuts
• macadamia nuts
• marzipan/almond paste
• nougat
• Nu-Nuts® artificial nuts
• nut butters, i.e. cashew butter, almond butter
• nut oil
• nut paste, i.e. almond paste
• pecans
• pine nuts (pignolia, pinion)
• pistachios
• walnuts

Nu-Nuts artificial nuts are peanuts that have been de-flavored and re-flavored with a nut like pecan or walnut.

Filberts are hazelnuts.

Avoid Natural extracts such as pure almond extract, and natural wintergreen extract (for the filbert/hazelnut allergic)

Use imitation or artificially flavored extracts.

Ethnic foods, commercially prepared baked goods, and candy can be cross-contaminated with nuts since nuts are frequently used in these types of foods.

Tree nuts are being added to an increasing variety of foods such as barbecue sauces, cereals, crackers, and ice creams.

For an updated list of further information, call the Food Allergy Network at 1-800-929-4040 or visit their website at www.foodallergy.org.