We are really worried - We have a six-year old daughter who has a severe peanut allergy. This summer we are travelling to NY, CT & MA. We are very concerned about the prevelance of "hidden" peanut products in the food, in the US (we understand it is used as much as the olive (oil) is used in the Med) and wonder if anybody has got any good advice.

Boy Wheezy, that's a hard one. Peanut oil is cheap and withstands heat so it is pervasive. Is your daughter so allergic that airbone allergens are dangerous? Have you traveled with her before?

If you are staying where you have a kitchenette that would be helpful. Obvious precautions are to call ahead to restaurants, obtain and keep ER information at each place you visit and to order more whole foods.

I personally know people with children that have these allergies so I sympathize, but vigilance and asseritiveness are your best tools. When in doubt, BYOFood.

And Epi pen.

Hi Wheezy, in that I cannot eat corn and consequently cannot have corn oil I sure understand your concern. And I have often wonder what people do regarding the airline snacks, so many snacks seem to have peanuts in them.

I would suggest that you have a good and serious conversation with each restaurant your family goes to. And let them know that if any peanut product is served to your daughter the ambulence will be arriving at the restaurant. That usually gets their attention.

I have found in the better restaurants the server always goes to the kitchen and checks with the chef for me. Lower priced restaurants don't seem to care as much.

Comminication and being careful what you order for her should take care of the problem. Grilled meat or fish versus fried chicken or french fries for example unless the restaurant can tell you exactly what type of oil is used. At least in CA most restaurants I go to do seem to have olive oil although corn oil is used a lot. And be aware, some oils are a mixture of oils. My very best to you with wishes for a beautiful, safe and healthy vacation.

Are you arriving in the US from another country? I get the impression that you are. If you are not sure about the restaurant and their answers I would sure avoid ordering any fried food for your little daughter.

I agree with beentheretwice -- preparing food yourself is safest (read the labels of everything you buy, though).

Assertiveness, and assuming that every mixed food HAS peanut in it, are essential, as is an EpiPen or oral antihistamine (depending on severity) for accidental emergencies.

When eating out, choose ethnic restaurants that are less likely to use peanuts and/or peanut oil -- like Mediterranean foods such as you have mentioned -- and avoid Asian restaurants, especially Chinese, where peanuts and peanut oil are especially pervasive.

Another group of restaurants to avoid are places where the ingredients might not be known to the staff -- the mid-level fast food places, ice cream parlors, etc., that serve foods prepared elsewhere.

Yes, the fastfood places and a lot of the middle of the road chains have no clue as to what is in their food.

You will have much better luck with independetly owned restaurants Wheezy.

Thanks to you all for the advice. We are travelling from England with an Epi-pen and lots of antihistamine. The majority of our stay is in self-catering appartments or with friends and so, as you all suggest, when we have to eat out, we will have to be assertive in our enquiries.

like the others stated get an epi-pen. i've been allergic to food nuts since i was 5 yrs old and my parents were cracking walnuts from the tree in the yard and my eyes swelled. the key is to not leave the epi-pen at home and check the expiration date regularly. You can easily get an prescription through the pediatrician. its pretty easy for me to avoid nuts and their residue just common sense, if you don't know what is in a dessert then don't even chance it, even if you have an epi-pen the experience is a nightmare.

The problem with corn and peanut allergies is that so many restaurants use corn and peanut oil and they do not even know it! Especially now that some oils are a mixed blend of oils. I was warned Wheezy that some less expensive restaurants buy an olive oil that has corn oil mixed into it. Good grief! So being diligent is paramount. Oh, just a side note. I will never drink wine "out of a box". Never liked box wine so no problem but several brands state "natural flavors added". Guess what, the natural flavor is a corn product. Sigh!

That's a tough one...

Just the other day, I heard a lady ask the clerk at Cinabon if she could "positively guarantee that there are no peanut products in the plain cinamon rolls". The clerk dutifully brought over a manager who said, "There is no way I can guarantee you of that. Not to my knowledge, but I just do not know for sure."

I really would never take the chance. Especially after it was widely reported that a lady died at a local restaurant (right there on the spot) after being assured that a particular ingredient (pine nuts) would not be present in any of the food she ordered.

Note: The (adult)woman was lunching with her mother and wanted to know whether the chicken sandwich special with pesto contained pine nuts. Pine nuts, of course, are traditionally an ingredient in authentic pesto, but many places leave them out because they are pricey to include. At first, she was told they didn't know. Upon insisting, she was told "No". The family sued (of course, with the mother as a "witness"). The restaurant's lawyer (a chain) countered with the restaurant not being obligated to divulge their "recipes". The case was settled privately, so the outcome is unknown.
Many foods at many restaurants come pre-packaged. Regardless, they just may not know, and not for sure, about all ingredients used for items on their menus.

perhaps unrelated to your exact question but a family member travelling with an epi-pen was a little too eager to disclose this at check-in and was consequently "detained", questioned, and made to sign a waiver. the airline's concern seemed mainly with the allergy and the medication rather than with security concerns. originally the staff did not know how to deal with this and the resulting confusion caused her to very nearly miss her flight. the airline was virgin. the lesson...never volunteer information unnecessarily.

We have just returned from a FANTASTIC holiday in NYC and New England! The peanut thing did not turn out to be such a problem, eating establishments and food producers are pretty well clued-up on peanut allergies. All of the people we met in restaurants, delis, etc. all went out of their way to find out if peanuts products were in the food my daughter had chosen. Also the labelling on the food packets is superior to that in England, rather than just saying "vegetable oil", the labelling on foods stated specifically which oil was used.

Hello Wheezy, I just saw your post and I am so happy that everything went so well for you and your family!! That is wonderful. Hope you can tell us about your trip after you get settled in at home. Best regards.