Eating at Chick-fil-A Despite My Peanut Allergy

UPDATE:  6/29/09 This update is provided in response to some comments about our original Chick-fil-A post. Bo has eaten numerous times at Chick-fil-A's in many different cities both before being diagnosed with a peanut allergy and since his diagnosis, without having a peanut allergy reaction. For the record, he has been tested twice within the last two years and both times had a RAST score of over 100.

Prior to being diagnosed with a peanut allergy, I loved to eat and play at Chick-fil-A. However, we had stopped eating there immediately after I was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy. One of the reasons my dad had trouble coming to grips with my peanut allergy diagnosis early on, was because he knew that I had never gotten sick after eating at Chick-fil-A even though they use peanut oil. The Chick-fil-A web site allergen info states that "all breaded chicken products and Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries are cooked in 100% pure peanut oil.

Then last month, while talking with several other parents of peanut allergic children participating in the peanut allergy treatment research study at Arkansas Children's Hospital, we learned that their peanut allergic kids were eating at Chick-fil-A without having allergic reactions. What we learned about Chick-fil-A after talking to the doctors and nurses at Arkansas Children's Hospital and to a manager of a Chick-fil-A, is that they, like many restaurants, use "pure, hot extracted peanut oil", which for most people is non-allergenic. However, "cold pressed/gourmet" peanut oils often do cause allergic reactions.

Mom was very nervous about me trying to eat at Chick-fil-A again so the head nurse of the study agreed to go with us to eat lunch there while we were in Little Rock. We all went to Chick-fil-A and I ate the chicken nuggets and waffle fries without having an allergic reaction or any other problems! Being able to eat and play again at Chick-fil-A is awesome because it helps me and my family feel like life is getting to be a little bit more normal again and it gives us another safe option for eating out when we are traveling!

This experience is just one of the many reasons we thank God every day for helping us to get into the peanut allergy treatment research study and for bringing Nurse Karen and Dr. Stacie Jones at Arkansas Children's Hospital into our lives.

Below are some other articles and comments about peanut allergy and peanut oil.

http://www.allergyasthma.on.ca/peanut1.htm
"Pure peanut oil is generally non-allergenic, but cold pressed peanut oil or oil contaminated with peanut protein through cooking may be dangerous."

http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut.html
"Studies show that most allergic individuals can safely eat peanut oil (not cold pressed, expelled, or extruded peanut oil - sometimes represented as gourmet oils). If you are allergic to peanuts, ask your doctor whether or not you should avoid peanut oil."

Whether or not to eat foods prepared in pure, hot pressed peanut oil is an individual decision that individuals with peanut allergies should make on an individual, case-by-case basis after consulting with their doctor, reading the nutrition information, questioning the food preparers/restaurant managers, and taking all necessary precautions to reduce the risk of an allergic reaction.

Comments

[P]

My daughter is highly allergic to peanuts (her IgE was over 100)~ we had no idea CFA used peanut oil! We eat there a lot and never had a reaction. We always carry the epipen, but it is good to know she is OK to eat there ;)

[Kimberly]

We love Chick-fil-a! We were concerned when our daughter was diagnosed with a peanut allergy about eating there too. Our allergist told us right away that we were fine to eat there. That only a very few people might have a reaction from the peanut oil. My 2 year old is severely allergic to milk (and all milk products), eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and though its not a food....fire ants.
Chick-fil-a uses milk and eggs in the breading of their chicken nuggets, but CFA has always been wonderful to work with us. They make her a special kids meal with grilled nuggets instead of the breaded. She gets the same kids meal toy, etc her big sister does, and it is safe for her to eat! Thank you Chick-fil-a!

[allergist]

There are a lot of food that can be option in peanut,We can avoid peanut by finding other food with the same content of nutrients.

-Kaylee

[D.]

Hmm, so that's what it is. I have a moderate-severe peanut allergy. It is not air-borne, and I have up to 15 minutes to wash my hands/body should a peanut touch my skin. When eaten, I will throw up and get hives, and unless I'm left untreated for week or a month or something... yeah.

I have eaten at Chik-Fil-A three times during road trips going to Florida... and same as you not even one reaction.

So it seems that for at least some people who have peanut allergy... some will not react to peanut oil... as long as it's pure or hot. That's the difference between Chik-Fil-A and Chinese Buffets (where I had occasional reactions).

[K.]

First of all, thank you for your blog, and your list of safe products--well, it looks like my pantry! It's great.

I'm really glad you've not experienced problems eating at Chik Fil-A.

My son--when his RAST was an 8--did. It's now a bit lower (and too low to get into the Duke SLIT study), but we do not eat there.

He's a pre-teen now, but when he was a toddler, he would get upset every time we pulled into a CFA. I waited about a year before going back but really missed it. The playground is the cleanest fast food playground, and I really enjoyed the chicken.

When we went back (through the drive through), he ate some nuggets without balking--but then developed a rash on his face.

Another time (at another restaurant), he ate chips fried in hot-pressed peanut oil and later had a reaction.

I can only conclude that for him, any peanut oil is not safe. I just wanted to give a different perspective. And one I regret to have.

I am happy that that the study seems to be going well for you. I know someone who successfully went through it at Duke.

How fabulous this is for kids!