If you or a loved one has a peanut allergy, you are used to checking ingredient labels for peanut ingredients. But peanuts and peanut oil are also used as ingredients for non-food items. Some of these peanut products may be familiar to you – bird seed is pretty common, and usually you can actually see the peanuts in the seed mix. But peanuts may be hidden in other surprising places, and peanut ingredients may not be disclosed on non-food items.
Peanut shells or skins may be used in:
- Artificial fireplace logs
- Fiber roughage for livestock feed
- Kitty litter
- Paper
- Stuffing for beanbags or stuffed animals
- Wallboard
Peanuts themselves may be ingredients in:
- Axle grease
- Bird seed
- Bleach
- Cosmetics
- Detergent
- Explosives
- Face creams
- Ink
- Linoleum
- Medicine
- Metal polish
- Pet food
- Paint
- Rubber
- Shampoo
- Shaving cream
- Soap
Sources:
American peanut council. Non-Food Uses for Peanuts. Accessed 10/2/2010 http://www.peanutsusa.org.uk/Europe/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.page&pid=61
Wood, Robert. Food Allergens in Non-Food Items. Accessed 10/2/2010 http://drrobertwood.com/allergens-in-nonfood-items.shtml