No Nuts Moms Group
Follow us
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Allergy Friendly Sites
  • Groups
  • Foods to Avoid

To Coconut or To CocoNot! That is the question.

5/28/2014

0 Comments

 
Since I have been part of the food allergy world, I have seen the question about coconut get posted often. The main question is usually, "Is this a tree nut and should we avoid?" Post this question on Facebook and you will get a ton of comments regarding this subject.

Coconut is classified by the FDA as a tree nut and therefore all foods containing coconut by law must be listed as containing coconut or containing a tree nut. Coconut is really not a tree nut, but the FDA decided to call it one and confuse everyone. Some allergist say to avoid and some say not to. There are true coconut allergies, but you shouldn't just assume you can't consume coconut if you are allergic to tree nuts. Get tested and discuss this further with your board certified allergist.
This brings me to the reason why I decided to write this post. It seems that there have been some cases where manufacturing companies have labeled themselves as being tree nut free and then not disclosing that the item actually contains coconut. Most of us know that coconut is not a tree nut and most tree nut allergic are perfectly fine consuming it, but since it is considered a tree nut by the FDA and a tree nut is one of the top eight allergens then it must be labeled on the package. My family doesn't avoid coconut, but we do have some members within our No Nuts Moms Group that are very allergic and this can lead to a very serious reaction. So whether or not you believe a coconut to be a tree nut or not, it still needs to be labeled on a food item containing coconut. PERIOD! It is the law. If you have a coconut allergy, please be sure to investigate items a little further even if they are labeled tree nut free. If you find out a company is not labeling then let them know and also consider reporting them to the FDA.  
Helpful Resources:

Question: Is Coconut a Tree Nut?

Is Coconut Safe For People With Tree Nut Allergies?

Tree Nut Allergies

Report a Problem
Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Lisa Rutter
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    504 Plan
    Airlines
    Allergy
    Anaphylaxis
    Baseball
    Epinephrine
    Epipen
    Food
    Food Allergies
    Medical Bracelet
    Nut Free
    Nuts
    Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)
    Organizations
    Peanut Free
    Peanuts
    Schools

    Categories

    All
    504 Plan
    Airlines
    Allergy
    Anaphylaxis
    Baseball
    Epinephrine
    Epipen
    Food
    Food Allergies
    Medical Bracelet
    Nut Free
    Nuts
    Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)
    Organizations
    Peanut Free
    Peanuts
    Schools

    Archives

    January 2019
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.