Small Amounts Of Peanut Allergen Can Pose Risk

A number of my patients have peanut allergies and I tell them that people who are allergic to peanuts can suffer serious reactions even if exposed to minute amounts of peanuts, even if it is just residue.About a year ago, I came across an interesting study conducted by the journal Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, to determine the persistence of peanut allergen on a typical table surface over time.The report stated that "five ml of peanut butter was evenly smeared on a 12 inch by 12 inch on a nonporous (laminated plastic) table surface.. The table was kept in a regular hospital office at room temperature and ambient lighting. No cleaning occurred for 110 days. Immediately post application for 110 days of collecting, detectable Ara h1 was found each time a sample was taken. There was no obvious allergen degradation over time. Active cleaning of the contaminated surface with a commercial cleaning wipe resulted in no detectable Ara h 1 allergen."I then read a study by conducted Johns Hopkins University concerning the efficacy of various cleaning agents in the removal of peanut allergen. The researchers said that Lysol sanitizing wipes, Formula 409 and Target brand cleaner with bleach were effective in removing peanut butter from a clean table. But plain water and dishwashing soap left residual amounts of Ara h 1 on 4 out of 12 samples. In a related study for cleaning hands, hand sanitizers left a residue on some test subjects.Also, Johns Hopkins noted in another report that the rinsing or washing out your mouth does not reduce the amount of peanut protein present. Other "activities" said the report,"did not lower the level of peanut protein present in the saliva such as brushing teeth, chewing gum or waiting an hour." The only thing that worked, cited the report was " eating a peanut-free meal and waiting several hours."