Chick-Fil-a

Hello jenbug,

We don't live near chick-fil-a but I have definitely read stories of peanut allergic individuals eating there. We have a number of posts about various PA folks eating at chick-fil-a. You can most easily access them by going to the search box at the upper right corner of any page on peanutallergy.com and typing in chick-fil-a. I tried this search and am pasting the link here:

http://www.peanutallergy.com/sponsored/search-results?searchKey=chick-fi...

My personal view on eating at chick-fil-a? I know people say it is safe to eat some peanut oil, and some even do eat there. It's a comfort level thing for me--it is not worth the risk. I have seen my son have a very scary reaction and I don't want to see a repeat. Likewise, he remembers the big reaction and does not want to experience it again. That's just how we handle it. Every one has different comfort levels, and I strongly believe you should do what makes you feel most comfortable.

Hope this helps!

Take care,
Jennifer B

I wanted to comment on peanut oil for you and others who have questions regarding using it.

Peanut oil is supposed to be so highly refined that there is no peanut protein left. Peanut protein is what allergic individuals react to.

However, there are some oils that are more or less refined than others. How would you know what you are getting?

Like Jennifer--we steer clear of peanut oil for this reason alone.

And you are right--there are other places to eat. Or perhaps you could order something that is not friend in the peanut oil for the peanut allergic individual.

Below is a response from the Children's Hospital website. I remeber our Dr. telling us that refined was OK and cold pressed was not. Too much for us to navigate through. If it is peanut oil of any kind we make another choice. Next week my son's Cub Scouts is having their Den Banquet catered by Chic-fil-A. We will be bringing our own nuggetts.

Is peanut oil a risk?
The problem with peanut allergy is the protein but not the oil (fat) in the peanut. In small studies refined peanut oils have been shown to be safe. Cold pressed peanut oil does contain peanut protein and should be avoided. Unfortunately it is often difficult to guarantee that the oil is sufficiently refined to remove all traces of peanut protein. Avoidance of peanut oil is often advised particularly for people who have had the more severe life threatening reactions

My dd is extremely sensitive to peanut - tonight, for example, she had hives and itching all over from "brownie bites" that were made in the same facility as tree nuts! BUT - we do eat at Chick Fil A every single Wednesday with no problem.

I probably wouldn't if we hadn't BEEN eating there before her reaction. After her first peanut reaction I told her dr. - "it can't be peanuts, we eat chick fil a ALL the time"...but he explained the difference.

Unfortunately, she is also allergic to sunflower oil and cottonseed oil, so we can't eat most places that use "vegetable" oil...so, ironically Chick Fil A is the safest place for us, lol.

However, Chick Fil A's peanut oil is the only that we will eat. It has to be refined and without protein to fry in, you can't fry with cold-pressed oil. But it is such a personal choice whether it is a "risk" worth taking. We have just personally encountered more trace proteins in processed packaged foods and bakery goods...

HTH!

My dd is extremely sensitive to peanut - tonight, for example, she had hives and itching all over from "brownie bites" that were made in the same facility as tree nuts! BUT - we do eat at Chick Fil A every single Wednesday with no problem.

I probably wouldn't if we hadn't BEEN eating there before her reaction. After her first peanut reaction I told her dr. - "it can't be peanuts, we eat chick fil a ALL the time"...but he explained the difference.

Unfortunately, she is also allergic to sunflower oil and cottonseed oil, so we can't eat most places that use "vegetable" oil...so, ironically Chick Fil A is the safest place for us, lol.

However, Chick Fil A's peanut oil is the only that we will eat. It has to be refined and without protein to fry in, you can't fry with cold-pressed oil. But it is such a personal choice whether it is a "risk" worth taking. We have just personally encountered more trace proteins in processed packaged foods and bakery goods...

HTH!

My three year old has a severe peanut allergy and sensativities to tree nuts. As a personal choice we stay away from Chic-fil-a. Rather be safe than sorry. We also stay clear of alot of restraunts in general if they have a lot of peanut dishes, nut toppings on deserts, etc. Just the site of their brownies with the walnuts at the counters makes me nervous. I would say depending on the type of reaction, it is a personal call. My son's first exposure nearly killed him in less than 20 minutes. We were warned that his next exposure could be a faster reaction. No thanks; we'll just go to another resturant. Be sure to check all the lables and ingreadents online.
Good luck!
Robin

Thanks, Robin, for sharing your story.