Finding a Peanut in a Haystack - Surprising Non-Food Sources of Peanuts

If it seems like peanuts are everywhere, well, they practically are! That's why avoiding them is such a challenge, and why vigilance is so important.

The National Peanut Board has some pretty startling statistics:

The average American eats more than 6 pounds of peanut products every year.
An average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the end of high school.
The total average consumption of peanuts in America? About 1.5 billion pounds per year - that's about 10 billion PB&J sandwiches.
90% of American households eat peanut butter.
2/3 of snack nuts in the US are peanuts.
There are 10 "holidays" associated with peanuts, including National Peanut Month and National Peanut Butter Day.
The United States produces about 2.34 million metric tons of peanuts yearly. That's a lot of peanuts, but we're actually third in worldwide production! China and India produce far more.
And don't forget George Washington Carver. He developed about 100 products based on peanuts including cosmetics, dyes, paint, plastic, fuel and nitroglycerin.

Surprising non-food sources of peanuts

The non-food uses for peanuts didn't end with Carver, though. They're lurking in some pretty unbelievable places. Some products use the skins or shells while others use whole peanuts or oil.

But if you're allergic, take a look at the list below and keep it handy. Even if you don't encounter these non-food sources of peanuts or haven't reacted to them before, it's good to know about them, just in case.

Livestock feed (even if you're not around a farm, bear it in mind at petting zoos or parks)
Pet food
Kitty Litter
Artificial Fireplace logs
Paper
Stuffing for plush toys or beanbags
Wallboard
Bird seed
Ink
Axle grease
Bleach
Cosmetics
Detergent
Linoleum
Metal Polish
Some medications
Paint
Rubber
Soap

I know that it can be frustrating to always be on guard, always enforcing rules and asking questions. But with peanuts so prevalent, they can show up just about anywhere. So please remember to always carry your emergency medication, wear allergy alert jewelry and stay safe!