Food Allergy Consumer Tip Fridays: Highly Refined Oils on Food Labels

from https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Allergens/ucm106187.htm

A question that pops on a regular basis in food allergy discussion groups, especially peanut allergy focused groups is this: 

why isn't peanut listed as an allergen when peanut oil is an ingredient?

Highly refined oils from one of the top eight allergens are not considered to contain the protein which causes allergic reactions. While you may disagree with the veracity of this statement, highly refined oils--since the are not considered to contain reaction-causing proteins--do not need to be listed as a top 8 allergen on food labels.

It's a good idea to always read the entire label and all the ingredients. Not every label will list allergens in bold and ingredients can change from one grocery store trip to another. Read every label every time.