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In my first post about peanut allergies, I had come across the following website that rather shocked me when I realized that peanut products are in vitamin products AND infant formula. I wanted to know more about this since I don’t recall ever reading “derived from peanuts” appearing on any of the vitamins at the store. I haven’t read the formula ingredients so I don’t know about that and am curious.

http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v44jec11.htm

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

The Panel identified only two foodstuffs that it considered may currently fulfil the criteria for inclusion on a list of products of foodstuffs for which labelling of the allergen-containing food source is unnecessary: refined peanut oil and refined soya bean oil….

Vitamin D supplementation may be administered in an oil preparation in early infancy. After skin-prick testing of 122 children aged 7-60 months who had been referred to an allergy clinic, the children were classified according to whether they had received a vitamin D preparation without peanut oil, one containing peanut oil that had been administered monthly, or one containing peanut oil that had been administered daily. Although the groups did not differ in respect of allergic status, statistically significantly children more showed a positive reaction to peanut if they had been exposed to a peanut oil-containing vitamin preparation. The peanut oil used in the vitamin preparations was not specified (de Montis et al., 1993).

In a study in France, two male and two female infants aged 4-13 months who had received a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis were found to react to peanut allergens during skin-prick testing or labial challenge with peanut extract, peanut butter, or peanut oil. In a single blind oral challenge test with peanut oil, the infants reacted with a rash to doses of 1 or 5 ml of peanut oil. In each case, the infant was receiving a formula containing peanut oil in such an amount that it contributed 67 or 80% of the lipids.

First question – can peanut oil be an ingredient and not be listed on the food or vitamin product? I couldn’t get a clear answer on this. Infant formulas may be a special area?

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/grasguid.html#Q16

If an ingredient is GRAS for one use, is it GRAS for all uses?
Not necessarily. Under section 201(s) of the Act, it is the use of a substance, rather than the substance itself, that is eligible for the GRAS exemption (62 Fed. Reg. 18939; April 17, 1997). A determination of the safety of the use of an ingredient includes information about the characteristics of the substance, the estimated dietary intake under the intended conditions of use, and the population that will consume the substance (proposed 21 CFR 170.36 (c)(1)(iii)). Dietary intake of a substance depends on the food categories in which it will be used and the level of use in each of those food categories. For information about how FDA estimates dietary intake of a food substance, see FDA’s document entitled “Estimating Exposure To Direct Food Additives And Chemical Contaminants in the Diet” [August 2006: See updated information "Guidance for Industry - Estimating Dietary Intake of Substances in Food"]. Some uses of a food substance are intended for a narrowly defined population, such as newborn infants who consume infant formula as the sole item of the diet; in such a circumstance, there may be special considerations associated with that population but not with general use of the food substance.

Is a substance that is used as a dietary ingredient of a dietary supplement eligible for classification as GRAS?
Under section 201(s) of the Act, the ingredients whose use is GRAS are excluded from the definition of a food additive. That definition of food additive also specifies that the term “food additive” does not include a dietary ingredient of a dietary supplement described in section 201(ff) of the Act or intended for use in a dietary supplement. Thus, it is meaningless to refer to a GRAS exclusion from the food additive definition for dietary ingredients that are already excluded from that definition. However, some dietary ingredients that may be used in a dietary supplement may also be GRAS for use in a conventional food (e.g., vitamin C; calcium carbonate).
Does FDA have a list of substances that are used in food on the basis of the GRAS provision?
FDA has several lists of GRAS substances. Importantly, these lists are not all-inclusive. Because the use of a GRAS substance is not subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, it is impracticable to list all substances that are used in food on the basis of the GRAS provision.
21 CFR Part 182 contains the remnants of a list, which FDA established in its regulations shortly after passage of the 1958 Food Additives Amendment. The list is organized according to the intended use of these substances. As part of the agency’s comprehensive review of GRAS substances in the 1970s, FDA affirmed that the use of some of the ingredients on this original GRAS list is GRAS, and moved the affirmed uses of the substance to 21 CFR Part 184. [Glycerin - I don't know if this is the peanut product or not. Tocopherols have to be in an oil product, I do believe. Could that oil product be peanut oil? see more below* - bfg]
21 CFR Part 184 contains a list of substances that FDA affirmed as GRAS as direct food ingredients for general or specific uses. This list derives from the agency’s 1970s comprehensive review of GRAS substances and from petitions that FDA received to affirm the GRAS status of particular uses of some food ingredients. [Vitamin A, Vitamin D,
21 CFR Part 186 contains a list of substances that FDA affirmed as GRAS for certain indirect food uses. [Hydrogenated fish oil appears on the list. I had a friend whose child was deathly allergic to fish - bfg]
FDA’s Internet site also contains a list of substances that have been the subject of a notice to FDA – i.e., when a firm has notified FDA about its view that a particular use of a substance is GRAS. You can access this summary of GRAS notices, along with FDA’s response, from the GRAS Notification Program page.
Can the use of a substance be GRAS even if it is not listed by FDA?
Yes. Because the use of a GRAS substance is not subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, it is impracticable to list all substances that are used in food on the basis of the GRAS provision (21 CFR 182.1). The use of a substance is GRAS because of widespread knowledge among the community of qualified experts, not because of a listing or other administrative activity.

*Natural extractives (solvent-free) used in conjunction with spices, seasonings, and flavorings that are generally recognized as safe for their intended use, within the meaning of section 409 of the Act, are as follows:

Peanut stearine…………….. Arachis hypogaea L.

Sec. 182.70 Substances migrating from cotton and cotton fabrics used in dry food packaging.

Substances migrating to food from cotton and cotton fabrics used in
dry food packaging that are generally recognized as safe for their
intended use, within the meaning of section 409 of the Act, are as
follows:

Peanut oil.

Subpart B–Multiple Purpose GRAS Food Substances

Sec. 182.1320 Glycerin.

Not allowed to look at the following website:

Peanut Oil: Pharmaceutical Excipients
A typical analysis of refined peanut oil indicates the composition of the … in infancy of preparations containing peanut oil, including infant formula and …
www.medicinescomplete.com/mc/excipients/current/1000304093.htm

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119279212/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

Risks of milk formulas containing peanut oil contaminated with peanut allergens in infants with atopic dermatitis
D. A. Moneret-Vautrin 1 , a , R. Hatahet 1 G. Kanny 1
1 Service de Médecine D, Immunologie Clinique et Allergologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy, Hpital de Brabois, Vandoeuvre, France
Correspondence to a D.A. Moneret-Vautrin, Service de Médecine D, Immunologie Clinique et Allergologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy, Hpital de Brabois, Rue du Morvan, 54511 Vandoeuvre Cedex, France
Copyright 1994 The Author(s)
KEYWORDS
peanut oil allergenicity • hidden allergen • milk formula • atopic dermatitis • food allergy • infant
ABSTRACT
Four cases of infants with atopic dermatitis are reported. In all cases, a sensitization to peanut is demonstrated. Any ingestion of peanuts can be excluded, with the exception of a daily consumption of peanut oil, contained in milk formulas. Oral challenges with peanut oil induce a rash, and elimination of these brands is followed by the disappearance of eczematous lesions. The presence of residual allergenic proteins in peanut oil is thus suspected. Owing to the growing incidence of peanut hypersensitivity, the elimination of peanut oil from all milk formulas, food for babies, and ointments, seems to be highly advisable.
Received June 21, 1993 Accepted December 3, 1993

If you read the ingredients of infant formula, you will see listed Linoleic Acid. What do you picture? Pure ingredients? Where do they get this ingredient?

Fatty Acids – Ask the Dietitian – by Joanne Larsen MS RD LD
Linoleic acid is found in butter, cocoa butter and coconut oil as well oils from corn, cottonseed, olive, palm, palm kernel, peanut, rapeseed (Canola), …
www.dietitian.com/fattyaci.html – 18k

MotherNature.com – Peanuts
Concentrations of alpha-linolenic acid are high in almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews , flaxseed, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, …
www.mothernature.com/library/ency/index.cfm/id/1867000 – 25k

Maybe this is the source of “tree-nut allergies” and peanut allergies?

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=15178124

The effect of peanut butter manufacture on vitamin E originating from raw peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L., runner-type) was determined. Tocopherols were quantified by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, No significant differences were observed in tocopherol (T) values between 1998 and 1998 crop raw peanuts or between raw peanuts and peaout butter except for γ-T (P > 0.05). Oil and stabilizer added to the roasted peanuts during peanut butter processing provided 4% of α-T in the finished peanut butter, Rerention of total tocopherols during peanut butter manufacture was 95%. Mean α-T values (mg/100 g) og commereial peanut products ranged from) 12.3 (peanut oil) to 4.1 (dry roasted peanuts).

Found a really good video about baby formula.

Disturbing Mystery Food Given To Children

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5005016305725612809

The guy has plastic cups of chemicals and mixes them together to show you what goes into infant formula. The formula he mixed used synthetic vitamin A which may not be derived from peanuts?
Watching this video makes you think twice about feeding this concoction to children. Good grief!

Here is a patent for infant formula containing peanut oil:

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3649295.html

What is claimed

1. An edible, highly assimilable, fat composition consisting of, by weight, from about 15 percent to about 45 percent of oleic oil; from about 10 percent to about 45 percent of oleo oil; from 0 percent to about 25 percent of a seed oil selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, corn oil, peanut oil, sunflower seed oil and cottonseed oil; from about 10 percent to about 35 percent of a member selected from the group consisting of coconut oil and babassu oil; and from 0 percent to about 2 percent of soy lecithin….More particularly, this invention concerns new and novel edible, highly assimilable, fat compositions with a fatty acid composition resembling that of human milk fat consisting of, by weight, from about 15 percent to about 45 percent of oleic oil; from about 10 percent to about 45 percent of oleo oil; from 0 percent to about 25 percent of a seed oil selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, corn oil, peanut oil, sunflower seed oil and cottonseed oil; from about 10 percent to about 35 percent of a member selected from the group consisting of coconut oil and babassu oil; and from 0 percent to about 2 percent of soy lecithin: and infant formulas incorporating said edible oil composition….

The fats which are used in existing infant formulas are grouped into four classes, as follows:

I. Palmitic acid oils: palm oil

II. Lauric acid oils: coconut, babassu

III. Animal fats: oleo oil (beef fat)

IV. Seed oils: corn, peanut, soybean, cottonseed oil

At Google books, the “Peanut Allergy Answer” book says that other routes of potential sensitization are peanut oil in infant formula or vitamins which is primarily a problem in Europe. [He totally ignored immunizations...] It also says that there was no research in the field of peanut allergy until 1976. In 1988 four people died of peanut allergy. 1920 was the first reference of a nut allergy.

If you check my history timeline:

http://barbfeick.com/healthinfo/history_timeline.htm

1919 – The deadly “Spanish Flu” that killed 675,000 Americans in 1918-1919 was caused by VACCINATIONS!! Beginning in 1911, vaccinations were mandatory for U.S. military personnel. A lot of the dead were soldiers preparing to go overseas to fight the enemy abroad.

I don’t know what they used to produce the Spanish Flu vaccination. It could have been peanut meal in the culture?

1971 the MMR vaccine was licensed. Was it grown on peanut culture?

1985 The FDA gave a license to Praxis Biologicals for the first HIB vaccine for use in 24 month old children and, shortly after, Lederle and Connaught also were given licenses to manufacture HIB vaccine.

1986 Licensure of first recombinant vaccine (hepatitis B)

Could very well be a connection. Nobody has ever checked it.

I do think that peanut oil in formula could be a problem and contribute to the peanut allergy problem. But I think that the main cause is from vaccines, infant vitamin formulas, and antibiotics.