Watching Out for Peanuts

If your child is allergic to peanuts, here are food items you'll want to avoid:

• Packaged foods without a full ingredient list. Most experts recommend that children with a peanut allergy avoid tree nuts, as well.

• Packaged food with wording such as "processed in plant that processes peanuts."

• African, Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese dishes often contain peanuts, or may be contaminated with peanuts during their preparation.

• Ice cream shops. Scoops may go from nut-filled to nut-free ice creams without thorough washing.

• Small bakeries. Bakery work areas are hard to clean.

• Sunflower seeds. Many brands of sunflower seeds are processed on equipment that has handled peanuts.