Peanut allergies: A Thing of the Past?

[Toliver]

It was announced that a North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University researcher has developed a post-harvest method of removing the allergens from peanuts.

Scientists deactivate peanut allergens in lab

Researcher Mohammed Ahmedna tells ABC News the allergen is removed through processing rather than through breeding.

As for the second method:

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Florida are taking a different approach -- trying to grow a safe peanut that doesn't contain the three proteins that trigger most allergic reactions.

So the second method is basically either a GM peanut or one that has been bred to be allergen-free while the first method keeps the peanut as is but processes it after harvest.

Of course, even if this treatment does work and is embraced by food companies, those with peanut allergies would still have to be on guard as there will likely be peanuts in the marketplace that don't get treated.

But it's a great breakthrough, nonetheless.

[slo_ted]

If effective, this would be a great boon, as allergic reactions to peanuts are the most common cause of fatal anaphylactic reactions to food.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

It should be interesting to see how this works out. I still probably would not let my peanut allergic child eat these, but it would make things less fearful for me.

[chiantiglace]

I like it, but as serious as some people are to peanuts I think it will take a good deal of time to make people feel safer.

[feedmec00kies]

a danger i see is that in the somewhat distant future, some people might get used to these "allergy-safe" peanut products and then go abroad and not think about the dangers when they have to because they didn't have to deal with them quite so day-to-day. maybe that's a crazy theory, but i can still imagine it happening.

[Eden]

There was a notice up about these at my allergist's office today - bascially it said "yeah this sounds swell, but don't get your hopes up..."

The implication was that there was room to doubt the findings re the modified peanuts...