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Anaphylaxis UK statement in response to the Fundraising Regulator’s report 25th February 2026

Anaphylaxis UK (formerly The Anaphylaxis Campaign) acknowledges the findings of the Fundraising Regulator’s report and welcomes the opportunity to further strengthen communication and compliance across our fundraising activity. While the report identifies areas for improvement, it is important to note

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Making this Valentine’s Day safe, supportive and allergy-aware 11th February 2026

Valentine’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to show your partner how much you care — and if they live with serious food allergies, it’s also a chance to show that love through thoughtful preparation and understanding. With the right planning,

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Allergy misinformation on social media 10th February 2026

A recent study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice looked at popular allergy-related posts on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X to see what kind of misinformation is being shared and how people respond to it.  The researchers found that misleading content was very

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Benedict’s Law moves forward as Government commits to mandatory school allergy guidance  4th February 2026

Benedict’s Law — the campaign to make schools safe for children with allergies — reaches a pivotal moment as peers voted on a landmark House of Lords amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.   New statutory guidance for schools on managing

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Research opportunity: do you have a food allergy? 2nd February 2026

What is the research about? Researchers at the University of Surrey and the University of Manchester have launched the AltProt-P eObservatory to track allergic reactions to new types of food. As we move toward more sustainable food production, new protein

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Research opportunity: eating disorder risk in adults with and without food allergies 27th January 2026

A Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the University of Surrey is conducting a research study exploring the likelihood of eating disorders in adults with food allergy compared to adults without food allergy. While previous research suggests that children with food allergies

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Palforzia® peanut oral immunotherapy – update  27th January 2026

You may have seen recent reports that Palforzia®, a licensed peanut oral immunotherapy treatment, has been discontinued. We can confirm that this is correct and outline below what this means for people living with peanut allergy.  The manufacturer of Palforzia®, Stallergenes Greer, has confirmed that

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Research opportunity for adults living with food allergy 26th January 2026

Aston University, Birmingham, is inviting adults with a diagnosed food allergy to take part in a research study exploring how people cope with food allergies and how this affects everyday life. In particular, the study looks at whether feeling more

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Research opportunity for UK Healthcare Professionals managing patients with food allergies 22nd January 2026

Kings College London are inviting Healthcare Professionals to complete a short survey about Milk Oral Immunotherapy (OIT). The research is concerned with mapping current milk OIT practice within the UK, and evaluating healthcare professionals attitudes, knowledge, training needs, and perceived

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Home→Living with Serious Allergies→Factsheets

Will I have an allergic reaction to peanut oil if I have a peanut allergy?

This question causes a lot of confusion because not all peanut oils are the same. Peanut oil can be refined, unrefined or a mixture of both.

Refined peanut oil

Refined peanut oil has been processed in a way that removes the peanut proteins from the oil. It is the proteins that cause allergic reactions.

Studies have shown that refined peanut oil will not cause allergic reactions for most people who are allergic to peanuts. If you do have a reaction, it’s likely to be very mild.

Unrefined peanut oil

If an oil is unrefined (sometimes known as crude oil) this means the allergenic proteins are still present, as it hasn’t been processed in a way that removes them.

Unrefined peanut oil is more likely to cause an allergic reaction because it still contains allergenic proteins.

Does this mean refined peanut oil is completely safe for people with peanut allergy?

The biggest study that tried to find out whether refined peanut oil is safe took place in 1997 in Southampton. 60 adults with peanut allergy were given refined peanut oil and then unrefined peanut oil. None had allergic reactions to the refined peanut oil and six had mild allergic reactions to the unrefined peanut oil. The way peanut oil is refined has not changed since the 1990s so there’s no reason to think that these results are not still valid.

It would be impossible to find out whether refined peanut oil is 100% safe because it would mean testing everybody with a peanut allergy. The sample of 60 people in the Southampton study is enough to confidently say that refined peanut oil is likely to be safe for most people with peanut allergy. A more recent study also confirmed that it’s very unlikely that refined peanut oil could cause a reaction even if you have experienced serious allergic reactions to small amounts of peanut in the past.

Most allergy experts also agree that refined peanut oil is very unlikely to cause allergic reactions. But it is up to you as an individual with peanut allergy, or as parents or guardians of a young child with peanut allergy, to weigh up the evidence and decide if you want to include it in your diet or avoid it.

Download our peanut oil frequently asked questions factsheet

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Are there differing degrees of oil refinement?

The European association for the oilseed industry (known as FEDIOL) has agreed a refining standard. This means all refined peanut oil is processed in the same way, going through special stages called degumming, neutralising, bleaching, filtration and deodorisation. There is no such thing as “partially” or “less” refined peanut oil – it will either be refined, unrefined or a mixture of the two.

Do all types of peanut oil have to be declared on food labels?

All peanuts and products made from peanuts are included in the list of top 14 major food allergens in the UK. This means they must be highlighted on ingredients labels, in bold for example.

Even though the evidence tells us there is very little risk from refined peanut oil, the law still requires that it is listed and emphasised, in bold for example, on ingredients labels.

It may not always be obvious from the label of bottled peanut oil whether it’s refined or unrefined.  If in doubt, always check with the manufacturer.

Is refined peanut oil used in cosmetics and medications?

Because it’s stable, refined peanut oil is often used as a base in pharmaceutical products. It’s labelled with its Latin name, Arachis oil. Products can include:

  • vitamins
  • ear drops
  • nappy rash creams
  • sun creams
  • eye pencils.

Does peanut oil in skin creams trigger allergies in children?

Some allergy experts think there may be a link between eczema or nappy creams that contain peanut oil and the development of peanut allergy in some young children. This may be because tiny amounts of peanut protein are present – not enough to cause allergic reactions but enough, in some cases, to “set up” an allergy to peanuts if the cream is put on broken skin (to soothe eczema or nappy rash for example).

There is no evidence that this does happen, but if you have allergies in your family you might prefer to avoid using creams containing peanut oil on babies and young children just in case.

Download our peanut oil frequently asked questions factsheet

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