if mom is allergic to nuts, can she eat pork that fed on nuts?

[momisallergictonuts]

Hello good evening, hoping to get some help with this! I believe everyone has different feelings, but is there a DEFINITE answer on this?
I am big on purchasing meats and dairy from farmers who raise their animals humanely. Basically I am purchasing some pork that has been fed on nuts (in addition to everything else they eat) and I am curious if this will affect my mom if she then eats this pork!
The other thing is my mom was allergic years ago but she has avoided nuts ever since so isn't it possible she might not even be allergic anymore? Are there safe ways to find out without ANYTHING happening at all?

Thank you for your time it means alot

[rebekahc]

Hi and welcome!

My son has reacted to peanut-fed dairy cow's milk, but I have never heard of anyone reacting to meat from allergen-fed animals.  If your mom has been nut allergic for a long time, I would think it reasonable to assume she's had nut-fed pork before - I think it's a relatively common hog feed item (I've heard Smithfield brand in particular).

[CMdeux]

Rebekah is right, IMO; there really isn't a mechanism to have plant seed storage proteins (the kind that are nut allergens) pass through an animal's gut and be stored in tissues intact.  It's true that animals may pass food proteins more-or-less intact through lactation-- but that's quite different than storing those proteins in muscle tissues.

As for the second question, it's possible that a nut-allergic person may become non-allergic over time.  However, nut and crustacean allergies tend to be persistent for most individuals.  The only way to know is to:  a) have a known, large accidental ingestion that results in NO symptoms (I really, REALLY do not recommend this approach for obvious reasons-- this is also the kind of exposure that can kill a person who IS still highly allergic), or b) undergo a full evaluation with a good allergist who is well-versed in food allergy.

If there is any reason to think that the allergy has changed over time-- or if it has just been a really, really long time since the person had a consult with a doc about it-- I strongly encourage people to do the latter.

It's just a good idea.  A person with a true nut allergy definitely needs to carry epinephrine autoinjectors (like EpiPen).  Best to know for sure what you're dealing with.   


A warm welcome to you!  Your mom is lucky to have such a conscientious child looking out for her.   

[SilverLining]

You've gotten good advice from the above posters, but as a mom with food allergies, and adult children who take the time to make meals safe for me, I just want to say THANK YOU for putting your mom's health above other things.