Open Peanut Bin in Produce Department

[fuji]

I just noticed today that there is an open peanut bin in the middle of the produce department at our local grocery store. Exactly in the middle, right under a display of apples. I realized also on a table of produce that there were packages of peanuts sitting between the potatoes and the bananas. Our produce department is pretty small, probably about 20 feet by 20 feet give or take. My DD14  was diagnosed this past summer and we've not had any issues with the produce although I really try not to buy produce there. They are overpriced and the produce is usually terrible quality!  I don't remember the bin being there before but I probably just didn't notice it. Her symptoms so far have been mild but I understand they can be a whole lot worse with any exposure. How careful do I need to be? Can I buy produce here? Are there precautions I should take? The nearest grocery store besides this one is 80 miles away! It seems as though her food choices are getting narrower and narrower! We had an appointment to go back to the allergist last week, but due to the blizzard they cancelled. Now we have to wait until February to get her tested for all the other tree nuts, mandarin oranges, ginger, cucumbers and avocados.

[lakeswimr]

My son has been OK in situations like that even though he had serious contact ingestion reactions in the past (reactions from touching something someone else touched and then touching his face.)  I have gotten two grocery stores to stop having open bins of nuts just by speaking to the manager so you might try that.

The biggest risk of reaction is from eating an allergen, and next would be from eating a food that is cross contaminated with an allergen.  The further a person gets from direct exposure the less the risk.  Some people, probably many, can be in a situation like that without any problem.  Others might have a reaction.  How old is your child?  If your child has not ever had a contact reaction then I would worry a lot less.

I did not start taking precautions regarding contact reactions until my son had contact reactions. 

As far as I know, there has been one case where a person died *possibly* as a result of a contact reaction.  I don't know of any others.  Yes, an open bin of nuts in the produce department is a risk but I think it is on the lower end of risk compared to a lot of other things for most people with a nut allergy.

[tigerlily]

When we saw an open bin appear in produce, I sought out the produce manager. I mentioned our family's history of ER visits. Pointed out the access by small children and how first time reactions can happen anywhere. Expanded my concern from our family, to our years of purchasing with his store and how they are so customer friendly; to protecting all of his customers.

Once he looked at the bin from our perspective, he thought for a minute, then said it would be removed. It was over six years ago--I haven't seen one pop up in any of their stores in the area since.

I had a different store try to push their fresh ground PB. They stacked a bunch of tubs onto the deli counter. Leaking and oozing onto counter where our packages would be set. I took the manager aside....and this time the store manager replied from a sales point of view. More would sell from being on the counter. So I tried again with the deli manager. She moved it immediately.

[Jessica]

I had a similar experience in a local grocery store. I asked them to cover the bins and they took them out altogether. That was years ago so I'm waiting to see if they ever put them back in since it seems to be the trend these days. Our walmart has bins of pistachios sometimes. I have emailed and called and they seem concerned but they didn't take them out for quite a while. Now they don't have them but they have big bins of other types of nuts (in shell). We don't buy produce at walmart, ever, because of this. The other stores have bags of nuts that are not exactly sealed well so I just make sure I don't buy any produce kept near the nuts and try to buy it already bagged if possible.