Therefore, the question of whether pine nuts should be avoided in patients who are allergic to nuts and seeds can only be decided by clinical judgment. However, in most cases, we recommend patients who are allergic to nuts to avoid all nuts, including pine nuts. Peanuts are actually legumes, not nuts. They belong to the same plant family as other small beans such as soybeans and lima beans.
Nuts include almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts. An allergy to a nut tree does not necessarily mean that a person is allergic to all types of nuts. However, the person should talk to an allergist before consuming other nuts. The primary use of pine nuts is in Italian pesto sauce, although some cheaper brands of prepared products may not use them.
If an allergy to nuts or peanuts is severe and people are motivated to try pine nuts, a board-certified allergist can evaluate those people using a sharp skin test and, possibly, supervised oral exposure at the doctor's office. The list includes eight nuts called “nuts” and constitute one of the 14 as a group, but pine nuts are not among the eight. There may be some cross-reactivity between pine nuts and peanuts, and between pine nuts and almonds, but it's not thought to be significant. There are reports of people who had anaphylaxis to pine nuts and who are also allergic to other nuts, and there are people who are only allergic to pine nuts, but not to nuts or peanuts.
As a result, it's best to talk to an allergist to make sure it's safe to eat products that may have been in contact with pine nuts. Nut allergies are an allergic reaction to proteins found in nuts, such as hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, walnuts, and pistachios. I don't know any chocolate company that uses pine nuts in their products, but you might want to stick with a brand, such as Sacla, which produces pesto sauces, for example. Once the allergist has a deeper understanding of the allergens that cause your symptoms, he or she will develop an individualized treatment plan for your condition with the goal of minimizing symptoms.
Lately, much more has been in the news (about allergies), largely because Pret uses pine nuts in some of its products, such as Rocket 26 flatbread with chicken pesto (pictured on the right). Pine nuts are allergens for some people, although an allergy to pine nuts is not as common as an allergy to peanuts or nuts. A recent review published in the Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology indicates that the vast majority of people who are allergic to pine nuts are not allergic to nuts. They must specify the exact nuts used in the product or that come into contact with it or that come into contact with it.
People with one type of allergy to nuts may have an allergic reaction to other types of nuts. The bad news is that, since it is not among the 14 major allergens, pine nuts will not be included in the warning statement that it “may contain” when there is a risk of cross-contamination.
