Replacing Peanut Oil with Canola Oil

It may be best to skip peanut oil if you are allergic to peanuts

Some sources, such as the The Peanut Institute, assure consumers that eating peanut oil is safe for those with a peanut allergy. According to this source, peanut oil is usually highly refined and is not the same as peanuts, peanut butter, or other peanut products. It is purified, refined, bleached, and deodorized as it is refined. During this process, the protein from the peanuts is destroyed, and it is the peanut protein that causes an allergic reaction.

Why it is risky to eat peanut oil if you're allergic to peanuts

Although it may be safe to eat this highly refined peanut oil, other types of peanut oil are sometimes used in restaurants and to make processed foods. They can also be purchased in stores. This type of oil might be called aromatic, cold pressed oil, or gourmet oil, and it can cause anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction. The safest thing to do is to avoid all peanut oil and replace it with canola oil.

Canola oil can be substituted for peanut oil

Canola oil is a good substitute for peanut oil used in home cooking. It has less saturated fat than other cooking oils and more omega 3 fatty acids than peanut oil has. Refined canola oil is also good for frying food because it will not smoke or burn until it reaches 400 degrees, and food is seldom fried at this high temperature.

Be sure to substitute canola oil for all peanut oil in your home

Although it's very simple to throw out a bottle of peanut oil, the Mayo Clinic warns in their article "Peanut allergy" published on June 27, 2012 that those with allergies to peanuts may experience peanut allergy symptoms from cooking spray that contains peanut oil. Many people are not aware that some non-stick spray could contain peanut oil.