Confused about coconut

[nonuteen]

We have mainly avoided coconut.  My daughter is allergic to most tree nuts/peanuts and soy.  I guess I have been worried or confused about  coconut so we have avoided. 
As far as I know, she has never been tested for a coconut allergy (I need to look at testing again) or at least never tested positive.

What are everyone's thoughts on coconut?  Do you consider it a tree nut?  Do some with nut allergies safely consume?  What do allergists currently recommend?

We are currently in the middle of switching allergist but will be bringing this up at our next appt also.
It's funny, no matter how long you deal with this allergy the questions and new concerns never seem to  stop!

Also, I tried to do a search for coconut but it mainly came up with recipes so if there is already a thread on this topic, I would love for someone to show me the way!:)

Thanks!!!

[PurpleCat]

My DD is allergic to coconut.  She has tested positive and I have seen her react to coconut.  She even has skin trouble with sunscreens that contain coconut oil.  We have to be super careful with lip balms.

Coconut is a drupe.  So are pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans.  Real tree nuts are chestnuts, hazelnuts, and I think brazil nuts.  Peaches, mangoes and other pitted fruits are also drupes.

If you do a google search there are lots of articles on this.  Here is one I often share with my friends http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph8.htm  Here's another a friend sent me http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/what-are-the-differences-between-nuts-and-drupes.html

My DD tested positive to all the drupes and has OAS to all pitted fruits.  Her numbers are positive but lower for the true tree nuts.

I guess it is just easier to classify everything as a tree nut......but they are not.

Thing is if you get a general tree nut allergy classification without testing each kind...then you don't really know.  If you don't know, I'd be careful until you do.

I have to run my kids to the dentist now...but I can help if you need any info on coconut - we live it.

[Jessica]

My dd had coconut way before the fda decided it was a tree nut. The quaker chewy granola bars from Canada had coconut in them so that's where she originally had it from.

[nonuteen]

Thanks for the links and information!

Ok, looking at her test results she actually tested positive to peanut, soybean,  almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, and hazelnuts.  All of her blood tests are neg for coconut.  We have just avoided ALL tree nuts (or drupes:) including coconuts since she was allergic to most and I am always afraid to try new things!

Maybe once we go to allergist, I can discuss this and maybe get some options for her.  I cannot tolerate milk and she is allergic to soy so we were thinking maybe we could start baking with coconut milk?

[nonuteen]

Just thought I would add that she had her 1st anaphylactic reaction over 14 years ago so we have been avoiding a LONG time! I feel like you get in a certain comfort zone and it gets harder to add/change new ingredients!

My intolerance to milk has been in the last year so that is what is pushing us to consider coconut milk.

[lmw]

DD is allergic to coconut - reactions and tests. She is also TNA (all) and PA. Two tree nuts, then PA, coconut and the rest of the tree nuts, pine nuts and safflower...

It took us a long time to figure the coconut allergy out. Coconut oil is in so many things.

For your milk options, I work in a store that sells sunflower milk. I think it's called SOL? I have not tried it, DD
has no dairy issues.

As well, there are a number of rice milks available too. Again, I have not tried any, I have heard various comments about them all, but if those are the options, you deal, right?

[nonuteen]

I have never heard of sunflower milk!  I will check into that.  We used to use rice milk (my youngest was soy/milk protein intolerant as a baby/toddler) but the study about the amount of arsenic in rice has caused me to reconsider...

[SweetandSour]

I'm tna and not allergic to coconut. But I know a child that is allergic to it. I would get specific testing on it.

[Mayashappyplace]

Yes, I have anaphylaxis to peanuts and soy and some tree nuts, but I'm not allergic to coconut. 

[nonuteen]

So, for those of you that are allergic to treenuts/peanuts/soy, what coconut milk do you feel comfortable with.  The SO brand looks like it is labeled well.

[twinturbo]

For PA/TNA child I've used So Delicious products and Native Forest canned coconut but full disclosure nearly all coconut milk is going to be imported from Sri Lanka, Thailand, etc. It is then rebranded here.

[Mayashappyplace]

I can't use So products...if I'm not mistaken, I've seen guar gum in their brand which is closely related to soy and also made from a legume.

[spacecanada]

In Canada, coconut is not grouped with tree nuts.  I am anaphylactic to a long list of tree nuts (and drupes) and can eat coconut just fine.  Most processed coconut is cross contaminated with tree nuts though, so you may be hard pressed to find a safe brand, especially in America where coconut is considered a tree nut.  Also, most coconut milks (in cartons) are made on shared lines with soy, rice, dairy, and/or almond.  I've reacted to almost every brand of soy and rice milk, only to find out that it was made on shared lines with almond.  I've avoided coconut milk (in cartons) for this very reason.  Coconut milk from tins seems to be much safer, despite their international origins. 

[Jessica]

We use Great Value, which has no nut warning (believe me, they would if there was a risk) and used to use Baker's, which also had no warning (made by Kraft so who knows if there's an actual risk).

[GoingNuts]

DS is allergic to all tree nuts except possibly almond (which technically is a drupe) and is not allergic to coconut.  He's been eating it since he was a baby, so we saw no reason to avoid when it's classification was changed.  We've used Goya coconut milk many times.

Oddly, I was allergic to coconut until my late teens (hives), but other than severe OAS have no other food allergies.  Woops, except possibly to cantaloupe, but I've never been tested.