I recently developed an allergy to sunflower seeds and sunflower oil (confirmed by skin test). I have been trying to avoid sunflower oil for a few weeks, checking ingredients on everything. I keep having reactions, though. After eating grape nuts and raisin bran, cereals that don't use sunflower oil or vegetable oil, I get a few hives. Someone from work brought in donuts from Dunkin Donuts and before eating one I checked online: palm oil, soy oil and cottonseed oil. But it also gave me hives. Subway turkey sandwich, supposedly sunflower oil free, hives again. I had a more serious reaction to tortellini made with breadcrumbs. Restaurants tell me they don't use sunflower oil, but I react anyway.
I am wondering: could I also be dealing with another allergy? Or is cross contamination common with sunflower oil? If the label lists the ingredients in the vegetable oil, can I trust it? How do others with sunflower allergy handle vegetable oil, restaurants and processed foods? Are breakfast cereals a problem for you?
I am trying to figure out how my life needs to change and it is making me sad. I love my local restaurants and can't imagine giving them up, but everything seems to give me hives. No more breakfast cereal