UK allergen
Peanut allergy eating out in the UK
Peanuts are one of the 14 allergens UK food businesses have to be able to tell you about. They are a legume, listed separately from tree nuts. This is a practical guide to eating out, not a judgement on any restaurant and not medical advice.
Where peanut shows up on a plate
Peanut and groundnut are the same food. Satay, some curries, some stews, chopped nuts on a salad, biscuits and desserts are the obvious places. Garnishes and the oil in a fryer are the ones people miss. A menu can describe a dish as a salad and still send it out with a peanut dressing.
Groundnut oil is peanut oil. Whether a highly refined oil is a problem for you is a question for your allergist, not for a general article. In the restaurant, ask which oil they cook with and what else is cooked in it. Do not decide from the word “vegetable”.
Peanut is not the tree-nut list
UK labelling lists peanuts separately from tree nuts. Almond, hazelnut, walnut, cashew, pecan, Brazil nut, pistachio and macadamia are the tree nuts. A kitchen that has removed walnuts has not, by that fact, removed peanut. Put peanuts on your SafePlate profile even if you also avoid tree nuts, so the two are not collapsed into one word.
Lupin is another legume, and some people with a peanut allergy also react to it. Many do not. If you have been told to avoid lupin, ask about flour as well as nuts. If you have not, this is a point for your specialist rather than a rule to invent at the table.
What the law makes a business say
When peanut is an ingredient, a food business has to be able to tell you. For food packed on the premises before you choose it, Natasha’s Law has required a full ingredients list since 1 October 2021, with peanut emphasised so it is visible. That is the grab-and-go sandwich and the cafe fridge, not the steak cooked after you order.
A cooked-to-order meal still needs an allergen answer. The business can print it or say it, as long as you can get an accurate one. “May contain peanuts” is a voluntary cross-contact warning. Its absence is not a promise that the fryer is dedicated. Chris Faulkes, who built SafePlate, is anaphylactic to peanuts. The site exists so that conversation is easier. It still does not certify a kitchen.
What to ask about peanut
- Is there peanut, groundnut, satay or a peanut garnish in this dish or the sauce?
- Which oil is in the fryer, and what else is cooked in it?
- Are peanuts stored or chopped in the same area as this meal?
- If this was packed earlier, can I see peanut emphasised on the ingredients list?
- Please check with the kitchen and tell me what they said, rather than reading the menu title.
Search with peanut on your profile
Add peanuts before you search. SafePlate can then keep peanut separate from tree nuts. A city guide explains how to ask locally. It does not name restaurants as peanut-free.
Questions people ask
Is a refined groundnut oil safe for a peanut allergy?
That is a clinical question for the person who manages your allergy. Restaurants use different oils, and some peanut oils are not highly refined. Ask which oil is in use. Do not treat a general article as permission to eat food cooked in groundnut oil.
Does a nut-free claim cover peanut?
Ask them to say peanut specifically. Tree nuts and peanuts are separate allergens in UK law. A kitchen can be careful about almonds and still use groundnut oil or a peanut sauce.
Will SafePlate show a peanut score for every UK restaurant?
No. The Allergy Confidence Score stays unknown until a menu or a visitor note mentions peanut. Unknown means the file is empty. Search a city, then confirm the dish with the kitchen. If you think someone is having anaphylaxis, call 999.
Set up your foods before you search. This is not medical advice. Confirm the meal with the kitchen. If you think someone is having anaphylaxis, call 999.