Introduction: In children, a diagnosis of peanut allergy causes concern about
accidental exposure because even small amounts of peanut protein could trigger
an allergic reaction. Contamination of toys, books or other items by peanut
butter in areas where individuals have eaten may occur in hospital waiting
rooms and cafeterias.
Research
Question: Will cleaning with regular household
cleaning products or hospital wipes remove peanut allergen from common
surfaces?
What
they did: Peanut butter was smeared on several;
surfaces including table tops, toys and books. The objects were then wiped
using a common household wipe. The objects were then tested for the presence of
peanut allergen.
The same experiment was performed using 2
different types of hospital wipes.
Results:
No peanut allergen was found after wiping with the
common household wipes and the hospital wipes.
Conclusions:
Common household and hospital cleaning wipes can be
used to remove peanut allergen from table surfaces, toys or books.
Regular cleaning of these products or
cleaning prior to their use should be promoted to reduce the risk of accidental
peanut exposure, especially in areas where they have been used by many
children.
Removal of peanut
allergen Ara h 1 from common hospital surfaces, toys and books using standard
cleaning methods. Wade TA Watson, AnnMarie Woodrow and
Andrew W Stadnyk: Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology 2015, 11:4 (23
January 2015)
http://www.aacijournal.com/content/11/1/4
