cinema popcorn reaction?

[wtftodo]

my dd1 has a severe peanut allergy (apparently - she's never actually eaten any). She eats popcorn loads - yesterday at the cinema she ate some popcorn and then immediately was covered over her face, trunk, arms and legs with large wheals/hives and a red rash. She was super itchy. Gave her cetirizine right away and it subsided after a while.

I asked to see the popcorn bag - it is brought in from an external supplier in large bags and the ingredients just said "corn, vegetable oil". Is it possible the vegetable oil could include unrefined groundnut oil? I can't think what else she might have reacted to - she doesn't appear to be allergic to airborne peanut particles or to touch as her dad eats bombay mix, etc around her and she's never reacted before even when she picked up a peanut. So I assume it must have been something she ingested...

We coincidentally have a skin prick test on friday so I can ask them there but wanted to check here if there's anything else I should be trying to rule out (the clinic suggested bringing popcorn, I'm fairly sure she is fine though as eats it weekly)

No idea on that one sorry. I’d be interested to hear how the skin prick test goes though OP. Let us know

My dd has a peanut allergy also. She used to feed squirrels peanuts previously at the woods from her hand but had never eaten any and never reacted. However sometime after this, unknown to us, ds gave her a peanut to eat from a buffet and that is when her peanut allergy was discovered, itching, huge wheals and a trip to A&E, overnight stay and epipens given.
Now, I can also say this was just the beginning for us as after that we got access to skin prick testing which showed an array of allergies (not life threatening ones). One of my dd's allergies came up as corn in a blood test. We stopped giving her corn. Years later we repeated it as a skin prick test and it came up again positive to corn.
I really want to re check this now years on (with her eating some) but it looks like dd had a corn allergy. Some skin prick tests have showed positive for various things and we have avoided foods for years and some we have re introduced and have been okay. Its a tricky situation. But it gives you a good idea on what may be a problem. My dd is certainly reactive and never fails to bring up an arm of wheals on skin prick testing.
Many years ago they did use to say peanut oil could be in veg oil but I am talking 11+ years ago, I doubt it happens today. But then I have heard a lot more about refined oils not causing a problem as the allergic proteins are removed.
However, if the oil was put through a machine after it had had unrefined peanut oil through it, I would highly imagine the oil would carry a warning as things have improved greatly over the years. Laws ect. However, to clear this up you could write to the company involved asking about the popcorn, cross contamination and oil used.
The other thing is if it was nothing to do with the food itself and she was reacting to eg cinema seating as in an undiagnosed dust mite allergy (my dd has this too). Could be another one to test on the skin prick test.
Cross contamination is very likely also at the cinema.
It is always mind blowing isn't it. Especially if she does eat corn and is usually fine. But it can just develop out of the blue too.
I hope you get some luck finding the culprit. It is a minefield. We always found it so hard monitoring dd's allergies because she was always itchy and covered in eczema anyway. Now she is clearer from eczema and older it is easier to test foods.
Good luck with everything and yes keep us updated how you get on

If you worry that they wont have the solution to test for corn allergy take a cooked piece of corn with you. They will rub the juice on the arm and use instead. We used to take along allsorts of fruit and veg. But some used raw and some used cooked. I say cooked as you mainly want to know if she can eat cooked corn (becomes less allergic cooked). If you take anything else ensure the foods don't contaminate each other.
Remember not to give any antihistamines as she is meant to be clear of them for many days prior to skin pricks. Not sure how long exactly (forgotten) but just read online cetirizine five days clear.

Thanks all. She tested fine for everything except peanuts, again. I now suspect that she reacted to a trace amount of peanut somewhere.

That's great news she only reacts to the peanut wtftodo, makes things easier. Thanks for the update, was wondering how you got on