Pure almond extract can trigger an allergic reaction.
However, imitation almond extract is safe even with an almond allergy.
Imitation extract has the same almond flavor but none of the nut’s allergy-causing proteins.
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The challenge is checking the products you consume to be sure you’re getting safe, imitation almond extract.
Ingredients
The ingredients in almond extract depend on whether the extract is pure or artificial.
Pure Almond Extract
Pure almond extract contains three ingredients: almond oil, alcohol, and water.
Almond oil is extracted from the nut.
Refined oils are extracted using high heat or chemical agents.
They generally dont containalmond proteins.
However, unrefined oils are cold-pressed and retain nut proteins.
There’s usually no way to know the refining process used for the oil in almond extract.
Additionally, producers extract benzaldehyde from the cassia plant.
Cassia containscinnamaldehyde, an essential oil that converts into benzaldehyde.
When synthetically produced, benzaldehyde retains the almond flavor without containing actual almond compounds or proteins.
As a result, it creates an artificial almond extract that’s safe for people with tree nut allergies.
Products containing artificial almond extracts should not have almonds or almond oil listed as ingredients.
They also won’t carry an allergy warning.
The label typically says “imitation almond extract” and the ingredients may list “artificial flavor.”
Natural almond flavor sounds like it could be a pure extract, but it’s not.
That phrase means the extract came from natural plant sources rather than a chemical.
Tree nut and peanut allergies aren’t the same, but they can overlap.
Drupes are fruits with an outer fleshy covering over a hard-shelled nut in the center.
Drupes include peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and apricots.
(You may also hear them referred to as stone fruits.)
The pits in all stone fruits contain benzaldehyde.
However, manufacturers typically use peaches to make almond extract because they contain more benzaldehyde than other drupes.
Almond extract made from natural almonds is dangerous if you have an almond allergy.
If you love the flavor of almonds, you have options.
Imitation almond extract provides the flavor but contains no almond proteins that can trigger your allergy.
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