Yes, we've been hearing for a while that peanuts can be an allergen, and
that peanut oil is in a popular nipple cream etc  I've also had a couple of
mums whose babies appeared to show a sensitivity when their mothers ate
peanuts and one of my friends' brothers died (in the US) of an anaphylactic
reaction to peanuts.  However, one of Zimbabwe's traditional foods is a
peanut butter called "dovi", which is stirred into cooked vegetables (mainly
dark green leafy, with onion and tomato called "covo" - it's absolutely
delicious!).  Peanuts are eaten all year round by the indigenous population,
some families eating them twice a week, others eating them every day.
Salted peanuts are given to the newly delivered mother as a galactogogue.  I
have never heard of an allergy to peanuts amongst the African people,
although that's not to say it doesn't exist.  But clearly the large majority
of the population consume large quantities of peanuts without any apparent
ill effects.  Now, isn't this strange?  Perhaps someone can explain ..