How would you ensure that your product is peanut free? 

Thanks,

Diamel Delights (Nadia and Meliss)

Can't be done. Can you guarantee the flour you use wasn't processed next to a conveyor belt that may have carried some peanut products, that may or may not have burst open releasing peanut dust that may have settled onto the bag of flour before it was sealed? Hysterical, I know, but it's personally easier for me and my peace of mind to just not take an order for a peanut allergy.

It is very difficult but if you look on the labels, it will tell you "processed in a factory that also processes nuts."  It will also tell you if it contains wheat or soy.  That being said, insurance is important just in case there is an allergic reaction.  Also, use only glass and stainless steel to bake, they don't cross-contaminate because they aren't porous. You can also contact the manufacturers of your flour and ask if the flour was exposed to nuts.  I emailed quite a few manufacturers about this issue.  

AIt's actually not that difficult to do, you just need to make sure your own processes and the processes used to manufacture your ingredients avoid cross-contamination with peanuts. Many manufacturers have people who specialize in dealing with allergens and cross-contamination, and they are happy to speak with businesses who have questions. A product that is labeled as "made in the same facility as peanuts" may or may not be safe depending on the cleaning processes used by the company, but "made on shared equipment" is almost always unsafe.

That said there is never a 100% guarantee (for example, a guest could contaminate the cake after it's been delivered) but I felt comfortable enough declaring the products in the bakery I started peanut-free and nut-free (as well as egg, gluten, dairy, and/or soy-free), and our customers agreed.

It's harder with ingredients like gluten that are more prevalent (not to mention airborne) but it can be done.

Do you mean your entire bakery would cater to peanut-free customers, or just one order?  My son has a peanut allergy and I would not feel comfortable buying a peanut-free cake from a shop that bakes non-peanut free treats.  I would gladly purchase from a dedicated peanut-free shop!  And if you're a home based baker, I would think there's more chances for cross-contamination.  I'm happy I took up this hobby before my son was diagnosed so he doesn't have to miss out on nice cakes for his birthdays :)

It was for one order...it's been cancelled but thank you for your responses.  It is really great to know that you can call a company (i.e. flour producers/packers)  to inquire and that they are more than willing to assist in any way possible.  It may be in our best interest to not accept these types of orders in the near future, mostly for our piece of mind:)