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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder what is dangerous about my child’s lunch

567 replies

NameChangeAK · 22/04/2024 20:20

I received a message from school today saying my child’s lunch contained a prohibited item and to please review the policy “as there are children with severe allergies and it’s dangerous not to comply”

I don’t usually provide packed lunches - DC has school meals, but they did like todays meal options.

Ive responded and asked what the item was but waiting for a response, but I’m confused - it’s clearly a nut free school but I can’t see anything else anywhere about other banned foods

the packed lunch contained:

  • ham sandwich (with butter) on brown bread
  • apple
  • frube (strawberry flavour)
  • carton of own brand apple juice
  • Pepperami
  • babybel

any ideas what could be the problem or Aibu to think they’ve mistaken the ham as peanut butter or something ridiculous?

OP posts:
Noyesnoyes · 23/04/2024 05:33

ApolloandDaphne · 23/04/2024 05:33

I now need to know what the dangerous item was. I'm very glad my DDs are adults now and I don't need to deal with this stuff any more!

Me too!

ApolloandDaphne · 23/04/2024 05:33

I now need to know what the dangerous item was. I'm very glad my DDs are adults now and I don't need to deal with this stuff any more!

KickHimInTheCrotch · 23/04/2024 05:32

Ask your kid? Surely they will know which was the offending item if the check was carried out in front of them.

cerisepanther73 · 23/04/2024 04:53

FlakyAquaQuoter · 22/04/2024 20:22

Only thing I can think of is that they've put a recent notice out about another anaphylaxis allergy that you may have missed, and it was something in the lunch?

@NameChangeAK
Real weird why school didn't inform you straight away what phobited food allergy 🤔 is,
for clarification..

GnomeDePlume · 23/04/2024 04:48

Any chance some swaps were done with another child? You sent a totally blameless lunch but the some element got traded for contraband?

VenetiaHallisWellPosh · 23/04/2024 04:45

My daughter choked on a baby bel when she was little so it could be that, or I'm betting the pepperami.

StealthSpinach · 23/04/2024 04:41

My DC is allergic to dairy and soy.
Made it difficult to pack lunches (no school lunches here), as whole pre-school was nut free, then the class was strawberry, watermelon, egg, coriander, and oat free due to specific allergies. Dairy and soy were not banned, but my DC knew not to eat anything not packed by me, and to not let anyone touch his food.
It is hard with allergies at school, and if it is an allergen that the school wrote to OP about, they should have clearly stated that fact.

Needanewname42 · 23/04/2024 04:33

Ridiculous but could it be the bread?
I know someone allergic to wheat, and I mean anaphylaxis carries epi pens for it.

But I honestly don't think schools can or should ban so many allergens, you'd really would end up with nothing that's not banned.

Wheat is in so many things besides the obvious bread, cakes and pasta, its used as a thickener in loads of stuff from ice cream to soup it would be almost impossible to avoid both it and dairy.
I bet the school kitchens wouldn't avoid both either.

NeverEnoughPants · 23/04/2024 04:27

Aria999 · 23/04/2024 02:34

What is a frube?

It's a brand of yogurt, in a little plastic tube so it's convenient to eat (no spoon required)

fuzzyduck1 · 23/04/2024 04:13

the ham sandwich? Maybe the school bully is allergic to wheat or their religion doesn’t allow them to eat ham?

Aria999 · 23/04/2024 03:58

MariaVT65 · 23/04/2024 02:38

Christ lol.

I’d be emailing back with ‘clearly it’s not THAT dangerous if you don’t want to tell me exactly which item it was and make me guess, risking me sending it again. Until you clarify exactly which item was dangerous, i’ll assume you have emailed the wrong parent. Thanks’.

Can I just say that I love how Frubes, Babybel and Pepperami in lunchboxes are still going, as this reminds me of my own packed lunch in the 90s 😁

lol yes this

YeahComeOnThen · 23/04/2024 03:22

Isittimeformynapyet · 23/04/2024 01:47

I'm curious: Did you respond before you'd even finished reading the OP?

@Isittimeformynapyet

Did you snark before reading the post fully?

Needmorelego · 23/04/2024 03:19

@Isittimeformynapyet no need to be rude.
Yes I read the OP.
I wrote my reply and posted it - but then realised almost straight away I had made an error with what I had said so edited it barely 10 seconds later.
Is that ok with you?

HappyEater · 23/04/2024 03:16

If they can’t be bothered to tell you what is wrong; don’t change anything.

YeahComeOnThen · 23/04/2024 03:14

VeraForever · 22/04/2024 23:03

Ask the school?

@VeraForever

read the OP's posts

Shestolemyboyfriend · 23/04/2024 03:01

Bloody hell I wouldn't know what to pack in my son's lunch if everything had to be dairy or nut free. Good luck with finding bread that hasn't got a label saying it may contain nut traces.

MariaVT65 · 23/04/2024 02:38

Christ lol.

I’d be emailing back with ‘clearly it’s not THAT dangerous if you don’t want to tell me exactly which item it was and make me guess, risking me sending it again. Until you clarify exactly which item was dangerous, i’ll assume you have emailed the wrong parent. Thanks’.

Can I just say that I love how Frubes, Babybel and Pepperami in lunchboxes are still going, as this reminds me of my own packed lunch in the 90s 😁

goldenretrievermum5 · 23/04/2024 02:36

Stigglet · 22/04/2024 23:07

Probably the frube. It has more sugar than a chocolate biscuit. Flavoured yogurt is very unhealthy.

And what’s wrong with a chocolate biscuit exactly? Everything in moderation. An apple has twice the amount of sugar as a Frube but we’re not banning those 🤦‍♀️

Aria999 · 23/04/2024 02:34

What is a frube?

Fraaahnces · 23/04/2024 02:24

Jeeze, you would have been arrested for child cruelty/neglect if you fed your kids the kinds of lunches we had at school. It was hard enough when my kids were little, but this is insane. You need a crystal ball!

DrJoanAllenby · 23/04/2024 02:07

augustusglupe · 22/04/2024 23:28

God how times have changed. It’s ridiculous!

I'm glad mine went through school without these strict rules as I would have kicked up a huge fuss.

If anyone has an allergy that severe they should be segregated at lunch and break times or the parent takes the out of school
At lunch time so that the rest of the pupils, the majority can eat normally.

Kandalama · 23/04/2024 01:55

GoodAfternoonGoodEveningAndGoodnight · 23/04/2024 01:39

No, noone that you knew had allergies.
Of course they existed!
I had allergies in the 80s as a child, it just took ages to find out what was wrong with me though.

Just realised what I said there.😳
Exactly.
No one that I knew!….

Isittimeformynapyet · 23/04/2024 01:47

Needmorelego · 22/04/2024 20:24

Possibly the cheese or the yoghurt ?
Best thing is to ask them. Something may have changed recently and they've either not told parents or you missed the message.
(Edit: I see you have asked - hopefully they will reply asap. If they don't - ask again!)

Edited

I'm curious: Did you respond before you'd even finished reading the OP?

Icehockeyflowers · 23/04/2024 01:45

BirtyDird · 22/04/2024 23:11

Surely they can't ban a juice carton for lunch as unhealthy. I understand most schools request water only during lessons/breaks, but juice is normally allowed at lunch time. I wouldn't have thought it would be that, if it was I'd ignoring that anyway.

Edited

My kid's primary school only allows water.
Juices and drinks are confiscated and returned at home time along with any cakes, biscuits, bars etc.

GoodAfternoonGoodEveningAndGoodnight · 23/04/2024 01:42

EnglishBluebell · 23/04/2024 01:36

@GoodAfternoonGoodEveningAndGoodnight Airborne milk powder?! Well that must be awful. However I think you'll be just fine as I've yet to see any milk powder which was airborne..

Hot chocolate powder, just off the top of my head?
Also if there's a large amount of chocolate around which I have been around in the past then yes I do I react even if I'm not eating it.

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