Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Nut free school, is "may contain nuts" ok?

82 replies

icepackquestion · 07/06/2021 05:58

My daughters primary school is a nut free school. Can I put something in her lunch that doesn't contain nuts but says "may contain nuts" ?

OP posts:
FortunesFave · 07/06/2021 05:59

No.

FortunesFave · 07/06/2021 06:00

To expand, if you're ok with even the smallest risk that an allergic child could die, then go ahead. May contain nuts MAY contain nuts. That's not good enough.

spookycookies · 07/06/2021 06:05

Lots of things may contain nuts because they are made in a factory that uses nuts in other products. I imagine that plenty of people don't even check for may contain when packing a lunch box. The nut alerting child isn't going to be eating it and the traces would be so small to cause air particles.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
Carycy · 07/06/2021 06:12

I think even Cadbury’s says may contain Nuts. Everything does these days. So I would use a little common sense. A sealed chocolate bar from a major brand yes. A cookie from a shop with an open counter and cookies with nuts right next to it no. I say that as a parent with a child that has a peanut allergy and an epipen. But maybe check with the school.

DragonLegs · 07/06/2021 06:16

That’s fine. It means the factory handles nuts but they’re not in the ingredients.

Original poster
icepackquestion · 07/06/2021 06:17

@FortunesFave how ridiculous and over the top. As if I want a child to die.

Thank you everyone else for the advice

OP posts:
GaraMedouar · 07/06/2021 06:21

It’s fine - most packet sweet products say that ‘just in case’ as maybe the factory uses them in other products.

(Same as Carycy I am a mum with a DS with a severe nut allergy (both peanuts and tree nuts) who carries an epipen. )

Galvantula · 07/06/2021 06:23

That should be fine.

Even my DC with nut allergies are allowed to eat "may contain nuts" food, on the advice of the allergy nurse.

It just means things like nut butter sandwiches and actual nuts are a problem - easily spread around by wee sticky fingers! Or cereal bars containing nuts.

mariemare · 07/06/2021 06:25

@icepackquestion

My daughters primary school is a nut free school. Can I put something in her lunch that doesn't contain nuts but says "may contain nuts" ?
As long as it doesn't contain actual nuts. I have a serious nut allergy and I eat the stuff with that label - I'd starve otherwise!

"May contain nuts" is a legal disclaimer to cover food manufacturers rather than inform consumers.

Original poster
icepackquestion · 07/06/2021 06:27

Thank you all

OP posts:
DinosApple · 07/06/2021 06:29

I'd check with the school. If the child with the allergy is in your DC class it might make a difference.
The children aren't sharing food however, and if your family eat nut products then your home is an environment where anything you make from scratch 'may contain traces of nuts'.

CatNamedEaster · 07/06/2021 06:40

The thing is, is might not be fine in your school so you need to check with them and preferably get them to issue clear guidance.
Is "May contain" acceptable? Is "made in a factory..." acceptable? Is "not suitable due to production methods" acceptable? They need to make sure there's no room for umming and arrring otherwise they are going to have 100's of parents wondering the same as you. The risk is that some of them will think 'oh this will be ok because it only says XXX on the pack' when actually it might not be ok for your school.

It might not be a generic policy but could be in place due to a pupil with severe allergies and you don't know if they might be affected by airborne particles rather than direct contact.

SoapboxFox · 07/06/2021 06:49

Would you eat something that said 'may contain poison'?

Whosaidit · 07/06/2021 06:53

@SoapboxFox

Would you eat something that said 'may contain poison'?
That’s daft. The child who has the nut allergy isn’t going to be eating the food that says “may contain nuts” are they? So for anyone else eating it, it’s not poison is it??
JocastaNu · 07/06/2021 06:57

@SoapboxFox

Would you eat something that said 'may contain poison'?
Don't be ridiculous.

It would be completely unreasonable to expect children to only have products in their packed lunches that are guaranteed to be free of traces of nuts, given that almost all packaged food has this disclaimer on it.

Food with nuts as a listed ingredient is obviously a big no, but anything else made in a factory that handles nuts should be allowed.

Carycy · 07/06/2021 06:58

Soapboxfox get a grip! Manufacturers put that on the packaging to cover themselves. Seriously my son would never have anything if I paid attention to it.

NoMoreAngelDelight · 07/06/2021 07:00

Yes! Everything may contain nuts these days! It’s nuts!

HelgaDownUnder · 07/06/2021 07:00

We eat nuts extensively at home, peanut oil is our main cooking oil and nut butters are the main breakfast food for DC.
I don't pack nuts in their lunch, but everything probably has traces of nut on it.
It's just not realistic to assume that food is free of all traces of nuts. Even my DC probably have traces of nuts on them. They have been in class with anaphylactic kids and never triggered a reaction.

BelleBlueBell · 07/06/2021 07:01

You really need to ask the school about this. They won't all have the same rules.

The sensible thing to do is make a nut free lunch today and ask during the day so that you know for certain surely. Is there a reason you need to know before the school opens?

00100001 · 07/06/2021 07:01

@FortunesFave

To expand, if you're ok with even the smallest risk that an allergic child could die, then go ahead. May contain nuts MAY contain nuts. That's not good enough.
🤣🤣
CressidatheCaterpillar · 07/06/2021 07:01

Check with the school. The child at ours with a nut allergy has such severe anaphylaxis that the smallest of particles would be enough to cause a collapse/epi pen/blue light trip to hospital. It wouldn't be worth risking with the 'may'.

00100001 · 07/06/2021 07:02

@SoapboxFox

Would you eat something that said 'may contain poison'?
😂😂😂
Sirzy · 07/06/2021 07:04

I think may contains is fine to take in but I am amazed that an allergy nurse is saying it’s fine to eat those products if someone has an allergy. They do still pose a risk if ingested even if that is a small one - that’s why the warning is there.

Whatwouldscullydo · 07/06/2021 07:05

Everything says may contain nuts

00100001 · 07/06/2021 07:05

@CressidatheCaterpillar

Check with the school. The child at ours with a nut allergy has such severe anaphylaxis that the smallest of particles would be enough to cause a collapse/epi pen/blue light trip to hospital. It wouldn't be worth risking with the 'may'.
But the problem is that the majority of food MAY contain some sort of allergen. The child must cope going out in the real world, surely? It's not like they love in a hermetic seal of school and home.

I'm not saying we should have a peanut butter sandwich dipped in peanut butter,then cooked in peanut oil for lunch. But having a plain cake bar that comes from a factory that also handles nuts is FINE.