Nut free school lunch box question

[musicinspring1]

I haven’t had to make packed lunch for DS for a while but am switching and I have a question this evening.
if his school is nut free what is the thinking around things that don’t have nuts in the ingredients but say somewhere on the packet ‘Made in a factory with nuts ‘.
is that ok or still err on the side of caution ?
thanks !

‘May Contains’ are fine but avoid things like Nutella or snack bars with nuts in for example.

Thanks. @CompostMaker Wasn’t sure on the protocol for the ‘may contain ‘ but will definitely swerve the actual nuts / nut paste. 😀

May contain are fine at our school.

Great thanks @TheChosenTwo - gives me a few more options !

May contain nuts is fine, my son has a peanut allergy (epipen) and these sort of products don’t concern us as while there is a risk, it is very small.

The common allergy is peanuts, ask the school to specify otherwise it can cut down the lunch box ideas.
Just saying 'nut free' is like saying 'no veg' when it's only perhaps carrots that are the trigger and other veg would be OK.

Thanks all - I’ve been extra safe for tomorrow and nothing even that may contain nuts and I’ll ask for more info, just in case.

This is terrible advice. Tree nut allergies are also very common. If it’s a nut free school then you send in nothing with any nuts at all, period.

But to answer your question OP things that may contain traces or made in factory with nuts is ok, but you should teach your kid not to share their lunch with others.

Honestly ask the school as it depends entirely on why they are nut free.

Ours is nut free as we have a child who is massively allergic. As a result we cannot send in anything that states "may contain nuts or "made in a fair that uses nuts"

@MinorWomensWhiplash1 how is ask the school terrible advice? If tree nuts as well as peanuts are an issue asking the school will elicit this information.

@eurochick It’s irresponsible of that poster to imply that peanut is usually the only allergen. There are many foods which can cause serious and life threatening allergic reactions. Someone might read that post and think “oh well this other non-peanut nut will be fine” and expose a child to something they are highly allergic to. Schools stipulate “nut free” not just “peanut free” for a reason, because they are all very common allergens. Don’t waste the school’s time quibbling over their policy - no nuts means no nuts. There’s plenty of other food options.

‘May contain traces’ shouldn’t be a problem.

I have a very severe nut allergy and I have eaten plenty of 'may contain traces' products over the years.

I'm more careful re products from smaller producers like local farm shops and really small bakery producers as there's more likely to be a real risk.

With the massive manufacturers/brands (thinking the likes of Kellogg's, mcvities, Cadbury) the cleaning and safety measures in place mean that the chances of cross contamination must be tiny.

May contain/made in a factory where…

these are more like disclaimers, rather than allergen advice.

Agree with PP If the school says ‘nut free’ they mean all nuts, not just peanuts… I hope no one thinks this 😦
Well done for checking OP, it’s great when people are so careful ⭐️

Where does hummus sit with this?

It usually has tahini in it which is made from sesame seeds - which people can be very allergic to too.

I find the nut free policy really bizarre as there are many more allergies yet they’re never, ime, mentioned. I have a severe latex allergy but nowhere has ever banned balloons and dd3 is allergic to coconut but that’s not technically a nut so not included in the class lunchbox request. Why are nut allergies deemed ones that matter?

But yes, may contain is fine but peanut butter is a no, as is actual nuts.