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Original poster

Shit I accidentally set a marzipan into a nut free school

189 replies

FairfaxAikmann · 18/12/2023 19:23

DS gets a snack box to school as he's autistic and often doesn't eat school dinner.
The box is bigger than I would send otherwise as it's intended to be a makeshift lunch if needed.
In addition to the usual fruits, veg, cheese etc he always hangers a cake type thing - something like a mini roll.

However as it's Christmas we had mini Stollen in the house so I sent that.

I had no idea there was marzipan in the middle! I hate raisins so have never eaten the stuff and DH had taken it out of the packaging and out in the biscuit barrel.

Thankfully the SEN unit is separate and there's no nut allergies there.

But shit, I fucked up.

What's the worst you've fucked up with school stuff?

OP posts:
TigerOnTour · 18/12/2023 19:26

I put a marzipan rabbit in top of an Easter cake for a competition. Then I realized so I had to tell my child he couldn't enter the competition 😭

mindutopia · 18/12/2023 20:07

Not with school packed lunch, but one of the offices where I sometimes work is nut free due to severe nut allergy. I only go a couple times a year so I often rarely think about it.

First time back in the office after COVID, I found myself standing in the kitchen reading the massive NO NUTS!! sign on the wall…while eating my almond croissant. 😬😬😬 I literally just shoved the whole thing in my mouth and prayed for no nut spray and droppings flying everywhere. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Beginningless · 18/12/2023 20:14

I have a good one. I found an alive tick on my puppy for the first time. I don’t kill anything so I put it in a small Tupperware while I decided what I would do with it. In the morning I’d decided I would take it on a forest walk and put it out. When I went to get it the tub was gone! I hadn’t told DH it was there and assumed tick was now crawling about our floor, as he’d have opened tub to put it in dishwasher.

Went to ask DH and it turned out he’d given DD a bit of cake for school snack and put it in the tub! This was morning time and he said he’d told her to eat it at lunch, so I rang the office and had a giggle with the office lady about the random request to check the tub. She called back 5 min later sounding brave, saying DD had eaten the cake and asked me would she be ok? I said yes and felt sorry for poor DD in case I’d freaked her out.

When I picked her up I apologised and she said ‘I saw the tick mum! It was on my cake so I went and shook it off in the sensory garden in the playground’. So some poor mum ended up with wee ticky coming home to them, probably! Oops

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General food
Beginningless · 18/12/2023 20:15

*sounding grave

redcar28 · 18/12/2023 20:18

Out of curiosity, what happens if you eat nuts near somebody with a severe allergy? How does the reaction happen if they don't directly consume it?

theduchessofspork · 18/12/2023 20:20

redcar28 · 18/12/2023 20:18

Out of curiosity, what happens if you eat nuts near somebody with a severe allergy? How does the reaction happen if they don't directly consume it?

As far as I know, probably nothing, it’s belt and braces.

But obviously kids share stuff and leave it around, so it’s more of a risk situation than a plane.

Ilovegoldies · 18/12/2023 20:20

redcar28 · 18/12/2023 20:18

Out of curiosity, what happens if you eat nuts near somebody with a severe allergy? How does the reaction happen if they don't directly consume it?

From my understanding even the smallest trace of nut oil in the air can trigger anaphylaxis.

Orangello · 18/12/2023 20:21

So some poor mum ended up with wee ticky coming home to them, probably! Oops

Aww cute. We almost lost a dog to piroplasmosis. Wee tick.

theduchessofspork · 18/12/2023 20:21

I did once have a takeaway delivered to school when I forgot back lunch. The kids were amused, not 100% sure the school was.

redcar28 · 18/12/2023 20:21

We had a flight of couple of months ago. The attendant made numerous announcements saying that somebody onboard had a severe nut allergy and we shouldn't consume any items, so I did wonder what would happen if somebody did. I can understand in a school, where food may get in the wrong hands etc

Peekingovertheparapet · 18/12/2023 20:22

@redcar28 Some people are so severely allergic to nuts they can’t be in the same room. Also allergies but especially nut allergies are sensitising so the next reaction could be far worse than the last.

Dynamoat · 18/12/2023 20:23

A lot of marzipan has never seen a nut these days. Things like shop bought battenberg don't have almonds on the ingredient list, it's just flavoured sugar and a ton of additives.

Sirzy · 18/12/2023 20:24

redcar28 · 18/12/2023 20:18

Out of curiosity, what happens if you eat nuts near somebody with a severe allergy? How does the reaction happen if they don't directly consume it?

It will depend on the level of the allergy. Rarely but for some sufferers the reaction can be to airborne allergens so being close could cause a reaction.

PhulNana · 18/12/2023 20:24

Curious thing, when I was 15, I had a friend who claimed to have an nut allergy, but liked eating chocolate marzipan. She was amazed when I told her that marzipan is made from almonds. Didn't believe me at first.

OhBeAFineGuyKissMe · 18/12/2023 20:24

The airborne concern is for peanuts and not, as far as I know, for almonds. That has to be directly consumed.

A lot of advise is against having nut free schools as it creates a false sense of security, for reasons exactly like this.

redcar28 · 18/12/2023 20:25

Peekingovertheparapet · 18/12/2023 20:22

@redcar28 Some people are so severely allergic to nuts they can’t be in the same room. Also allergies but especially nut allergies are sensitising so the next reaction could be far worse than the last.

That's so scary, I had no idea it could be that severe!

YireosDodeAver · 18/12/2023 20:27

Allergy UK's advice on Nut Free Schools is this:

Many parents and schools try to implement a ‘ban’ certain foods (such as nuts) from school premises. However, we do not recommend a ‘no nut policy’ in schools, as it is not possible to guarantee and enforce a nut free zone, as staff cannot monitor all lunches and snacks brought in from home. A free from environment creates a false sense of security and does not safely prepare children for environments where nuts may be present. The school would need to consider other children with different food allergies and it is not practical to restrict them all. Therefore, the school should have procedures in place to minimise risk of reaction via cross contamination.

I.E. having a nut free policy isn't sensible, isn't enforceable and doesn't properly protect. It's better to have policies that don't ban anything but which focus on keeping everyone safe in the knowledge that nothing is banned.

Bibbitybobbitty · 18/12/2023 20:28

Worst case scenario- full blown anaphylaxis shock & death. It happens. Severest form of allergy can be triggered by even being in same room as someone who consumed nuts earlier in day. Airborne allergies are reason why schools ban nuts altogether & airplanes make announcements about not eating on flights etc which invariably some that decides they don't need to abide by.

Overthebow · 18/12/2023 20:28

I’m going to be terrible for this when my dd starts school next year. I’d never send nuts in on purpose but I had no idea marzipan contained nuts and I’m sure there’s lots of other things I don’t know about or wouldn’t think about unless they’re actual whole nuts, and I don’t have time to read all the ingredients on packets for everything.

redcar28 · 18/12/2023 20:29

My DS' school is a completely nut free school. Which is a bummer as he's autistic and is partial to a Nutella sandwich every now and again 🙄

MsChatterbox · 18/12/2023 20:29

I sent my son in with belvita chocolate filled bars about 6 times (each time being for a week) before I realized it said chocolate hazelnut on the packet 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Lazybones12 · 18/12/2023 20:31

My child has a nut allergy but thankfully only affected if he directly ingests the nuts. Airborne doesn’t have any effect

43ontherocksporfavor · 18/12/2023 20:32

DD has a nut allergy but only if ingested but some people are sensitive to air particles so could start a reaction with breathing, swelling etc.

LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 18/12/2023 20:32

redcar28 · 18/12/2023 20:18

Out of curiosity, what happens if you eat nuts near somebody with a severe allergy? How does the reaction happen if they don't directly consume it?

Particles in the air can touch the skin of an allergy sufferer. (Some of these enter your nose undetected when you smell something. Some are even less detectable.)

A friend could suffer an allergic reaction from talking to someone wearing lipstick with nut oil in!

A boy at our school had a reaction to stepping on a cereal bar - though he was wearing socks.

43ontherocksporfavor · 18/12/2023 20:33

@Overthebow marzipan is almond paste based.

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