Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

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

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:
Mirrormeback · 19/12/2023 16:07

I remember a few years ago a plane was told to please not eat nuts because someone was allergic

A complete prick of an arrogant man wilfully and deliberately ignored the announcement

He ate nuts, the nut dust went through the air con system and a 4 year old girl died

She died because he didn't want to be told to not eat nuts

What an arsehole

Mirrormeback · 19/12/2023 16:09

YireosDodeAver · 19/12/2023 06:53

Dealing with nut allergies by attempting to have a nut free school makes no sense. If you do this you are entrusting your child's health and wellbeing to random untrained and uneducated (about allergies) people whose priorities really don't include your child. You cannot sufficiently guilt-trip every parent to make any environment actually nut-free. Some parents are simply immune to guilt-tripping. You need instead to work on the assumption that the environment isn't nut-free and have procedures that protect the child inbthe context of an assumption that any door handle could have been touched by someone who had peanut butter for breakfast and any item that didn't come out of the allergic child's own lunchbox may contain nuts.

It's also really discriminatory to privilege nut-allergy people in this way over other allergies. Dairy, soya, strawberries eggs, all can be terrifyingly severe allergies too and in a large school there's likely to be a range of allergies. You can't ban all possible allergens from the menu, you wouldn't be able to give adequate nutrition (especially to vegetarians) if you tried.

You are very misinformed

ColleenDonaghy · 19/12/2023 16:14

Mirrormeback · 19/12/2023 16:09

You are very misinformed

Show quote history

She isn't at all.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General food
fitforflight · 19/12/2023 16:49

wudubelieveit · 19/12/2023 14:55

If you go to the AllergyUk website you will see that we don’t recommend nut free schools in the uk either…as we were discussing nut bans on planes I included this as research shows that there is no good evidence for banning peanuts and that the airborne risk is over stated . Immunotherapy is available in the UK .

Show quote history

I had my 20 year check up last month, 20 years since needing my first epi pen. The consultant said only young children are being offered any immunotherapy and it's only peanuts (or potentially other foods) but not all nuts.

43ontherocksporfavor · 19/12/2023 16:51

Yea DD19 is allergic to a range of tree nuts and immunotherapy is NOT available.

43ontherocksporfavor · 19/12/2023 16:52

@fitforflight no check ups either. DD was diagnosed at 5. No follow up. I had to make a private appointment at 18 to confirm allergy still present ( it is) and it cost me £300!!

fitforflight · 19/12/2023 16:57

43ontherocksporfavor · 19/12/2023 16:52

@fitforflight no check ups either. DD was diagnosed at 5. No follow up. I had to make a private appointment at 18 to confirm allergy still present ( it is) and it cost me £300!!

Edited

Agreed. I don't have issues with anything airborne, not sure what the actual science is on that, but I can't eat or touch any nuts. Including nut dust, I've seen people clap/brush their hands after eating peanuts and I have to move away just to be careful. At my age even paying privately the success of any allergy treatment is staggering low. I don't think it's too much to ask that if an announcement is made to refrain from nuts on a flight that people do it. I'd certainly do it if asked in any situation!

SwordBilledHummingbird · 19/12/2023 16:58

wideawakeinthemiddleofthenightagain · 18/12/2023 21:21

I boarded a transatlantic flight once and immediately opened & ate a snickers bar. Seconds later came the announcement that it was a nut free flight. I called the attendant to explain that I'd already polluted the flight. This caused all sorts of issues as you'd expect especially as, once they identified the person with the allergy, the person said it didn't really matter. The crew didn't want to take off with them on board in case they went into shock and were over the Atlantic at the time. In the end, the person managed to convince the crew that they would be OK - and they were.

Something similar happened to me on a recent flight. The difference was that the flight attendant looked at me like I'd grown an extra head while I explained the problem, then just shrugged and said 'oh I didn't hear the announcement, just pop it in the bin (in the toilet)'. All was fine but I was a bit taken aback by the lack of concern. And I do think that nut-free flights need a bit more notice as this surely must happen quite often?

CuttingMeOpenthenHealingMeFine · 19/12/2023 16:58

Mariposistaa · 19/12/2023 15:53

I laughed with DH that the second we found out I was pregnant I would be eating peanut butter every day - no way did I want to be living in a peanut free house so if there is any way to avoid it, I would.
No idea whether there is a link, but it's all good. Kiddo is fine hahaha

Show quote history

I ate peanuts through my pregnancy and my son ate peanut butter regularly until an out of the blue reaction at 18 months. Laugh all you want it can happen at any time, a colleague became allergic at 36.

fitforflight · 19/12/2023 17:02

CuttingMeOpenthenHealingMeFine · 19/12/2023 16:58

I ate peanuts through my pregnancy and my son ate peanut butter regularly until an out of the blue reaction at 18 months. Laugh all you want it can happen at any time, a colleague became allergic at 36.

Show quote history

I didn't have my first reaction until I was 10. Funny how it works!

43ontherocksporfavor · 19/12/2023 17:02

I ate peanut butter while pregnant, DD1 ate all nuts, DD was born 3 years later and ate peanut butter and hazelnut and then had a reaction to homemade carrot cake out of the blue age 5. Nobody at all in the family has a food allergy apart from her.

coldcallerbaiter · 19/12/2023 17:10

InflatableSanta · 18/12/2023 20:47

My children are severely anaphylactic to milk and egg. (And nuts)

I never see people handwringing about sending in yoghurt/cheese /cake etc.

Milk is now the leading causes of anaphylaxis in children in the UK.

Airborne is not just peanut.
You are very correct

Mirrormeback · 19/12/2023 17:11

@wideawakeinthemiddleofthenightagain I guess a packet of nuts would give off more dust whereas a nut in a snickers bar is more contained in that it's encased by caramel, nougat and chocolate or whatever so wouldn't necessarily become airborne

It would just go from packet to mouth

Whattheheckcarer · 19/12/2023 17:12

bellac11 · 18/12/2023 21:31

Why are people attacking the tick poster, it wasnt done on purpose, it wasnt even her, it was her husband, no one knew and it couldnt be helped.

It is a bizarre and unusual situation and I would imagine most people could see the humour in it.

Exactly. Ticks are common in long grass at certain times of the year. I expect a tick on a playground would be squashed pretty quickly.

coldcallerbaiter · 19/12/2023 17:15

BA recently gave complimentary Christmas chocs out at the end of a flight. Not labelled. Allergy person should not have had one but half asleep took it. Contained peanut traces. just got a mild reaction fortunately.

43ontherocksporfavor · 19/12/2023 17:18

FFS @coldcallerbaiter but allergy sufferer should have known better! DD won’t eat anything without checking label.

Mirrormeback · 19/12/2023 17:18

At my DC primary school one of the girls in her class had severe allergies to nuts to the point of death

The mum had us all sit through a talk she gave with horrific photos of her lovely daughters reactions etc

We made sure never to send our DC in with nuts.

She had her own table to sit at lunch which was wiped down properly and she could of course sit there with her friends.

I remember one year a teacher was handing out quality street to the DC only year 1 or 2

Luckily the very clever well informed young girl knew that the purple one had a nut in and to not touch the rest just in case

Things easily slip through the net.

She found about she was allergic to nuts when her sister kissed her as a baby with not dust on her lips. Her lips and face became swollen within seconds and her airway was compromised. Imagine how terrifying that would have been

43ontherocksporfavor · 19/12/2023 17:20

DD was at secondary school when a teacher( who had all relevant info) gave her a prize for spellings of peanut M&Ms. Allergy sufferers have to grown up quickly because stupid adults exist.

SwordBilledHummingbird · 19/12/2023 17:50

With respect to ages that allergies develop, I have a lot of allergies (though none to nuts) and had my first reaction at age 16. Many more have developed since. My sisters have had similar experiences, no allergies as children then a number developing throughout life.

coldcallerbaiter · 19/12/2023 17:58

Alloveragain3 · 19/12/2023 12:20

@fitforflight Immunotherapy is now available for many foods in the UK privately and for peanut on the NHS.

We're doing Immunotherapy for milk, egg and sesame in the Portland since last year for my son.

Oh is it just for younger children?

coldcallerbaiter · 19/12/2023 17:59

43ontherocksporfavor · 19/12/2023 17:18

FFS @coldcallerbaiter but allergy sufferer should have known better! DD won’t eat anything without checking label.

Agree!

coldcallerbaiter · 19/12/2023 18:11

CupcakeTowers · 18/12/2023 21:57

Genuine question, why is it that nut allergies are taken so seriously in the UK and USA, and english speaking countries in general? Are the rates there higher or are people just more educated & aware about it?

Because in Central Europe, the idea of a nut free anything is completely non-existent. Nobody checks the ingredients on anything, nurseries give out peanuts as snacks, parents would balk at the idea of not being allowed to send their kids to school with certain foods. Yet the rate of anaphylaxis doesn't seem to be significantly higher. Eg If a child with nut allergy passed away due to an unregulated meal at school or nursery then it will make headlines on all the papers. However this isn't the case and people just don't seem to care or advocate for allergies.

There is strong EU legislation that pertains to it actually.

Peanut is not used as much in Europe. Nuts can sometimes be anaphylactic but it is really peanuts that are the worst. Peanut is not a nut.

I would like to say again, nuts are not the only anaphylactic/ severe allergy.

It will spread to developing countries or those with traditional diets in one generation of moving to processed and environmental factors inc antibiotic use, it gets in the dna too then.

InflatableSanta · 19/12/2023 18:14

Mirrormeback · 19/12/2023 17:18

At my DC primary school one of the girls in her class had severe allergies to nuts to the point of death

The mum had us all sit through a talk she gave with horrific photos of her lovely daughters reactions etc

We made sure never to send our DC in with nuts.

She had her own table to sit at lunch which was wiped down properly and she could of course sit there with her friends.

I remember one year a teacher was handing out quality street to the DC only year 1 or 2

Luckily the very clever well informed young girl knew that the purple one had a nut in and to not touch the rest just in case

Things easily slip through the net.

She found about she was allergic to nuts when her sister kissed her as a baby with not dust on her lips. Her lips and face became swollen within seconds and her airway was compromised. Imagine how terrifying that would have been

That's how my son was diagnosed with anaphylaxis to milk. He was a (breastfed) baby and when cows milk first touched his lips at 6 months (baby porridge on a spoon) he had an anaphylactic reaction

InflatableSanta · 19/12/2023 18:15

43ontherocksporfavor · 19/12/2023 17:20

DD was at secondary school when a teacher( who had all relevant info) gave her a prize for spellings of peanut M&Ms. Allergy sufferers have to grown up quickly because stupid adults exist.

Both my two are milk and egg allergic and have been handed chocolate by teachers on several occasions in the week leading up to Christmas. Its totally crappy for them.

InflatableSanta · 19/12/2023 18:22

sashh · 19/12/2023 07:59

How could they give you 48 hours notice? They don't know until check in if they have a particular customer on a flight.

Flights can be diverted or cancelled. Flights are often overbooked because not everyone will turn up.

I think it must be really hard for people with severe allergies partly because some people do make up allergies.

I was at uni with someone who claimed to be allergic to tomato seeds, but was happy to eat pizza and my home made chutney and I know my chutney has seeds in it (she didn't tell me about her allergy before eating it).

Show quote history

My child is very allergic to raw fruit and veg but fine when it is cooked. He is very allergic to raw/loosely cooked egg but can eat it baked. Being able to eat a food in some forms doesn't mean you are "making up" the allergy. The process of cooking can mean your body can cope with the allergen in cooked form but now raw.

I was mocked my whole childhood because I could eat egg in cake but said scrambled or boiled egg or even loose pancakes etc made me feel ill. Now I know my reactions were founded in science. I wasn't "making it up"