to challenge the schools nuts ban

[pigglewiggle]

The school has a strict no nuts policy. Apparently this is because someone in a higher year has a peanut allergy. I can understand banning peanuts if the allergy is severe but peanuts are very different to normal proper nuts and reactions to these are not to my knowledge anywhere near as bad as peanuts. It just makes lunch quite difficult as we are vegan and would love to pop something like a nakd bar in lunchboxes.

Aibu to go to the school and at least establish if a total ban on nuts is needed / necessary?

Bans should be on the basis of clinical need and how much hassle or opposition they cause shouldn't factor into it. If a child has a life threatening dairy allergy that can be triggered through airborne particles then that should be treated with as much caution by the school as a nut allergy.

ILovePud I believe a dairy anaphylaxis is different to nuts even though the effect is the same. I can't find all of Zoes posts to check but my understanding is that they have to be in direct contact with or consume dairy to have the anaphylaxis.

Even if it's close proximity I imagine it's far easier for the school manage in the environment from nuts where being in the same dining hall can trigger or touching the same object that someone who's touched nuts has also touched.

If it is the same then I stand corrected. But that's my understanding.

A blanket ban is the only way a school can manage a nut allergy without making my (and any other nut allergy child's) medical information public knowledge.

While schools and their approach to food can be annoying at times, I have to say I feel very sorry for them on this issue. They can't do right for doing wrong. They are expected to keep every child safe, in j situation where the risk level is potentially very high, while allowing others freedom of choice, and to keep up to date with guidance when they aren't medical experts and where research studies and expert bodies may disagree. All in an environment where complaints and legal action is increasingly common and where reactions vary widely between individuals and also between all the various nuts available. Whether or not it's the most sensible thing I can completely see why they think a total ban is the way to go.

In the case if dd, it was a nursery class making pizza. So I suppose she was reacting to dairy on other kids hands, transferred to toys etc. So not direct contact as such but perhaps not airborne. On the other hand, we were advised to watch out in coffee shops because of those machines that frith hot milk up, I suppose because it fills the air with milky steam.

Can I ask though, what happens when the kids are out into the world after school?

I can partially answer this question. There is an adult at my workplace with a severe nut allergy (if they speak to someone who has been eating them, it can cause a reaction). The workplace cafeteria made the decision not to stock anything containing nuts, and staff are regularly reminded of our co-worker's situation. So it's not a ban as such, more of a collective responsibility on all of us to be aware that bringing nuts into the office could be fatal.

I'm not sure how the co-worker manages outside the workplace.

I think it would cause confusion and error if a school allowed some nuts but not others. There's also a risk that some nuts may be cross-contaminated with other nuts. I think it would be messy, and again confusing, to chop and change a school nut policy, depending on whether or not there are any nut allergic students at a given time (and unless a school is very small, the likelihood is that there will be some).

I think a nut free policy is a good idea for at least early years/primary school settings. Children with allergies may need support in managing their condition and environmental risks.

OP, you can find other cereal bars or make your own, minus the nuts.

When l was at primary school in the 70's.

Nobody brought in nuts.

You were 'allowed' a simple lunchbox.

Nowadays parents have the lunchbox police on their backs.
Many healthy foods contain nuts....

I don't see why we can't send our children with bog standard lunches.

We can keep them healthy by watching what they have at breakfast and supper.

Parents dealing with children with an allergy need all the support they can get.

Kids don't need fancy packed lunches.

Sandwich
Crisps
Apple/chocolate bar

Obviously checking for allergens in the prepacked things.

I'm gonna assuming you're joking Feminine

My DS is anaphylactic to dairy and that is never banned. For those saying dairy is not airborne, how about the dust from crisp flavourings, steamed milk, chocolate powder etc?
People don't take dairy allergy seriously and it's a huge problem as it in so many more foods than nuts, and impossible to control I n any environment that involves children.

We have to take the responsibility with wiping all surfaces down, vigilant handwashing, and allergic children learn early to never accept good from others

*assume

No saucy why?

7dayvegan.com/vegan-lunches/

SoupDragon for some children a total ban is necessary. One of my children taught at a school where a child was in real danger and it made life very challenging for the staff. Parents ignoring the ban were a real danger to that childs life. I know not all nut allergies are that severe but why should the child's medical history have to be shared with you or the OP to keep them safe?

Nuts seem to feature in many healthy foods that parents now feel compelled to send in.
Because an ordinary lunch box is not deemed good enough, for either them or the school.
If the prepackaged stuff is checked.
You can't go wrong with the other boring ingredients.

I make healthy and nutritional breakfasts and suppers for my children.
I don't stress about their lunchbox.

Luckily their school is of a balanced mindset also.

I manage to send DS in a lunch box minus nuts AND crisps. I don't think a pack of crisps 5 days out of 7 is the answer to anything!

Do schools ban dairy if there is a pupil with a severe anaphylactic allergy to it?

That's not the SAME. Christ, I really think there needs to be some sort of allergy awareness classes given.
Nuts are different in that it's airborne. Just a packet being opened next to you can set off reactions.Somebody with a glass of milk won't.

Queiro - Banning dairy would be all together more complicated as dairy is in so many of the foods offered.

Double standards, much? You don't want dairy banned because it would be inconvenient for you. But a nut ban is inconvenient for people who want or need, for whatever reason, to eat nuts. Rules should be consistent. Same goes for kiwi (which can cause reaction through proximity, you don't event have to touch it).

Someone upthread mention BA banning nuts - yes, they do, wisely IMO (you really don't want someone having a reaction mid flight). They not only don't ban dairy, they offer only dairy based veggie options on short haul flights. Dairy lobby.

I'm far from being a food fascist by MN standards but I reeeaaallly don't think we should be harking back to the "good" old days when lunch boxes contained absolutely nothing that resembled food or had any nutritional value. Simples.

It isn't really that much more time consuming to use brown bread instead of white, or put a banana in instead of a bag of Wotsits. Honest!

There is a middle ground between quinoa salad and Bernard Matthews Turkey ham.

If there was a nut ban at our primary school, I'd wholeheartedly support it. The child with the life threatening allergy would trump my 'need' of feeling like I should be allowed to put in a peanut butter sandwich or a nutty cereal bar.
Ignorance and selfishness towards allergies is astounding.

I said they were 'on the right lines' with the exposure, not that they were 100% right! Of course I wouldn't suggest doing it without medical supervision.

For those saying dairy is not airborne, how about the dust from crisp flavourings, steamed milk, chocolate powder etc?

Dust from steamed milk?! What ARE you on about?!
Milk allergies are COMPLETELY different to nut allergies. All allergies can have different effects.
For example, I'm fine with a bit of egg if it's cooked into something, say a little piece of cake. If I tried frying one though, my eyes would swell up and close. Something to do with the proteins changing when it is cooked.
Allergies are complex and they're all different. To say that milk allergies is the same as nuts and that nut airborne can't be real as milk allergies isn't airborne is bloody stupid.

I wish people would stop saying dairy allergy can't be airborne. It can be. Dairy is not just glasses of milk, it can be crumbs or fine powders containing milk proteins.

I get so sick of the "nuts trumps everything" attitude

saucy actually your example is another l would have mentioned.

I didn't say anything about shitty quality ingredients.

Just more simple.

My younger son doesn't like sandwiches, so he takes a banana.

Of course they are all different with different. And they can all be very serious.

And of course nuts can be airborne I don't think you read my post.

We have anaphylactic reactions to both nuts and dairy, I am pretty aware of both :(