How Nut free does "not containing nuts" need to be???

[DuchessofAnkh]

OK, having to provide cookery ingredients for school. Another mother and I are sharing our duties...

One of the ingredients is something that would often contain nuts - we have been asked to provide a "nut free" ingredient. Trouble is trying to find this ingredient without nuts is nigh on impossible and to get it genuinely nut free is expensive and will require a trip to a specialist shop.

I have found a nut free version in my online shop which in the very small print states "Made in a factory which also handles peanuts"

WIBU to use this or do I need to be more careful than this?

Neither kid the ingredient is being provided for is nut allergic btw. however other kids in the school are.

I don't have any allergic experience and am genuinely not sure how careful I should be in this instance.

I think it would depend on the allergy tbh

Made in the same premises as peanuts could be fatal to someone with a severe nut allergy.

I would contact school and make them aware that the nut free version of ingredient is expensive/hard to source. They won't have realised.

what is the ingredient, we may be able to help?

You need to check with the school

I am allergic to two different nuts

The first my DP can't even go anywhere near - slightest trace and I find it incredibly difficult to breath, entire face swells and I have to have adrenaline

I'm also allergic to another nut, if I eat it then the above happens and I have to have adrenaline but a small trace amount will just give me a tingling sension - it will make me very unwell but manageable by a great deal of antihistamine

It really does depend. If you do it, just please tell them as I've fallen very unwell because someone said "oh yes no nuts at all" and I have then ended up in bed for three days unable to walk.

It's "crunchy oat cereal" so some form of granola....

Oh just make your own.

Get porridge oats. Drizzle over honey/syrup and bake in the oven.
Add chopped dried fruit.

There you go - super cheap nut free granola.

Tesco superberry granola doesn't have nuts in it and although it gives The standard disclaimer, I've eaten with no ill effects and I'm allergic to a number of types of nuts.

Depends if the other kids have an allergy to peanuts or some other type of nut. Usually alibi labeling is used because the client wants it even though the factory has strict controls and has validated it's cleaning. With cereals though it's harder to wet clean as it can cause mould so these lines are dry cleaned and the risk of cross contamination is higher (although still low).

Even products 'processed in a factory that handles XXX ingredient' can be very dangerous for a person with an anaphylactic reaction to an allergen. It means anything from 'we use the same equipment and don't wash the lines between products' to 'we make an allergen containing product in a completely different room in a huge building'. You just don't know.

I have Celiac, so my reactions aren't potentially fatal, but even I pick and choose 'processed in a factory' foods depending on Celiac friends and contact with the company. But if I had an anaphylactic allergy, I would never, ever use a 'processed the the same factory' product. Ever.

Nut allergies can be and are fatal. Anaphylaxis has happened in situations where the allergic person hasn't had direct contact with the allergen, but has been in contact with someone who has or something that person has touched.

Call the school and tell them you cannot find a product that guarantees that it's 100% nut free. It's the school's problem and they need to sort it out.

DH is allergic to nuts and we usually ignore the made in a factory where nuts are processed or may contain nut traces warnings.

I'd worry even less if the food isn't intended to be consumed by someone with an allergy.

I'm nut allergic and carry an epi-pen (or 2). I make my own granola as I dare not risk ready made options. Speak to the school.

I think it just means don't buy granola with nuts in. As an ingredient.

Double cross contamination would need to occur for there to be any danger. The granola would need to have become contaminated with nuts an the child would have to come into contact with your granola.

I had to provide this for school once. I just made my own. Really simple. But make sure to sterilize whatever cooking tools you use beforehand to destroy any nut proteins you have in your own kitchen.

I also make my own. Much more tasty and cost-effective!

I'm anaphylactic to dairy, I react to Coco Pops, even though they are DF, because they're made on the same line as dairy containing cereals.

In this instance, I'd do what others have suggested, and make my own. It's what we do at home, everything is made from scratch, and the house is entirely DF.