To want this stopped?!

[Notasperfectasallothermners]

Dd started secondary school in September. Loves it, really settled well - no worries regarding peers /work etc. However, had an issue with food tech last week where dd (vegi entire life) was given pre measured out ingredients to make biscuits, as dd didnt know what lard was she used it and brought the biscuits home. All dc sat and ate them, will admit they were nice! Until she mentioned lard and Googled it herself. Not a happy dd! Told her things happen and not to worry, not lovely to drop down in a heap this once sort of thing.
Rang the school to remind them she is vegi etc, mistakes happen - don't expect head on a platter etc...
Then yesterday she gets home, salad wrap for lunch, server wearing gloves to handle ingredients makes hers - after handling ham to the previous dc in the line! Rang school again, they will be speaking to the caterers today. Fed up.

When I was vegi (now vegan) id have been disgusted by meat cross contamination. Yes she's not allergic but it's ethics. U wouldnt feed a Muslim child a salad wrap after handling non halal meat. Why treat a vegi different

@user rtft
vegetarianism is not a religion

Vegetarianism isn't a religion but it is considered a belief, like religion, that is protected under the Equalities Act, as this document explains:

www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/religion-or-belief-guide-to-the-law.pdf

That's really interesting @AssassinatedBeauty. Stand corrected on the protected designation!

But I don't think that the Vegetarian society - or even the majority of vegetarians have a definitive stance on eating things that have been touched by a hand that has touched by meat. Whereas Halal and Kosher are determined by doctrine and scripture etc.

How do you make a wrap with tongs?

Just make a bloody wrap and put the meat in with tongs. It is hardly rocket science.

No, there's no set of agreed rules of vegetarianism. But, many places that serve food have a totally different set of utensils for cooking vegetarian food, and I would think that most vegetarians would be unhappy at being served by hands/utensils that had just been handling meat.

My first line was a quote from a pp who used the term, incorrectly, suggesting that there was a food safety reason why gloves should change. Which there isn't. The bold didn't work

Ah, that will explain why I didn't realise you were quoting someone else @HolyShet, therefore my point doesn't apply

I am not a vegetarian and could never be one but I don’t think you are being unreasonable at all op. I think of it like this I could never eat cat or dog for example the thought of this would make me physically sick so I imagine it’s the same for a vegetarian who chooses to be so for ethical reasons as opposed to just health reasons etc. I work in f&b and we have to have separate tongs etc for vegetarian items so surely this should be the case everywhere including school canteens

I'm veggie and I wouldn't give a monkey's if someone had touched ham and then made me a sandwich. Unless there was ham stuck to their hands that then got into my food. It's not 'contaminated' unless the taste of ham or ham itself transfers, surely?

Where does it end though? If it’s ‘ok’ for meat to have touched vegetarian food, is it ok for it to be cooked in meat fat? That’s only ‘touching’ the food isn’t it - you could scrape it off? What about meat stick gravy poured all over the vegetarian food - you could wipe it off? Pick the pieces of salami off the cheese pizza?

None of it is ok.

Very easy to use implements for meats and fish so you don’t cross contaminate to people who don’t want / can’t / are forbidden to eat it.

Thetr’s nothing snowflake-y and unreasonable about it and the posters who cite their own family member allergies are failing to realise that sensible care being taken in food prep is of benefit to everyone, especially allergy sufferers!

Cooking in meat fat is clearly different. You can tell. Even as a meat eater, if I was to cook chicken in a pan that had been used for pork without cleaning it first, it would taste 'porky'. Not necessarily unpleasant, but not pure chicken. So if you have someone who doesn't eat red meat, for example, you can't use a pan that you've cooked a steak in, to make them a chicken pasta dish.

She sounds like a bit of a sweetheart complaining about the dinner lady not changing gloves especially for her. She doesn’t have an allergy

@Kualabear Nice attempt at lightening up the mood... oh well at least you have made me laugh

but vegetarianism is not a religion not a religion in itself but some religions do advocate vegetarianism. what if the DD had been vegetarian due to religious beliefs?

Cross contamination is nonsense when talking about a vegetarian.

Meals for medical reasons are carefully prepared by schools and refectories usually have a list of children and medical dietary requirements.

We have vegetarian meals but these are not guaranteed to be uncontaminated in the same way gluten free is. We make no religious meal allowances. No kosher or halal. Why would we.

You and your daughter sound ridiculous. I'm glad she enjoyed the biscuits though. Didn't "hurt her soul"?

YANBU at all. The tech teacher should have considered that. None of my children know what lard is (even adult ones) as I don't think I have ever bought it.
I have never used it in a baking recipe so very easily avoided.
As for the caterers - that's basically stuff and shouldn't happen.

If your dd didn’t know what it was, she should have asked. She’s not a baby, she’s got to take responsibility too.

I've been veggie since I was 4. I've boycotted a major UK sandwich chain for years for exactly the same reasons as your daughter was upset in the canteen.

What is the point in not eating meat if you're going to eat items cooked in meat fat (to the frying pan story) or sandwiches cut with the same knife as the meat ones, or food handled with hands and utensils touched by meat.

However, I also love eating out. In my younger days I worked in restaurants for years and I know they don't use separate spoons/gloves etc for everything. I try not to think about it and frequent places with good hygiene ratings, once I've seen something I don't like I don't go back.

I'm my experience meat eaters just don't "get" the cross contamination issue. My husband is a meat eater and says it's taken him years to understand and train himself to "think" about it without me nagging.

Psychologically allergic

@hartha well I've been a vegetarian since I was 6 (many years ago) and I think the concept of "cross-contamination" is patent nonsense. Eating something that has been made by a hand that has touched safely cooked meat does not affect my ethical stance in any way. I'm much more conflicted about eating the odd bit of dairy for eg. By your rationale you should only eat out in pure vegetarian restaurants.

Hartha I'm sorry you've had this experience.
I can only counter with my own. After being married to a vegetarian for 15 years I have always respected his food choices, using separate boards, storing and handling meat carefully and only booking places with good vege options.

Lashings yes that has given the entire thread a good belly laugh!

HolyShet - the point is that its subjective. We all know it happens, even with the best will in the world, sometimes it'll happen. But it makes me feel ill and I don't enjoy my food if I suspect cross contamination. Just like everything, not all Vegetarians are the same, there's a scale of black and white and a massive grey area in the middle.

I'm the first to admit that I'm a hypocrite, I should be fully vegan. However I've tried, failed and I'm generally happy as a veggie, feeling I'm doing my bit but also comfortable eating dairy and eggs.

My husband is an amazing man (and my family generally) and like Londonista he is always considerate of my views and does his best. My point was that he will argue that he doesn't naturally think that way about contamination and that it's an effort for him to consider it.

Ultimately, it's how someone feels about something, there's no wrong or right, but I think in this case the young woman would be perfectly in her right to request that her food is not cross contaminated.

None of my children know what lard is (even adult ones) as I don't think I have ever bought it

I've never bought a lot of things but my children still know what they are.

and its veggie, not vegi last time I checked