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.

I’m surprised that people don’t realise this is a ‘thing’ for most vegetarians. If we have or go to s barbecue there is always one bbq for the meat and one for the vegetarians and no, I wouldn’t eat the veggie option if it had been cooked on the same one as the meat or if the chef used the same tongs.

I do agree you need to bolster DD to say something herself at the time.

Did the server know she was vegi ? Asking for a salad wrap doesn't mean they'd know ? Did she tell the server because your post doesn't make that clear.

Wow am really surprised at people saying OP's daughter should have just let it go! Erm, does that mean everyone who doesn't eat something - for whatever reason - should also stop being 'fussy'? Caterers should damn well know better!!

People make food choices for various reasons. That is their right. Nobody is asking anything unreasonable of the caterers ffs!

The gloves thing is NORMAL though. Basic food hygiene requirement, normal as folk say above in eg Subway. It makes even more sense in school! Easy to do and totally removes the need for checking and fussing while there's a scrum of a queue and you know some might not eat eg meat, dairy or be allergic. Ditto religious requirements where you can say quite clearly to parents: these are our food prep standards which ensure no x-contamination etc.

YANBU. That’s extremely shoddy practice from the school catering staff.

Assuming they handle various types of food without changing their gloves then they are risking cross contamination for those with severe allergies, strongly adhered to religious beliefs, and those like your daughter with a strong moral belief. All of these are unacceptable and a professional caterer should know better.

I don’t think you’re being OTT at all. I work in the commercial food industry and even places like supermarket cafes won’t fry chips in the same fryers as meat and fish because of cross contimination for vegetarians.

Accidents will happen, but it shouldn’t be that hard for food service to separate meat preparation from other things. It’s always done for religious grounds (Halal, Kosher etc).

Given the problems the world is facing with plastic waste, I think it’s disgusting that you expect the caterers to throw their gloves away before serving your DD food, just because she has a preference. Being vegetarian is good for environmental reasons, but that’s outweighed by unnecessary plastic waste if you’re as fussy as this! YABU! Also, did your DD say she was a vegetarian to the catering person as she asked for her wrap? If not, how on earth do you expect them to know DD is veggie?

MY DS has coeliac disease. Cross contamination by gluten is a real issue for him, & would certainly expect clean gloves.

Your daughter is veggie. It's a lifestyle choice. It's different - she's not 'harmed' by cross-contamination.

Did she tell/remind the server that she was vegi ?

YANBU at all.

I agree with you complaining about this. A muslim or jewish child would equally be unable to eat the wrap because ham had been handled. They should have changed gloves between each student or had gloves for meat and gloves for veg. horrible.

Bit of an aside but who the hell puts lard in biscuits? Pastry maybe, but not biscuits. I haven't used lard in years because I tend to choose hard veg. fat instead if a recipe calls for it, but it tends to be only pastry. Surely butter would have been fine for this recipe and, again, suitable for all students. Not sure Hindu children would have been thrilled with fat from cows either if its a multi-cultural school.

These are such easy wins / have such easy work arounds; how did the school fall down on these?

Your daughter is veggie. It's a lifestyle choice. It's different - she's not 'harmed' by cross-contamination.

No, she’s not ‘harmed’, but she categorically does not want her food to be touched by the corpse of a dead animal as she presumably finds the idea repellent. Why can’t her choices be respected?

You're reasonable about the Lard

You're unreasonable about comparing a choice to be vegetarian with a religious belief. I say that as erstwhile vegan (trying to transition back and also lifelong vegetarian)

Not sure on the hygiene rules re handling meat then other things. Suspect you are unreasonable there too tbh.

BUT what I would say is that you need to take control of the situation if you are unhappy with it. ie take your own food.

But yes, completely agree with pp about your DD needing to learn to advocate for herself. Threads like this and the total disregard some people have for choices like your DD’s, show how important it is that she learns to speak up for her beliefs.

The food handler should know that she can't cross contaminate. They don't need to keep changing gloves they just need a separate pair of tongs.

You need to educate your daughter, teach her about the rare ones that come up like shellac, carmine, chicken stock in vegetable soup, Parmesan cheese, some cottage cheeses, some yoghurts, white sugar that is in most sweet stuff isn't vegetarian.

Special vegetarian snowflake. The caterers don't have time to change their gloves every few seconds.

In the grand scheme of things is it really worth getting worked up over something so minor?

I agree there is enough plastic destroying the planet without unnecessary usage. Surely that should be your priority?

You're unreasonable about comparing a choice to be vegetarian with a religious belief.

Not trying to be argumentative, I’ve genuinely never understood this argument. What do you perceive to be the difference between a religious choice and a moral one? Why is religious belief different to (and less valid than) moral belief?

I'm suprised they are making the wraps to order.
Schools I have seen, they make a set amount of wraps/baguettes/sandwiches and once they are gone that's it.

Lard in biscuits .... boak

I've been vegetarian for around 15 years, and I don't mind if my food has touched meat, on a BBQ or whatever. I can't understand the rationale for those that do - it doesn't actually add to the demand for meat, no more animals are raised and slaughtered, there is zero difference so why does it matter? For me the concern would be over extra plastic waste from extra gloves if I insisted on a change, which is an actual measurable problem for the planet and animals (and humans).

I don't like the term "snowflake" but it does seem as if vegetarianism and veganism have become somehwhat individualised - all about image and personal preference rather than part of a general attempt for a more ethical lifestyle.

The lard thing I totally understand - so irritating when people insist in putting bits of animal in things that can be made perfectly well without!

extinct
People with religious reasons for not touching ham wont be physically harmed either so would it be ok to cross contaminate thier food too?
It doesnt take a minute to change gloves after handling meat. Its part of thier basic standards in any food business for circumstances like this. It shouldnt need pointing out to them.

She's vegetarian not allergic to meat. Fine to not want lard but OTT to make a fuss about meat cross contamination

No, it's not OTT. I wouldn't want even a whiff of stinking ham in my salad.

I don't think ham eaters realise how much it stinks to veggies.