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.

My own DD had nightmares for months after a similar incident happened to her
good lord, how old is she, and what on earth did you fill the head of that poor child with

Actually a vegetarian is psychologically allergic to meat, as in eating it, even accidentally goes against everything that you stand for & hurts your soul.

Total bulllshit but thanks for the laugh.

Packed lunches - problem solved OP

LOL ... nightmares? really?

Yanbu about the school providing lard, its not just vegetarians that wouldnt eat it. Some religions prohibit pork or by products.

Trex is a suitable vegetarian option for hard fat. I find it hard to believe it was an honest mistake in this day and age.

Based on your very specific requirements that your food be isolated from meat, I'm guessing you must never eat out in a non veggie restaurant, or buy a sandwich out OP? Do you really think commercial caterers keep a completely separate process for making cheese sandwiches, away from the chicken and ham?

Haven't read all the thread but as I never use lard I'm not sure my older than the ops dd would know what lard is either to be fair. And I'm not vegetarian.

YANBU op. There is a lot of aggression towards vegetarians on here. As for the people comparing it to allergies, I don't think playing dietary top trumps is helpful. Of course it's more important to protect people with lethal allergies but it doesn't mean you shouldn't care about people's belief systems either. They are not mutually exclusive.

I think at age 12 she needs to self monitor and speak up for herself more.

My sons best friend is a Muslim and since he was about 5/6 he’s been vocally self monitoring, asking questions and saying if he can’t have/touch something

Re-set your thinking and think - would you eat a wrap if the server had just touched something revolting just before touching your food?

No - so don't think it's ok for this child to be expected to eat something that has been touched by something disgusting (which is how some feel about dead animal flesh/meat).

That being said, she should be encouraged to speak up for herself in these situations.

Thank you mustbemad17 - all the talk about changing gloves and all they really need to do is to use tongs to add meat for the meat eaters.
Do suggest that as it is a reasonable adjustment.*

If the response isn't great, then packed lunch.

*Don't mention "soul" unless you want the canteen to change radio station.

Thank you mustbemad17 - all the talk about changing gloves and all they really need to do is to use tongs to add meat for the meat eaters.
Do suggest that as it is a reasonable adjustment.

If the response isn't great, then packed lunch.

Don't mention "soul" unless you want the canteen to change radio station.

This

OFFS bold fail

I worry more about the times when you and your daughter don't know if anything she's about to eat and come into contact with me or other non-vegetarian substances.

I'm not disrespecting your beliefs or playing down the wrap incident at all, I promise you I'm not, but wouldn't it be preferable to make a packed lunch for her.

I've never in my life seen a biscuit recipe that uses lard, how bizarre

I always put lard in my shortbread. It's delicious.

But it does mean vegetarians can't eat my shortbread.

I think your dd is going to have to be a bit braver about speaking up. I bought a cookbook recently, Nosh for vegetarians or something, it was a student cookbook. It had a whole section about things which are generally considered to be vegetarian but actually contain some trace of animal derived something or other. You should get her to read that, or similar, so she knows in future when she needs to say no.

As for the hammy gloves, that's not great. For many reasons. I would also be raising that with the school.

Pretty sure schools don't use lard - Jamie Oliver would have a fit

I’m not vegetarian but completely understand your issue about the cross contamination about the wrap, and don’t think you’re being unreasonable at all. If I were vegetarian and was the customer in your daughter’s situation, then I’d be asking for mine to be remade with clean gloves.
I’m astounded that a school are using lard at all-and again agree with your having an issue about it.
I’m amazed that people are giving you a hard time on here, vegetarianism is hardly unusual these days, and if you’d posted this thread on a Tuesday rather than a Friday everyone probably would have supported you!!

You need to teach her to question whether her food choices are suitable for vegetarians. As you appear to have raised her a vegetarian rather than it being her own choice later on I'm surprised you haven't taught her to do this.
I help out with outdoor play sessions at a local school, the children are between 4 and 7 almost all the Muslim children ask if the marshmallows we use are suitable for them to eat. Generally the ones who don't are the children whose parents are happy for them to eat the regular marshmallows.
My own son has an allergy and was asking teachers in pre-school if the snack was nut free.

Why would anyone not use lard? Other than if they were vegan, vegetarian, or wouldn't want to eat lard for religious ?

Actually a vegetarian is psychologically allergic to meat, as in eating it, even accidentally goes against everything that you stand for & hurts your soul

God seriously? What a load of crap.

Mike...
I'm guess it's because they'd rather manufacturers used polyunsaturated fat when they have the choice, rather than butter or lard.

And cos.... lard!

I use Stork myself, for all baking.

I would be deeply unhappy if someone touched my food with a glove that had also touched a dead pig.

In secondary I would expect the pupil to be able to say they are vegetarian.
The server doesn't necessarily change gloves after making each wrap (why would they?) but I would expect them to change gloves if a pupil says they are vegetarian / allergic / etc.
Same with the food prepared in class, I would expect the student to ask what an unknown item is if they have dietary restrictions.

Why all the hand-wringing about excessive pairs of gloves?!

Surely all that’s needed is tongs. They don’t even need to be plastic.

YANBU OP. Slightly older when it happened to me in the uni canteen. I just said I wasn’t prepared to eat food that had touched meat and could I have another portion. No big issue

don't worry ExConstance the dead pig has long been processed and is quite safe by the time it's in the shape of a slice of ham.

off topic but maybe lard was the cheaper option than the butter? I can't think of any other reason why they would have used it. But then why didn't they use margarine? It's just a very odd thing, using lard for biscuits.

For the salad wrap and gloves thing, I don't think the catering staff always have time to accommodate personal preferences. Allergies are different as they can be life threatening.