School rules and nuts

[Bagsalot]

My daughter is 11 yesterday was her birthday. She took an asda tray bake to school with her. She wasn't allowed to share it as apparently some where on the box it says may contain nuts. This has never been an issue before. Today an email came out stating no nuts or seeds allowed in school including lunchboxes. My daughter's in year 6 has been at the school since nursery age 2, this has never been mentioned. I've asked to see the risk assessment. I feel it's an unreasonable policy but possibly I'm being unreasonable

Apparently a lot of food manufacturing machines are oiled with peanut oil. Apparently that’s one of the contributing reasons as to why nut allergies are so common now (as well as better testing and understanding etc) and why they print it on their packaging.

Is there any evidence of this being a contributing reason? I have always understood that allergies are to proteins and that well-filtered food-grade oils are actually safe for allergic people. Indeed this is still the advice on the Anaphylaxis Campaign website.

I don't buy peanut oil but I live in France so I am sure that I regularly eat food cooked in peanut oil (it's probably the most commonly used oil for frying). I've never had a peanut reaction in France.

'MAY CONTAIN NUTS' on labels should not be allowed by law. We need guarantees to keep our children safe.

The problem with this stance is that these guaranteed nut free factories are incredibly expensive. You can have it; but then your Pret sandwich will cost £30. And then these takeaway food places won't exist at all.

Airborne nut allergies exist. Not sure why people insist that they don't.

I don't know that anyone has insisted that they don't. There is plenty of evidence that inhaling things can cause allergic reactions (with foods this is especially true in occupational settings).

But studies that have investigated airborne peanut protein have found it difficult to reproduce reactions to airborne peanut protein even when peanut butter is wafted under the noses of peanut allergic children. And other studies have struggled to find measurable amounts of peanut protein in the air even in environments where peanuts have recently been eaten and handled.

I would imagine the oil for machines is not food grade.

From the Anaphylaxis Campaign site:
Refined peanut oil is likely to be safe for the vast majority of people with peanut allergy. This was the conclusion of a scientific study carried out in Southampton in 1997. However, the EFSA has said more scientific data is needed before it will consider refined peanut oil to be of no risk to people with peanut allergy. Therefore, refined peanut oil must be declared and highlighted on packaging of pre-packed food.

The reason to declare peanut oil on packaging is that it possibly poses some risk.

www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Peanut-Oil-Allergy-Factsheet-Nov-2017.pdf
The study on refined and unrefined peanut oil was part funded by the London-based Seed Crushers and Oil Processors Association. The study involved 60 people. Hence, perhaps, the unease of the EFSA.

* The problem with this stance is that these guaranteed nut free factories are incredibly expensive. You can have it; but then your Pret sandwich will cost £30. And then these takeaway food places won't exist at all.*

I don't think this is the case at all. Someone below pointed out that "may contain" labelling varies between supermarkets.

Labelling in the UK is particularly unhelpful as there is no effort to distinguish between nut and peanut. I don't understand why it is acceptable not to distinguish between, say, almonds and peanuts, when labels always distinguish between sesame seeds and mustard.

I think more detailed and informative labelling would help enormously.

I think allergic disease could be to do with smoking especially in pregnancy.
Although vitamin d also makes a lot of sense. But i think babies can be allergic from very early (even when just bf).
Tbh the cake sales are a bit silly anyway as everyone is now avoiding nuts for those dc (who if i was a parent i wouldnt be taking the chance just in case anyway). But all the other dc with egg, dairy, soy, etc cant chance it. I think in general individually packed things like malt loaf, mini rolls etc would be good or even fruit/carrot stick/babybel as actually not all kids prefer cake

Allergies are tough
Our school is nut free
My child has multiple allergies
They can’t gave cooked dinners, but between what they can eat and the nut ban I struggle to give them any variety at all because most of their sub food contain it may contain nuts
I respect this because of the devastating nature of anaphylactic reactions but I have asked the school to keep the ban only in place for as long as said allergy child attends

I think restaurants should be able to say 'cannot guarantee nut or whatever free'.
Because if say you had milk allergy and go into an ice bar get the vegan dairy free ice cream there is clearly still some risk of cross contamination. Same with the pret sandwiches. If they are made on site in a busy line where sesame may have been used.

Naty1.
Neither dh or i have ever smoked. Dh is 57 and allergic to brazils. Ds 23 allergic to pmost tree nuts, seeds and environmental. I have bad hay fever. Its seems to me genetic, although dd has no allergies

I think restaurants should be able to say 'cannot guarantee nut or whatever free'.

As I said upthread, I am convinced this is what will happen. And it will make life a lot more difficult for people with allergies.

"I think allergic disease could be to do with smoking especially in pregnancy."

Smoking rates have decreased exponentially at the same time as allergy rates have rocketed! So as evidence-free personal theories go, I'd say that one really isn't a keeper...

Never smoked let alone during pregnancy.

I know there’s a strong link between eczema, asthma and allergies. Ds3 had appalling eczema when he was tiny and I was told by the consultant at GOSH that he had a strong chance of developing asthma and/or allergies.

Certainly there is a link smoking to exzema hayfever and asthma.
Something like 1/4 people still smoke. Not sure when smoking started to be so common ? But may have been the generation before all the allergy started.

Well Naty1 - I have never smoked - daughter with peanut and milk allergy. My mother has never smoked, nor lived with anyone who did - my brother has a peanut allergy. I can't believe you would write SUCH CRAP

It's pretty insulting to keep insisting on such half-baked nonsense on a thread like this actually, like you are accusing us all of smoking in pregnancy so it's all our own fault. There have been no smokers in my family in three generations. Atopy is genetic. It clearly has environmental factors, but definitely not smoking. The highest smoking rates were 50 years ago, not today. Allergy has only risen in the last ten-15 years. Goady nonsense.

As for that study, it's about as equivocal as equivocal gets!

My parents don’t smoke. I never smoked and my husband doesn’t smoke and we have children with hay fever and asthma.
I can’t even think of many parents our age who smoke or smoked. I am 54.

Something like 1/4 people still smoke. Not sure when smoking started to be so common ? But may have been the generation before all the allergy started.

This is the most fact-free statement on here, and that's saying something.

Nope, none smoker here too and yet ds1 has both peanut and dust mite allergies. He is Atopic, he has Asthma, eczema and allergies.

Ok firstly as a mother of a child with a severe nut allergy.
Your child is at school, this is a place of education. Birthdays should be celebrated at home with all the cake you want! For various reasons this isn’t a good idea at school. Allergies is one of them yes! And the school has a duty of care to keep all children safe. My daughter If she were in your child’s school could die! And for what because you wanted your daughter to bring in a tray bake.... really!!
Secondly there are on average 30 children in a class, so that’s 30 days the teacher needs to put up with ‘cake gate’ and 30 days my child has to dodge cake to stay alive! In a room of youngesters with sticky chocolate fingers and crumbs everywhere. Give her cake at home, no one needs it at school

My son has a nut allergy and goes into anaphylactic shock if he comes into contact with even a small crumb. He was hospitalised after he ate something which shouldn't have contained nuts as had no nuts in the ingredients. I think schools being nut free is common practice in every school I know. Perhaps it's new to your daughter's school but I think it's right to adopt it. It's not perhaps as easy understand the gravity of it if your child is allergy free.