To email school about them banning any food that "may contain traces of nuts"?

[PartyGoose]

Had an email last night from DD's school (it's a school that goes right through from 3-18 so covers all age groups) saying that as of today give us plenty of notice why don't you no food can be brought onto school premises that contains nuts or "may contain traces of nuts" due to a child with a severe nut allergy starting there.

I can't see how this is workable. It rules out about 50% of bought food, and 100% of food made/prepared in my kitchen as we eat a lot of nuts at home.

Obviously I am more than willing to avoid sending any food that actually has nuts in, and I'm going to take extreme care to check labels etc going forward.

But...surely they can't expect everyone to avoid anything that "may contain traces of nuts"? That's just not doable for most people.

My DCs school also has a ban on nuts, but hasn't specified as far as "traces" , for the school to be so specific, the allergy suffered by this particular pupil must be very serious. There used to be a boy at my DCs school who was at serious risk of death even just being next to someone who was eating them

You are being completely unrealistic about staffing levels if you think a school is able to prevent children sharing food at lunch. Even if they are told repeatedly, children still do it.

I am a parent of a severely peanut allergic child (used to be all tree nuts, too, and sesame, which can be a total nightmare to avoid. It is a huge relief for me that the school does not allow nut or peanut containing foods on site.

BUT. May contain is completely ridiculous. I let her eat food which “may contain” traces (with sensible exceptions eg I wouldn’t let her eat a nature valley oat bar as they are made on the same lines that make the peanut bars). I certainly wouldn’t expect other people to effectively only be buying or making entirely free from products for their own kids.

we have had issues with “friends” feeding small children peanut butter sandwiches when they are with us, or with people on trains eating roasted peanuts at the same table (we had to move), or at an extra curricular group where nuts are banned but some kids had been sent in with peanut bars which then ended up everywhere. Oh and with mini snickers or peanut M&Ms in party bags or as treats/rewards in classes outside school etc.

i have to teach my child to always be wary. It’s great when everyone avoids actual peanuts at school. But this school is just going to annoy other parents with an unworkable and unfair rule.

I don't understand why this is an issue. Just don't send nuts into school
I have a friend that has a nut alergi so severe that if she has a conversation with someone that has recently eaten nuts she ends up in hospital.

Stop being ignorant

Our school has a “nut free” zone in the lunch area for those with allergies. Those who get a school lunch can eat there as well because school food doesn’t contain nuts.

Have you read the op's posts? She is never going to send nuts in to school. She is worried about how to know it is free of May contains when she makes a pack lunch and has uses nuts regularly at home. She wants to make sure child is safe.

And this is the exact problem. That people think they are complying with what's been asked of them. "Just don't send nuts to school" isn't what they are asking.

So you would be merrily sending food in that may contain traces of nuts, such as a bottle of water from Tesco and thinking you were doing what the school wants.

"I don't understand why this is an issue"
Obviously.
You haven't read it properly, that's why you don't understand.

They don't have to watch every child though just the ones with allergies. How do you think they safeguard children with allergies that aren't banned. My son's school sits them at the same table each day with a dedicated seat and the same person supervises them each day.

What did they say @PartyGoose

Do your best to avoid sending nuts. Go to a parents' meeting and voice your concerns. It might be more reasonable when the allergic child grows older and learns never to share food or always to eat next to a minder. (parent or teacher)

Before school needs to be avoided as well. There was a child a few years ago that had cheese thrown on his face in the dinner hall. He had a dairy allergy and died. But you can can guarantee there will be some parents who will say they can't tell them what they can and can't send in.

Nuts don't even have to be consumed for the person with the allergy to have a reaction. There was a boy a few years ago with a dairy allergy. He had cheese thrown at his face and died.

As someone has said they only need to speak to someone who has eaten nuts to have a reaction.

That had already been very much discussed in this months old three hundred page thread.

I agree with the poster who said I don't think other parents will be giving this the same level of thought as you! I think avoiding nuts in things and taking some steps to avoid cross contamination is fine, and if there were any extra steps to take, the class in question would have been told.

For what it's worth, DH has a relatively severe nut allergy and we still use nuts in the home. I don't keep peanuts or peanut butter as he is severely allergic to them, but I have other nuts kept in a sealed container separate from other food. I use a separate nutribullet if I'm making an almond milk smoothie and a separate saucepan if I'm making porridge with almond milk. Take extra care if I have nut butter on toast. All of this seems to have been ok!

If you want to send in a "nut butter" sandwich - wow butter is made with soy beans, and is a fairly good substitute. And certified nut free!