To think allergy mum is OTT

[Boogiewoogieanddance]

I genuinely don't know if I am or not, this is a genuine question as I thankfully haven't got any experience in having a child with serious allergies. I am, of course, happy to do what I can to prevent a reaction.

There is a child in my DDs class who is allergic to a list of things so we aren't allowed them in pack lunches. That's fine, I have no issue as I know kids can be careless and gross about their food hygiene. My issue is with the nuts, literally anything that says "may contain nuts" or "may contain traces of peanuts" is not allowed... if the occasional time I don't realise and send something (These are not nut flavoured things or anything with nuts in the ingredients, but I assume are just made in the same factory as nuts.) it is sent home unwrapped and she hasn't been allowed to eat it.

But is it really possible that an allergy can be so served that something that may contain nuts could cause a reaction if opened in the same room.

Many thanks!

I guess it depends on the severity so I'd give the benefit of the doubt.

Quite tricky though as so many items which don't have nuts are packaged in places where other things have nuts.

Yes, it is really possible to be 'that' allergic.

My friend was in intensive care after being in a room with a nut.

Please take this seriously. You might be the difference between life and death.

My issue is with the nuts, literally anything that says "may contain nuts" or "may contain traces of peanuts" is not allowed

You’re surprised that something that may contain nuts isn’t allowed when a child has a serious allergy to nuts?

But is it really possible that an allergy can be so served that something that may contain nuts could cause a reaction if opened in the same room.

Yes it’s really possible. Which is why you are being asked not to compromise the health and life of another young child.

Of course if you send something in that contains nuts your child isn’t allowed to open it and eat it.

Does that mean no home made food at all, unless you have a nut free kitchen?

Unfortunately I think that's unworkable.

And before I get jumped on, I say this as someone who wouldn't dream of sending actual nuts or anything that contained nuts! But "may contain traces" applies to anything that comes out of my nut-using domestic kitchen so I literally can't do that.

Yes it is absolutely possible

Yes, it is possible for an allergy to be so serious.

If it’s ‘May contain’ it likely DOES NOT contain and it’s not the child with allergies eating it? Don’t see an issue

Obviously not bringing things in that you know contain nuts but other stuff seems fine. Although it could be the world’s most serious allergy. Better safe than sorry for the sake of one snack which could be an alternative snack.

Absolutely yes it can. Allergies, especially nuts, can circulate in the air and be injested. People can also contaminate if they haven't washed their hands, meaning the allergenic person could touch the contaminated object or surface and then touch their face/mouth/nose.

Unfortunately factories are using may contain as a get out of jail free. They are using it as a caveat so if lines aren't cleaned properly in factories and there are cross contamination then they can't be sued because they've written that.

Nut allergies unfortunately are one of the few that can be deadly by airborne. It is very rare so more likely concern is through contact with kids who've eaten them. It may only take another child to breathe closely on them or spit etc and they could have enough nuts to kill.

Obviously too young for proper kissing but just as an example there are many people who unfortunately have died after kissing a partner who'd eaten nuts.

Yes it could. Just a trace amount of nuts could cause a reaction. For the child that has the allergy it could be airborne that causes the reaction. I work in the childcare industry and have a child in my setting who reacts to alot of things, one of these is nuts, and it causes skin irritations, mood swings and being generally unwell. It has taken her parents a long time and alot of worry to try and work out what is causing the reactions, especially since new allergies can appear at any time. They have gone from just nuts, trout and salmon to wheat, dairy, bananas, tomatoes, strawberries and a few other things all within the last two years.

I have a friend that her allergy wasn't too bad. Allergic to nuts (as in whole nuts) and dairy intolerance. As she's got older, her allergy has worsened. She's now allergic to all nuts, and her allergy is now an airborne allergy. That means if someone eats nuts (even a Nutella sandwich or a snickers) then cleans their teeth, but still breathes on her as they speak to her, she can go into an anaphylaxis shock and has to use her epipen.

Unfortunately some people's allergies are extreme, and other not so bad. Most schools and nurseries are nut free, but not usually to the extreme of 'may contains nuts' when just because it's made in a factory where something else is made with nuts in it. If the school is that strict, the allergy must be that bad.

Are you a bit hard of reading?

OP isn't talking about foods that actually contain nuts and has already said they won't be sending anything that has nuts as an ingredient.

She's talking about stuff that has no nuts in, but "may contain traces" - so, almost anything that isn't guaranteed nut free. Our oatcakes have no nuts in, but the label says they may contain traces. Ditto many (probably most!) commercially made foods. And anything at all, even a plain cheese sandwich, that's made in most home kitchens "may contain traces of nuts" if nuts are ever used in that kitchen.

"May contain traces" is just a catch all for anything made anywhere that nuts are ever used, even if no nuts are used in that product. It's very very hard to avoid them all!

Absolutely it's possible.

Not the same scenario but a uni housemate was very allergic to almond oil so we were scrupulous about what came into the house. One day we were using the uni campus computers, had to wait for one to be free. About 5 mins into using the pc my housemate said she felt very itchy, her lips were swelling and we had to use her Epi pen. We can only assume the person who used the computer before her had used some hand cream or similar during her time on the pc and it had been on the keys.

Just don't send anything with nuts or may contain nuts

It’s really not that hard.
OP is talking about knowingly sending in food with the label ‘may contain nuts’ even though she knows the school have said the allergy is severe and this isn’t acceptable.

There are plenty of lunchbox appropriate food that is also free of ‘may contain nuts.’

Something tells me OP wouldn’t be so quick to brush this off as no big deal if it was her child.

I have a severe nut allergy (including airborne) and eat stuff that may contain traces of nuts...the risk is really small that the item will contain nuts, it is likely arse covering and it isn't feasible to live in a sterile, nut-free environment. It is a risk I take as an adult - if it was my child I may judge differently.

Personally I think a may contain ban in these circumstances is daft- child is more likely to react to the kid sitting next to them who had peanut butter at home for breakfast. The likelihood of a may contain item containing nuts is low enough, and then the child reacting is even lower. But that is my risk assessment and others will assess it differently

I do take it seriously, unopened snacks have been sent home very few times in the last 6 years and this is because I've just not looked at the ingredients clearly enough and there is no suggestion on the type of snack I've bought that there would be nuts in it. It's difficult to get into the hang of reading the ingredients so carefully when the allergy isn't in your home and to take it into account if your in a rush throwing lunch together.

Also alot of super market own brand has the warning on it so I end up having to buy more expensive snacks to accommodate.

Completely ridiculous and goes against anaphylaxis UK advice....no school should be nut free, it gives a false sense of security!

Instead this is the advice:
Every school class is likely to have at least one pupil with allergies. The most serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) usually begins within minutes and is potentially life-threatening. Unfortunately, there have been cases of fatal anaphylaxis happening when a child is at school. Lessons learnt from these tragic cases emphasise the need for all school staff to be able to recognise the signs of an allergic reaction and have the confidence to manage this.

We encourage a whole school allergy awareness approach where all staff and pupils are allergy aware. Our AllergyWise® for Schools online training course for all school staff includes lesson resource packs to help educate your pupils about allergies.

I would speak to the HT and make a complaint about your child's good being returned uneaten.

@lokienji disregarding an allergy cause literally cause death. Please do not use a throw away comment of 'don't see an issue'. The request of nothing that even contains traces of nuts is important to keep a child alive.

I hope to god that my child is never in your child's class. Id rather my child comes home from school alive every night because other parents are vigilant!

I'm a mum of a child with a severe peanut allergy. Banning other kids from eating "may contain" foods is totally bonkers. DS doesn't eat these foods himself due to his allergy - many (but not all) allergy sufferers avoid them for themselves scrupulously, but this is not necessary for the others around them. Allergies can be airborne, but "may contain" foods would only have a small trace amount, if anything, that poses no risk to anyone except the person eating it.

"May contain" labelling is not even a legal requirement, although in practice most supermarkets and major manufacturers do so.

@Albiboba I'm not brushing it off? It's a genuine question as I didn't know they could be that severe in relation to being in a room with a child eating something that said "may contain traces of nut" could cause a reaction. I asked because I was curious if the mum is a bit over the top or if she is right to be so cautious.

Also where did I say I knowingly send in snacks that may contain nuts? I said I never sent in anything that had nuts or a suggestion of, but I just haven't checked the ingredients as I didn't think it was necessary. An example is, I used to send her go aheads which didn't have the warning, and then switched to lidls own brand to save money and didn't check so it was sent home. No issues, I just didn't send it again.

I don't think all the PP understand quite how many nut-free products still have the label "may contain nuts" on them.

And I agree what about the risk presented by peanut butter for breakfast? My family is vegetarian and vegan and consumes such a vast amount of peanut butter, I'd worry about accidental contamination. But I'd not want to eliminate such a handy source of fibre and protein from my kid's diets.

It's a horrible situation, I wish there was more funding towards eliminating severe food allergies.

My child has a nut allergy and doesn't eat 'may contain', I think that it's ridiculous of the school to ban all foods with possible traces of nuts.

By that logic you wouldn't even be allowed a sandwich, unless you have a completely nut free kitchen.

I'm an allergy mum too.
Talk to the HT...it's completely OTT

^ this! A sensible answer.

Most processed foods will.have a 'may contain nuts ' label as manufacturers want to cover their butts!

The risk is absolutely miniscule. If a child's allergy was that severe they would ban kids having peanut butter got breakfast.

A friend of mine carries an epi pen for a severe nut allergy but can eat many products that 'may contain nut'. I remember at uni she had to be careful not snogging anyone who had eaten nuts 😂

Absolutely anything made in the kitchen of a family that ever eats nuts/peanut butter/nutella is more risky than (to use an example) factory made oatcakes that 'might contain traces of nuts'.where they are not an ingredient. A factory will scrupulously clean its equipment and it could be months since they had any nut products on it.

Yet virtually every parent making a cheese sandwich for their child's lunch, will have more traces is nuts around from their breakfast cereal or the peanut butter or nutella that their child had last night or on their breakfast toast.

As a pp said, the advice from allergy organisations is that schools do not react like this to anaphylactic allergies.