To wonder what is dangerous about my child’s lunch

[NameChangeAK]

I received a message from school today saying my child’s lunch contained a prohibited item and to please review the policy “as there are children with severe allergies and it’s dangerous not to comply”

I don’t usually provide packed lunches - DC has school meals, but they did like todays meal options.

Ive responded and asked what the item was but waiting for a response, but I’m confused - it’s clearly a nut free school but I can’t see anything else anywhere about other banned foods

the packed lunch contained:

• ham sandwich (with butter) on brown bread
• apple
• frube (strawberry flavour)
• carton of own brand apple juice
• Pepperami
• babybel

any ideas what could be the problem or Aibu to think they’ve mistaken the ham as peanut butter or something ridiculous?

This, all these lunch policies are absolute nonsense when they get to high school and can get out of school to buy fizzy drink, instant noodles and packs of cookies for lunch.

Exactly the same here! My son doesn't touch anything that's not beige. The same apple has a ride to school and back every day.

The vaugeness of the note and lack of clarity about the policy is daft, unhelpful and potentially dangerous as such a vague message is likely to be ignored.

Specifically banning a frube because of the risk of uncontrolled splatter compared to similar products is sensible... but only if all parents are made aware of that and the reason for it.

Generally banning allergens from common food groups is unmanagable. I say this as a parent whose child had 3 allergies to common foods that caused facial swelling to the point that he couldn't open his eyes properly for a couple of days.

Good job you’re not eating it then.

Ah yes, the frube makes sense now. My son has a diary allergy (not a serious one, just makes him very poorly/sick/the runs/rash etc) & he’s come home splattered when someone behind him opened a drive a bit too enthusiastically. He ended up with a rash on his neck from it where it had gotten on his skin. The school really should have made a school wide notice about it though. We haven’t at our school as it’s not a big deal unless my son eats it but if it’s something serious then they shouldn’t just be raising it individually

Asda did a HUGE ‘bel’ at Christmas time!

Lots of clueless posts from people not understanding the difference between processed foods and UPF on this thread, which is fine. It’s a newish concept and there’s a lot to learn. But there is a tangible difference. It’s not just snobbery or nonsense.

Yes, all bread and cheese is processed food. That’s fine and not unhealthy.

Some bread and cheese is ultra-processed food. Bread baked fresh at Sainsburys bakery is simply processed. Sainsbury’s “sliced white bread” on the shelf, however, contains various emulsifiers and rapeseed oil, and is ultra-processed.

To answer the quoted question Babybel vs Gruyere. Actually neither are UPF. Gruyere has one ingredient - milk. Babybel actually has only a few ingredients - Cheese, salt, lactic ferments, rennet. Babybel is just edam. Any anti-babybel sentiment is just snobbery.

Frubes vs natural yog is probably a better example. Natural yoghurt is just a couple of ingredients - milk, and bacterial cultures. Frubes contain guar gum and “flavouring” - plus stabilisers, regulators and thickeners. It is an UPF.

The science is still emerging, but Ultra Processed Foods have been shown to have an adverse effect on gut health, as well as strong links to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, depression, obesity and low life expectancy.

The main ultra-processed ingredients you want to look out for are emulsifiers, flavourings and stabilisers, things like malted barley extract (in most cereals), hydrogenated oils and seed oils, and “natural flavourings”. Any extra ingredients that have been added to aid in industrial food processing, for ease of shaping, flavouring, etc, and for cheapness.

The OpenFoodFacts app is great for checking if something is a UPF.

Could be the pepperami as people have allergies to many spices.

The OP has said they've replied and it's the frube due to milk allergies

babybel -> gruyere snobbery is hilarious :D

send stinking bishop with crackers darling...and purple organic carrots with your humous, it will be a hoot.

I think your lunch was fine. I have one very fussy DD and one who'll eat anything. If I don't give the fussy one foods she will eat she just won't eat.

I am sympathetic to people with allergies but if we excluded everything that one person was allergic to you would end up with virtually no possible options.

can I ask what is wrong with rapeseed oil?

appreciate I'm being be pedantic answering your question- just because i like a quick show off -Babybel is a brand of small cheese produced by Le Groupe Bel founded by Jules Bel son officially i think we can call him the Big Bel

These rules are nuts. Or may contain nuts.

I find it far more inconsiderate that they offered 2 beef options and one crap vegetarian one. I'd feed that back to the school. I imagine there aren't many pupils of the same religious background?

You imagine wrong...

🤣

Yes, I was about to post that and ask why they couldn't have said what the item was instead of "Your child's lunch contains a prohibited item" leading you to guess what the hell it's supposed to be.

Surprised at the people who never knew a child at school with an allergy in the past- I was very lucky not to inherit my mother's anaphylactic allergy to nuts and seafood and she went to primary school in the 60's!

@godmum56 nothing is wrong it, nor malt extract.

It's a food obsession based around privilege & snobbery. Yoghurt, for example. The vast majority of yoghurt has things added, especially low-fat. Of course, authentic Greek yoghurt tastes nicest & contains things that are good for you but it's also much much more expensive. As are most things with the fewest ingredients.

Sure, fancy sourdoughs are great (hate it myself) & artisan breads are all pure like our ancestors used to make but they aren't that fun to eat in truth & are rarely multi-purpose.

Normal ppl working on a budget just need their kids to eat & cannot afford the luxury of obsessively checking every single ingredient especially when most people don't even realise what the weird looking ingredients are or that perfectly natural ingredients have E-numbers.

In truth! The most dangerous thing we can do with food is burn or overcook it. Or in the case of meats, undercook. Incorrect storage & reheating is more of a health issue than if there is rapeseed oil in your bread. The whole thing drives me batty.

Chill, the lunch was fine and probably what most normal mums would put together for their kids.

Whole carrots 🥕 maybe not, your child is neither horse nor reindeer. And you'd need to peal it / prep it so no.

What you put together was absolutely fine.
Not so much school but After School doing holiday care have asked parents to avoid yougart and chocolate in kids lunches as esp in summer as they fear yougart will turn and chocolate melts and makes a mess (and kids get upset when they can't eat it)

@CelesteCunningham That's just not true 😂

I think I would be saying that is fine but you were not aware as it's not in the policy and there hasn't been a whole school communication about it

You're not a mind reader, I wouldn't have been aware of the issue with the frube either but it makes sense when explained. However if they're having to tell "many parents" then there is obviously an issue with their communication.

Frankly I think the email you received is ridiculous. It was unclear and vague and lots of parents would have ignored it assuming it was a mistake, which is potentially dangerous for the child with the allergy if the message isn't getting through. I'd point that out to them.

Why use strawberry jelly in the classroom for a science lesson when you know there's a kid in the class with a strawberry allergy?

Is orange jelly less scientific?

@RosesAndHellebores Gruyère is a UPF! Cheddar is much better. Honey may well be natural but is full of naturally occurring sugar and rots teeth

HTH

Sorry @EnglishBluebell , what's not true? I've posted a lot so I'm not sure which post you're referring to.