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?

The only thing I could pick out from that is the Pepperami. Just because it has a strong smell, which might cause a link to airborne allergic reactions.

But it's weird as it's not listed as a banned item on the school's list.

The dairy items are fine - not airborne but potentially problematic if the child eating it doesn't wash their hands then touches the skin of the child with an dairy allergy.

Actually that makes me think, maybe the Frube. Danger being it's squinty tube of an allergen. (Though again if the school doesn't want them in the school, they need to list them.)

Surely the verboten item is the one still in the lunchbox when she came home?

Whilst I broadly agree that feeding kids ultra processed foods isn't great I'm not sure many kids would want to unpack an egg sandwich and 3 cubes of gruyere in the lunch hall. I got the piss ripped out of me mercilessly in the 1980s for taking a homemade mini quiche in my lunchbox.

My DD had a child with a severe allergy in her class from reception. They were all taught NEVER to share their food for that reason. As it was milk, they even needed to give rhe other children their daily cup of milk in the same classroom.

She didn't ask your opinion.

Please tell us when you know!!! I'm intrigued! That lunchbox is a good lunchbox...

And times change again. Blanket bans are no longer the recommended method, the child with the allergies has to learn how to manage their allergy in school like they will have to outside of school.

Plus there are so many now it isn't possible to make a lunchbox without an allergen. My DD can't have celery, kiwi, strawberry or dairy, she knows to wash her hands, only eat her own food and where her epi pens are, and she is 6.

This is ridiculous. If an allergy is so severe they have to ban certain foods speaking in fucking riddles is not the way to go about it

@KickHimInTheCrotch wasn't a problem when my dc were at school in the noughties. I would imagine that lunches as I 've described are par for the course nowadays and not "out there" at all.

That must be very scary for you. I hope she is ok. Are they airborne allergies? How does she manage with that if so?

I'm in a few allergy groups on FB and did once see someone pure raging at a man feeding peanuts to the squirrels in the park.

In fairness, it's not easy to send your child out into the world knowing the wrong food could kill them. But I do prefer to assume the allergen is everywhere and take steps to avoid rather than to expect an allergen free world.

I know someone with a severe strawberry allergy. I suspect it's the frube

There a child in dc school with a severe allergy to oranges so no oranges or products from oranges

The misapprehension that nut and peanut allergies are more serious than others makes it very difficult for those with anaphylaxis to other allergens to be taken seriously so it's something that's always worth clarifying.

This.

I have been unimpressed with school and cubs who know DS has a strawberry allergy who have had tasks involving food with strawberry in.

DS thankfully had the guts to say he couldn't do it.

Even then he's had a reaction because they did fucking clear it up properly.

I don't expect them to ban strawberries. I do expect awareness and to use substitutes if it's part of a task.

Just bloody ask them. How hard is it?

I wouldn't want my child at your school, thankfully ours don't do this. They specify water during class times, but cordial is fine at lunch. We have agreement that my child can have milk or orange cordial as otherwise he refuses to drink. He has sensory needs so eating and drinking is a big thing, he takes in extra snacks too.

School have agreed I can send him in with milk or squash, but to be fair to others I use a dark cup so nobody else can see what is inside. Not every child will just drink water, believe me i have tried many many times.

If you read the OP you will see she has asked them and is waiting for a response.

'Tis autocarrot.

The edge of your finger may have caused a tiny draught over the "L" as you typed the "O" of "OP", and AC struck like a panther!

It had been waiting for this very opportunity. The rigorous training paid off at last. The pain was worth it.

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

You’ll have to ask - but the amount of ultra processed food, salt and sugar in that lunch is appalling.

They have responded to say it was not a mistaken message. It was indeed the frube. There is a child with a severe dairy allergy. Whilst there is not a blanket ban on all dairy, there is a risk this could squirt/splatter so more risky. They have informed ‘many parents’ in the past but there has not been a full school communication.

I wish they had just explained that in their original message!

😂Best reply on the thread.

I would agree the apple juice is possibly not conforming to plain water or milk.
Or perhaps the Pepporami - is it processed meat with additives that some kids are allergic to?

I'm so interested to find the answer to this, Op!

The frube thing makes sense... my DD has come home with yoghurt on her uniform from a friends frube!

I'd expect them not to include strawberries if it is a task like making fruit salad or something that's just daft and asking for trouble.

I also think allergies weren't taken seriously in the past kids saying they were allergic when really they just didn't like certain things.

But one that gets me is you say someone has a wheat allergy people assume coeliac type intolerance, not an actual allergy that could be life threatening.