To think schools searching sandwiches is a bit much

[Comewhatmay25]

Just found out my DDs school search their lunchboxes everyday. But not just lunch boxes but open sandwiches to see the filling and open flasks to see what's inside. This feels very intrusive and I wonder if it could have the opposite effect of cross contamination. It's not done by staff in the kitchen just dinner ladies with no gloves on or nearby handfasting facilities. AIBU to think this is disgusting and intrusive or is there a need for it?
Does anyone else's school do this?

I'm guessing the sandwich opening would be to check if it's peanut butter?
Maybe the drinks are to check it's water or not

That’s disgusting.

They sound unhinged.

Or maybe there is an extremely serious allergy at the school. Even peanut air for example can be lethal to some.

I have a friend whose daughter is extremely allergic to egg. A kid in her class had scrambled eggs for breakfast. So no cross contamination or issue. However the egg kid picked up a few pieces of fruit at snack time to choose the one they wanted. They clearly didn’t wash their hands as my friends kid ate a piece of that fruit. Went into anaphylactic school and stopped breathing. Kid is fine now btw.

Good if it keep a kid safe then I’m all for it. Who cares if they do this - sometimes it’s about others.

Peanuts ?

Who has told you this? Has it come from the kids or have you seen or been told this by an adult?

Was also going to ask if its allergy related?

That is really quite odd, I would not be happy about someone touching my child's food.

If they were checking for nuts this could cross contamination surely? Same for any other allergies, or spreading bugs around…

Surely them handling every kids food and sticking their fingers in sandwiches is massive risk for cross contamination and spreading allergens

Surely OP would be aware of this if it was the case?

Who's told you they're searching the lunchboxes ?

This is exactly what cross contamination is btw. Very unlucky in this case though.

Maybe? Maybe not and I’m not saying it’s true here but there can be good reasons.

Also are we sure the staff are opening the sandwiches or are they asking the kids to show them the open sandwiches - two different things.

I'd be very sceptical this is happening OP - who on earth would want to do that for a start! Speak to an adult at the school and see what they say.

Regardless of allergies, this does not sound like normal behaviour. I wouldn’t be pleased if my child’s sandwich was picked apart each day. But I would be wary about this information - has this been confirmed by the school that it happens? I can’t quite believe dinner ladies would go round every child’s lunch box fingering their sandwiches themselves. Who has the time!? I would check this first.

Yeah sorry you are absolutely right. My phrasing was poor I meant not immediate or in school (from a lunch box) but rather from a very innocent action.

Is it definitely the staff actually touching the sandwich or are they just asking to see what is in the sandwich and the child will be showing them? How old is the child and how reliable are they at relaying information because I told my children never give a police statement about me because they misjudged a lot

Contact the school ask what is happening and why it is happening. Ask who is checking the sandwiches and flasks and is there anything you need to be aware of.

That's just weird and not on. Quite frankly they should issue rules and expect you to stick to them. If it is allergy related they should only investigate if and when a child becomes ill.

Are the dinner ladies employed by the school? Sometimes they come from the catering company. I would complain about this. It’s unlikely to be school policy and more likely to be dinner ladies being power hungry jobsworths choosing to do this themselves.

I could understand a school clamping down on the lunchbox rules if they have repeatedly been broken, especially around a nut ban (although they're not actually advised any more, but anyway). They shouldn't be waiting for a reaction to happen if their steps to mitigate the risk aren't being observed.

I could even understand them asking the kids to open their sandwiches to see what's inside. I just don't believe the staff would be doing it themselves with their bare hands.

I don't think this is happening as op says

So you're happy for someone to manhandle your kids food every day, not knowing who else's food they've touched, whether she's scratched her head, bum, had a cigarette etc since she last washed her hands? What if your child has a gluten allergy and it's 20 normal pieces of bread she's touched bare handed before she handles your kids food?

If the allergy is so bad that they need to daily check lunch boxes, they need to find another answer. Ban brought in lunches? Checked in class each morning with the kids opening up their own food?

I have personally seen the staff doing this. It is 100% happening. The children put their lunches in a central place then they are searched. Not by kitchen staff but mid day assistants. Also I don't mean drinks flasks, I mean they even open food flasks.

Bullshit

There are other allergies than just the main ones. This system would be rife for cross-contamination of those less common allergens even with gloves.

if the school is actually doing this, they need training