Pesto in lunch box - nut free school

[Franxie]

I’ve got a friend who has twins my kids class, they are reception age. She doesn’t let her kids have school lunches as she doesn’t think they are healthy.

Today I asked her daughters what they had for lunch and they told me a croissant, mum clarified it was a croissant with pesto spread inside, chicken, mozzarella and tomato slices.

The school is nut free so I said oh doesn’t pesto have nuts in it, she said it was fine, I said it’s really not allergies can be deadly and she insisted it was fine, school never pays attention, it’s healthy and if school ever do ask she will say it’s nut free pesto.

WIBU to report this to the school?

Please report, as others have said some pesto can contain cashew nuts and even as an aside pine nuts can still cause a reaction. The entitlement of some people out of sheer selfishness is just mind blowing 🤯

Wrong person quoted. My apologies.

Colleague with known nut allergy was offered, and took, a mushroom from another colleagues starter at a company dinner, unaware there was pesto in the dish. Severe reaction, ambulance treatment, taken to hospital, had ongoing gut problems for weeks after. Absolutely not worth the risk; if the friend isn't interested in keeping another child safe then inform the school.

@whereIsMyJumper - presumably you are aware that many, many (many) people just jump to add their comments rather than read the full thread?

Actually most pesto contains nuts like cashew alongside very, very expensive pine nuts.
Finding a truly nut free pesto isn't easy!

More children have died from dairy allergy than nuts in the last 30 years....

I also have a cousin who has a severe nut allergy (similar to son and other cuz - anaphalaxis) so im very aware you cant cut out every allergen. It's genuinely better for everyone to know what's in their food so others can act accordingly

I am aware but it’s annoying as hell 😂

Its this threads cancel the cheque

Sadly there are people who don't take allergies seriously. Unless they suffer from a severe allergy themselves or have family with allergic reactions they often dismiss it as not my circus. When I apologetically ask people to keep their dog from jumping on me or licking me due to my allergy, or I explain I can't pet dogs, I often get the side eye as if I'd insulted them or they simply ignore my request. It's nothing like a nut allergy but sadly many people don't want to know even when as in a nut allergy it could be extremely serious.

My DD is severely allergic to pine nuts, cashew and peanuts. I can't eat nuts near her.
She's asthmatic and has eczema.

She can eat almonds and hazelnuts. Why I have no idea.

The vast majority of store-bought pestos these days are made with cashews, not pine nuts, and cashew nut allergy is one of the most severe and often results in anaphylaxis. Big no-no for a nut free school.

Despite what a lot of posters are saying, some pesto is actually made with cashew nuts and my son is severely allergic to cashews. It would be good to remind your friend of this or at least give the school a quiet nudge

Most supermarket pesto contains cashew nuts as it's cheaper

Cashew nuts are definitely included as nuts for the purposes of allergies, food labelling etc!

did she make it herself? I’ve made pesto plenty of times without pine nuts as I’ve forgotten to buy them

Yes report. A lot of pestos these days contain cashew so very dangerous.

My daughter can't serve crunchy nut cornflakes to me if I'm not well enough to get breakfast (I'm post surgery not lazy!) . She will need her puffer and will itch like hell. My worry would be that if the children are close by the nuts might effect them.

Please report to the school so they can keep an eye out. Cheaper pesto made with nuts rather than pine nuts and definitely not suitable for a nut free school.

A croissant is healthy? Whenever we eat one the MN roast chicken lasts 2 weeks! 🤣

I make homemade pesto for the kids, and I sometimes use sunflower seeds if I have no pine nuts. Why don’t you ask her exactly what’s in it?

Sorry, just reread your post. Shes aware of potential allergy risks. I would tell them then. She should have more sense!

Sometimes they're OK. And sometimes they die.

BTW, school staff can also be told not to consume nuts or seeds (all types due to the frequent risk of cross contamination in nut and seed production).

They’re not included as ‘nuts’ in the food regulation guidelines, though obviously you can be allergic anyway. Coconut is the same.

Haven’t read the full thread, but most UK shop bought pesto has other nuts in it as it’s cheaper than pine nuts. They usually use cashew.

Won’t somebody cancel the cashew nuts! 🤣

Indeed!!

Really wish people would read the thread before posting so that we don’t have countless of the same comment telling us about the cashew nuts in pesto 🙄

if you believe that any school is genuinely nut free you are being naive. Mistakes can be easily made. My current school attempts to be strict about the nut ban because of a specific child but they still get in.

School staff can be told the risk that comes with them eating nuts. Schools do not have the power to tell their low wage staff what they can eat on their unpaid lunch break when they are free to leave the premises.