Health and safety gone made or sensible precaution

[bogwobbit]

My ds's primary school has always been big on the children organising their own fund-faising ventures for favourite charities. Usually it involves a few of them bringing 'cake and candy' items in and selling them to their classmates / friends for a few pence an item. My son loves it and really enjoys helping me bake and then bringing in the finished item. The ammounts raised and the charity it's for is then publicised in the school newsletter along with the names of the children involved.
This year however, the PTA newsletter has just come out with a big warning to children not to do 'cake and candy' fundraising unless the items sold are shop-bought (where's the fun in that ). Apparently there is a danger of e-coli.
I'm no expert but I thought e-coli was generally caught from animal faeces, eg not hand-washing properly after farm visits or contaminated water or undercooked meat.
So, is there a genuine danger here, that I was not aware of or is this just someone going a bit overboard on health and safety and spoiling the children's fun.
I would be grateful for any views on this before I approach the PTA.
Thanks

bump - anyone? Please

I personally would think the risk of allergic reactions was bigger than e-coli.

Mental

I think local authority environmental health departments have come down on people like the WI before now so there may be something in this, sadly. Why not contact your local environmental health department with a 'just hypothetically, if the kids at a local primary school were to do something like this, would you see any problems?'. Then at least you'll know if the PTA has a point, or be able to argue against exaggerated fears if not.

As for shop-bought being safer, yeah, right. After the Cadbury's scare?

also - shop-bought cakes and sweets are full of rubbish.

Edam, I think I will contact the council EHOs to see what they say. Thanks.
It just strikes me as being really sad, stopping kids doing something they really enjoy doing and have done for years.

i'd rather have a lovingly home-cooked cake than a shop-bought, cellophane wrapped, additive-rich one. what is the world coming to??? soon they'll want us feeding through tubes to avoid contamination.