Nut allergy and school lunches

[crossallergy]

Hi I've named changed as this may be a bit identifying.

DC started in reception in a small primary a couple of weeks ago. DC has a nut allergy to certain tree nuts which luckily seems to result in vomiting not anaphylactic reaction. DC has been given an epipen in case of an extreme reaction. DC has been having school lunches since day 1 but this week a new dinner lady started and noticing DC has an epipen refused normal lunch so DC ended up with potato and salad (DC was denied cheese as it may contain nuts!?!?). DC was v upset and school called me asking me to send a message stating DC could have food that may contain traces of nuts or that had been prepared in a kitchen with nuts. I did but today DC has been denied proper lunch again and I have today received an email from the catering company (who provide food for all the local schools) saying that DC needs to have a special diet menu arranged and cannot have hot dinners till this is sorted. I don't understand why DC has to have a special menu when it is a nut free school and if this is necessary why it wasn't sorted out earlier??

I was wondering if anyone who has a child with a nut allergy/works in a primary school can tell me if this is normal or if there is a mix up? Thanks!

Just go in and see them. They're being super careful as even their flour will say 'may contain nuts' and they don't want to risk it. Same happened to ds to before I spoke to the kitchen manager.

They're (rightly) being careful.

You need to make an appointment to see the menus.

It's totally normal for a school to require written confirmation that a child can eat "may contain traces of nuts". Can you imagine the consequences if they weren't militant on this? Nut free doesn't mean free of traces of nuts because it's so difficult.

Can't you send him with a packed lunch until this is sorted?

It comes from an outside catering company and is just reheated on site so there is no kitchen manager. I will call the company in the morning (I teach in a secondary school so struggle to organise meetings in school hours). I think I am feeling upset by it as she is struggling a bit at school and is being made to feel different.

Am sending in a packed lunch tomorrow. I just wish it had been sorted out earlier - will have a look at the anaphylaxis website. Thanks!

Tbh if he needs to cary an epipen then he is a "bit different". He needs them to cater safely for him and that does not mean giving him food that "may contain traces of nut" without a doctor's letter saying that's fine.

I understand the feeling different thing- ds struggled a lot with that. They just want to be the same as their mates, don't they?

My DD has tree nut allergy as well-

I think the recent strategy of most packaging now saying "may contain traces of nuts" or "prepared in a factory with nuts" makes it much harder to tell what actually has nuts... it is actually making it harder
I'm sure the catering company has a blanket policy so hope your face to face meeting helps put a plan appropriate for your DC.

I know it is for safety, I understand that, and I get that DC is a bit different for having to have an epipen but this was never a problem at nursery nor would it be where I teach (kitchen on site). I just wish so much that it was dealt with in her settling in days in June/July rather than after 2 1/2 weeks of school. Thanks for the advice.