Tree Nut Allergies in school-does your school do this?

[luvmy3]

My ds has a tree nut allergy NOT peanut. He has been going to the same school for 6 years and this has never been an issue. He is a picky eater, and his go to lunch has always been PB&J. Some days he wants me to make it, and other days he wants to get it at school. Yesterday he was told that he can't have a peanut butter sandwich because there was a note on his acct that he was allergic to nuts. He tried to explain that he is not allergic to peanuts, and that they aren't even nuts and that he even got one the day before! Apparently it doesn't matter, if you are allergic to tree nuts you can't have peanut butter I asked him if he had to sit at the peanut free table and he said no. I am really confused by this, is it possible that they changed peanutbutter manufacturers and they now put tree nuts in the peanut butter? I wrote a note asking if someone could send home some information on why this has suddenly come up, but I am wondering if this is the new normal in schools attempts to protect its students.
FTR, I am still planning on sending in PB&J sandwhiches with him, and while I don't really have a problem with them not serving them to him (even though its pointless) but so help them if they tell me I can't even send them in
Anyone else have this issue at their kids' school?

 

[MichelleVW]

My ds has a tree nut allergy NOT peanut. He has been going to the same school for 6 years and this has never been an issue. He is a picky eater, and his go to lunch has always been PB&J. Some days he wants me to make it, and other days he wants to get it at school. Yesterday he was told that he can't have a peanut butter sandwich because there was a note on his acct that he was allergic to nuts. He tried to explain that he is not allergic to peanuts, and that they aren't even nuts and that he even got one the day before! Apparently it doesn't matter, if you are allergic to tree nuts you can't have peanut butter I asked him if he had to sit at the peanut free table and he said no. I am really confused by this, is it possible that they changed peanutbutter manufacturers and they now put tree nuts in the peanut butter? I wrote a note asking if someone could send home some information on why this has suddenly come up, but I am wondering if this is the new normal in schools attempts to protect its students.
FTR, I am still planning on sending in PB&J sandwhiches with him, and while I don't really have a problem with them not serving them to him (even though its pointless) but so help them if they tell me I can't even send them in
Anyone else have this issue at their kids' school?

You should call the school and ask a person. If I saw a flag that a child was allergic to any kind of nuts I probably wouldn't have risked giving him the peanut butter either. Call the school and clarify it with them and have them flag his account differently.

 

[luvmy3]

You should call the school and ask a person. If I saw a flag that a child was allergic to any kind of nuts I probably wouldn't have risked giving him the peanut butter either. Call the school and clarify it with them and have them flag his account differently.

Maybe the woman working the register was new at the school and didn't know he can eat peanuts? I can understand wanting to be cautious, but a tree nut allergy is not the same as a peanut allergy and if you are working in the school food industry where there are plenty of kids allergic to either that is something one should know.
I wrote a note, I will call if I have to, but I'm hoping they will just mark his acct today.

 

[Momvic5]

Maybe the woman working the register was new at the school and didn't know he can eat peanuts? I can understand wanting to be cautious, but a tree nut allergy is not the same as a peanut allergy and if you are working in the school food industry where there are plenty of kids allergic to either that is something one should know. I wrote a note, I will call if I have to, but I'm hoping they will just mark his acct today.

Many times they have volunteers working in the cafeteria, and they are clueless on some of these issues. My ds had a peanut allergy and was given a slice of peanut butter cake when he was in 1st grade by a parent volunteer. We ended up in the emergency room. Though it was on his account that he had the allergy, she was not aware the cake was a peanut butter cake. The poor lady was terrified.

 

[luvmy3]

Many times they have volunteers working in the cafeteria, and they are clueless on some of these issues. My ds had a peanut allergy and was given a slice of peanut butter cake when he was in 1st grade by a parent volunteer. We needed up in the emergency room. Though it was on his account that he had the allergy, she was not aware the cake was a peanut butter cake. The poor lady was terrified.

Yikes, they really should have labled that cake to avoid anything like that especially if they have volunteers who don't know what is served. We don't have volunteers working in the kitchen or the registers so I know its an employee, she may just be new to the job and doesn't realize these things yet. I'll see what he says when he comes home, if its changed on his acct, great, if not because its a new policy or something like that I'll just send in his lunch. Like I said, I'll only have a problem if they tell me I can't do that.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I don't have a kid with allergies BUT as someone who may not know that much about allergies I think if I knew a child who had any kind of nut allergies I may go overboard and panic and even if he could have peanut I may not know the diffrence (and didn't until I read this)!!!

 

[luvmy3]

I don't have a kid with allergies BUT as someone who may not know that much about allergies I think if I knew a child who had any kind of nut allergies I may go overboard and panic and even if he could have peanut I may not know the diffrence (and didn't until I read this)!!!

I can totally understand not knowing there is a difference between a nut allergy and a peanut allergy (peanuts are legumes, not tree nuts). I just assumed that if someone was working in the school where there are alot of peanut allergy kids, and kids allergic to just tree nuts that they would have been educated on the differences. When I said she should have known, I didn't mean it should be common sense on her part, I meant that the school should inform the cafeteria employees those things.

 

[mhsjax]

I am sure that when you call and explain that he can have peanut butter just not tree nuts then you will be fine. But just think about how some people get over allergies, and what actually happens to some people with allergies and I think I can understand how they may be overly cautious. Just think about some of the posts her on DIS. There have been very heated discussions about allergies and what people should and shouldn't do when a child has one.

 

[MichelleVW]

Maybe the woman working the register was new at the school and didn't know he can eat peanuts? I can understand wanting to be cautious, but a tree nut allergy is not the same as a peanut allergy and if you are working in the school food industry where there are plenty of kids allergic to either that is something one should know.
I wrote a note, I will call if I have to, but I'm hoping they will just mark his acct today.

Honestly I don't think a note is enough in this case. Notes aren't as reliable as a phone call or a visit in my opinion.

 

[Momvic5]

I can totally understand not knowing there is a difference between a nut allergy and a peanut allergy (peanuts are legumes, not tree nuts). I just assumed that if someone was working in the school where there are alot of peanut allergy kids, and kids allergic to just tree nuts that they would have been educated on the differences. When I said she should have known, I didn't mean it should be common sense on her part, I meant that the school should inform the cafeteria employees those things.

I agree! Cafeteria employees should be informed...they help our kids make food choices everyday, and when kids have allergies, they depend on the adults around them to help keep them safe.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I guess they are using better safe then sorry thinking?

 

[luvmy3]

I am sure that when you call and explain that he can have peanut butter just not tree nuts then you will be fine. But just think about how some people get over allergies, and what actually happens to some people with allergies and I think I can understand how they may be overly cautious. Just think about some of the posts her on DIS. There have been very heated discussions about allergies and what people should and shouldn't do when a child has one.

I agree! Cafeteria employees should be informed...they help our kids make food choices everyday, and when kids have allergies, they depend on the adults around them to help keep them safe.

Actually what I was just thinking was what if this has always been on his acct and it is policy but it has gone ignored, and then I thought of kids that really were allergic to peanuts I don't think that would be the case, our school doesn't even allow peanut items in classrooms.

 

[luvmy3]

I guess they are using better safe then sorry thinking?

Thats OK, but it just came out of the blue. He's in 5th grade and has been eating PB&J sandwiches at least 3 times a week for the last 5 years.

 

[luvmy3]

Mystery solved! I just got off the phone with the District's food service secretary and she looked up his account and the note was just added and it says he is allergic to peanuts and treenuts, so she said I could send an email to them or send a letter stating he is only allergic to treenuts and they'll take off the peanut warning.
I forgot to ask why it was just added yesterday but maybe its something the district just started doing on lunch accts.

 

[DeniseinNS]

I'm surprised that with the amount of kids with severe peanut allergies that there are still schools that allow peanut products at all. We have never been allowed to send anything containing peanuts to school.

 

[MichelleVW]

Glad you got it sorted out!

 

[msjprincess]

I'm surprised that with the amount of kids with severe peanut allergies that there are still schools that allow peanut products at all. We have never been allowed to send anything containing peanuts to school.

At our school everything they sell is peanut/tree nut free. But kids are allowed to bring peanut/nut products for lunch.They have a nut free table in the cafeteria.