May contain. . . | Imamother

amother

DarkViolet

Thu, Oct 26 2023, 9:45 pm

amother Brickred wrote:

It sounds like you're challenging/qiestioning the allergy rules where you send your child. Not making a big deal would just be following the rules or asking the place for clarification. They have rules for a reason, to keep other children safe.

Yes, but as a parent of kids with seperate sets of allergies, once you start eliminating all "may contain" snacks, weve got very few foods left.
Also, are you not allowed to send your kid home cooked food for his snack or lunch? Because all our kitchens are almost all just as cross contaminated as those factories.

lucky14

Thu, Oct 26 2023, 9:46 pm

Almost everything is made in a facility that some allergen was in. It’s so limiting if you can’t bring it any of that stuff. Find out from the school. Make sure the parents have been asked. Sometimes teachers just assume it’s a problem so they will say it’s not ok. I’ve had that happen before. And then the parents themselves said it was fine for other kids in the class to eat things made in the same facility as …. (Whatever it is the kid is allergic to). So my suggestion is to make sure it’s all been verified and what the school policy is exactly before making yourself crazy buying food for school.

But of course if it really is an issue all precautions should be made. Allergies can be life threatening and we should all know by now (and I’m sure you the OP knows) to take them seriously.

LittleDucky

Thu, Oct 26 2023, 10:16 pm

If you know which kid then ask the parent.
I am deeply grateful to the mom of the kid with severe allergies who made a sheet for the school and then sent to the moms in the class. It listed what he can't eat himself as well as what no one should have around him. For instance- he can't eat wheat but kids in the class can have wheat items. There is one item he has a severe allergy to that isnt a commonly eaten item but he has a touch allergy to. I sent a message to the mom asking about a specific food that contains that allergen. She asked that unless my kid is super neat and promises to wash hands after touching it to please avoid if possible. My kid understands that he is withholding eating it at school to protect his friend. (It would send the classmate to the ER).

There are so many allergens and levels of allergies that you need clarification. Schools and teachers like the ban to be extra careful but it might not be necessary. It really varies! And blanket bans on foods wouldn't work- peanuts are one of the few "totally safe" foods for this kid! (No other allergy kids in the class...)

amother

Bone

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 2:45 am

A lot of foods say may contain, and it's more about covering themselves than they necessarily believe it is contaminated.
There's also a difference between the child with allergies eating this food and other children. And if the child has airborne allergies or only allergic to touch or taste.
I would clarify with the school what their rules are.

amother

Turquoise

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 5:36 am

Parent of a child with anaphylactic serious allergies. I would be totally fine if kids ate may contain at school. As long as staff are diligent that kids don’t share. It puts pressure on the staff to have to watch extra carefully. That might be part of the reason. Depends on how old the kids are. If they are preschool aged then avoidance is best

amother

Winterberry

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 5:51 am

As a mother with a kid with allergies, he was fine being near the allergens but couldn’t eat them. My kid goes to a peanut free school but his allergies were more than peanuts. I made sure he had his own snack etc. if the school is being so strict they need to provide the snack for the class.

amother

Cerulean

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 6:03 am

Ugh I got a similar note recently also about a granola bar! It's annoying because I bought this brand because they were a good price and not so high sugar. I don't want anyone to get sick, of course, and we'll follow the rules now that we know (I had assumed the may contain was okay for individual snacks. The bar wasn't nut flavored or anything and I don't send anything with nuts or peanuts). Anyway we found some brands with no warning but they're a lot more $$ so we'll send them less often. My child is pretty young so I wonder if they're being extra careful because any allergic children aren't old enough to know to avoid things. I wish that warning wasn't on everything but I do want everyone to be safe.

amother

Sienna

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 6:14 am

amother DarkViolet wrote:

I’ve thought about this, too. Any homemade item is definitely “made in a facility…with allergens”—and in fact, all the more so, since factories are cleaning and swabbing to assure no cross-contamination between products, but people aren’t doing that in their home kitchens. And yet, schools don’t stop kids from bringing homemade cakes, cookies, etc as long as they don’t specifically have nuts (for their own consumption, as opposed to sharing for a Siyum).

amother

Coffee

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 7:35 am

I know a lot of schools differentiate between "may contain" and "made in a facility that also..." You can't have either when you bring for the class, but for each kid bringing for themselves, facility is fine. I also know that many middle and high schools allow "may contain" because the kids are older. And I definitely know that some staff over enforce because they're not sure so they are being careful.

Orangehead

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 8:31 am

amother Brickred wrote:

Asking and trying to understand is not the same as saying I will send it anyway. I already told the teacher I won’t send it.
In addition, the rule is that they are peanut and nut free. (They didn’t say anything about sesame.) plus, the rule is please don’t send anything with these allergens. It doesn’t say anything about an item that was made in a facility that processes those things.
If they want to be that strict, they should have clarified that on the notice.

Last edited by Orangehead on Fri, Oct 27 2023, 8:55 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Latte

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 8:32 am

I myself have a peanut allergy, I’m not airborne but I’ve had reactions to things that are may contain. It’s scary.
For me I obviously allow anyone to eat what they want Bec I’m an adult and know to be careful but with kids you just never know. They can trade/share if they’re old enough- even if the teacher claims to be there all the time I’m sure they turn their back for a min or two.
Also, if it falls on the floor or is left somewhere anyone can pick up and eat - gross I know but I’ve definitely seen it.

amother

Latte

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 8:34 am

amother Sienna wrote:

Also- as a kid I never ate baked goods not from my mother’s kitchen or someone I knew who had allergies the same as mine in the house for this exact reason.
And when I was growing up allergies weren’t as common or understood.
Just Bec some people are lax about it doesn’t mean everyone is/can afford to be.

SYA

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 8:55 am

My friend’s dc has airborne allergies to peanuts.
Another child came with an item that may contain and another time it was made in a facility with. Both times her dc had an anaphylactic reaction and needed an epi-pen, and follow up treatment.

You need to hear directly from the parent what level allergy the child has, and what precautions must be taken.

amother

Winterberry

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 8:57 am

SYA wrote:

So when a child has such severe allergies I believe the school should be providing snack. That way you know it’s all good . I think parents that are not in it don’t realize how much contamination there is. My son couldn’t eat any chocolate or dried fruits etc.

amother

Pansy

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 9:08 am

Orangehead wrote:

Yes, they should have notified all the parents about the details. I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way, and I hope your ds had another snack so he wasn't hungry.

seeker

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 9:28 am

My child: may not eat "may contain"
Class party: may not distribute "may contain"
Other people: may not eat actual nuts near my child. May eat "may contain."

I know some people are super super sensitive but I have a hard time imagining something with a "just in case" label not only containing traces of allergen but also having it in enough concentration to affect someone else.

The exception would be in toddler/ preschool because you can't trust them not to grab someone else's snack.

amother

Forestgreen

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 9:36 am

Unfortunately more and more companies are starting to label may contain or made in a facility... to cover themselves for insurance. This is making everyone's life much harder. There's no way to know which is real and which is just the company protecting itself. If you're child gets anaphylaxis reactions, you have to avoid all of them. You should check with the parent what the limitations are

Orangehead

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 9:37 am

seeker wrote:

That’s what I would think. These kids are in primary. They are eating it in class by their desk. I can not imagine how one kid would grab food from another kid.
Like I said, I don’t have to send the snack. But now I am thinking, is it ok to bring animal crackers?!?

keym

Fri, Oct 27 2023, 9:44 am

I have multiple kids with multiple allergies.
They're all able to be around "may contain".
Some of them feel off or itchy after eating a "may contain" food.
My school is very strict about never sending "may contain" for peanuts and nuts. And they will take away granola bars, etc. And yeah, I always think it's funny because the average kitchen is cross contaminated like anything.

It's also frustrating to me as an allergic mother that schools tend to react very strongly to peanuts and nuts, abolishing may contain but that makes things even harder for me.
My childs egg or soy allergy is way more severe than his nut allergy but schools aren't restricting egg or soy.

But that's part of life with allergic kids