The Government wants to see healthy snacks such as nuts and seeds replacing chocolate and crisps in school tuck shops and vending machines. Could this pose an allergy risk?

Snacks that are considered unhealthy, such as chocolate and crisps, will be banned from school tuck shops and vending machines throughout England. The Government recommends that they are replaced by healthier snacks such as nuts and seeds.

This move could pose an allergy risk. Proteins from nuts and seeds are notoriously difficult to clean and tend to become transferred easily from hands to surfaces such as tables, chairs, computer keyboards, books etc. There is a real risk that these allergenic proteins will be picked up on the hands of allergic children. Tiny traces can cause an allergic reaction.

Information for all parents and schoolchildren, whether they have an allergy or not, about nuts and seeds in schools and advice about keeping allergic children safe from contact reactions.

Parents of non-allergic children:

• Severe food allergy is very difficult to understand if you do not live with it, but by reading this you are on your way to helping allergic children stay safe. If you know there are nut-allergic children in the same year or class as your own son/daughter please be guided by our advice in order to reduce the risk of contact reactions.
• Be aware that allergic reactions can be triggered by touching surfaces such as a computer keyboards, books or a piano if these things have previously been used by someone who had eaten nut products.
• Nuts and seeds are very healthy, but please give them to your child to eat at home rather than bringing them into the school. Likewise, because peanut butter is so gooey and sticky, eating it at a school can increase the risk of the allergic child having a reaction due to cross-contamination.

Pupils who are not allergic:

• If you know of someone who is allergic, find out what could trigger a reaction.
• If you have eaten something they are allergic to, wash your hands with soap.
• If you are eating foods containing nuts or seeds, be careful not to drop the food on the floor or other surfaces and dispose of any wrappers safely in a bin.

Pupils who have a severe allergy:

• Never share food
• Only eat food that is labelled with ingredients – and read the label first
• Be aware of what other people are eating around you.
• If there are nuts and seeds in your school, always wash your hands BEFORE eating as you have picked up some contamination.
• Know where your medication is. If you have the responsibility of carrying it with you, make sure you do at all times.
• Tell your close friends about your allergy so they know what to do if an emergency should arise.

Headteachers:

• Make yourself aware of severely allergic pupils and ensure you have accurate records of their allergens.
• Have a meeting with the parents (and the child if appropriate) to discuss severity, daily management and emergency procedures. Ideally, this information can also be acquired in a letter from the diagnosing doctor or allergy specialist.
• Do a health and safety risk assessment taking into account that all children should be safe and healthy as proposed by the Government initiative ‘Every Child Matters’.
• Arrange staff training by the school nurse or a medical professional.
• The decision as to whether to actively encourage nuts and seeds to be brought into your school is ultimately  down to you. Click here for more information about nut bans.

How you can help us:

If you have a school-age child, please email us with information about any changes in snacks that occur in their school. We want full details of any newly-introduced products that may have implications for children with allergies. But we also need to know if schools appear to be steering clear of nut and seed products. Whatever the new trends – we need to know. Email Jane Bentley at the Campaign: jane@anaphylaxis.org.uk

Life-threatening allergic reactions among children are not common, but care and vigilance are needed. If you are concerned, please call our helpline. This applies to schools, parents, pupils and governors alike.

Tel: 01252 542029