School bans Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches

[Revoltingest]

You don't have an allergic reaction from smelling the peanut butter on a kid's sandwich down or even across the table from you. You'd have to have Wolverine's sense of smell to even smell someone's sandwich from down a table, you certainly aren't going to have an allergic reaction to someone else's lunch from inhalation unless you are shoving your face right over it and trying to suck it up your nose.

While ordinary folk have a sense of smell that capable, you're correct about no allergic reaction to the smell of peanuts.
(I didn't know that til I checked some sources. Learn sumthin new every day!)
Can the smell of peanut butter cause an allergic reaction? | AllergyHome.org
But if the smell is from cooking or preparation, there can be airborne proteins which are allergenic.
Airborne peanut dust can happen with some products too....
http://allergicliving.com/index.php/2010/08/25/can-i-react-to-the-smell-of-peanutnuts/
As dangerous as peanuts can be to some, I find it reasonable to ban them in schools.
I wouldn't ban them, but I understand why many would.

 

[Vinayaka]

Peanut allergy can be so severe that some schools have to keep an Epipen at the office. For kids with severe allergy, it's a matter of life or death, not just an allergic reaction like a rash. I taught where we had such a child, and some parents complained it was an infringement on their kid's rights. One kid's right to eat his favorite snack versus another's right to live. Guess whose side we were on.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

You don't have an allergic reaction from smelling the peanut butter on a kid's sandwich down or even across the table from you. You'd have to have Wolverine's sense of smell to even smell someone's sandwich from down a table, you certainly aren't going to have an allergic reaction to someone else's lunch from inhalation unless you are shoving your face right over it and trying to suck it up your nose. We're not talking a bag of crushed and dusty peanuts here, scattered about all loose, we're talking creamy peanut butter safely between two slices of bread with some jelly.

Truly, it does boil down to teaching your child what they can and can't eat and what to stay clear from. You simply don't eat your friends' lunches and you don't try sucking it through your nose either. If a parent can teach their child these kinds of things, give a heads up to adults about important points to be aware of, then it shouldn't really infringe much at all on the eating habits of those around them.

No it isn't that simple. Kids eat, wipe their faces with their hands, hands touch other hands, it's how germs spread so quickly through schools. One child can eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, wipe his face with his hands, then grab little Johnny's hand to go play.

We're not talking about banning a brand of shoes to make kids feel better about their self esteem. We're talking about a life-threatening situation for some kids. The former is an exercise in ridiculousness. The latter is very different.

 

[Revoltingest]

No it isn't that simple. Kids eat, wipe their faces with their hands, hands touch other hands, it's how germs spread so quickly through schools. One child can eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, wipe his face with his hands, then grab little Johnny's hand to go play.

This is a powerful argument compared to the smell aspect. Certainly, peanuts can be handled safely.
But "can be" is not good enuf. As you say, kids will do things unexpected & irresponsible.

 

[Draka]

No it isn't that simple. Kids eat, wipe their faces with their hands, hands touch other hands, it's how germs spread so quickly through schools. One child can eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, wipe his face with his hands, then grab little Johnny's hand to go play.

We're not talking about banning a brand of shoes to make kids feel better about their self esteem. We're talking about a life-threatening situation for some kids. The former is an exercise in ridiculousness. The latter is very different.

In all these years, years and years and years of kids eating PB&J sandwiches in schools, where are all the overwhelming convincing statistics showing how these allergic reactions have happened at such an alarming rate that actually banning kids from having such a basic lunch is actually suddenly called for now?

 

[MysticSang'ha]

In all these years, years and years and years of kids eating PB&J sandwiches in schools, where are all the overwhelming convincing statistics showing how these allergic reactions have happened at such an alarming rate that actually banning kids from having such a basic lunch is actually suddenly called for now?

How much is "alarming" in your opinion? I saw one child have a reaction. That was enough for me to weather an inconvenience for the safety and life of another.

 

[Draka]

How much is "alarming" in your opinion? I saw one child have a reaction. That was enough for me to weather an inconvenience for the safety and life of another.

Children are much more likely to get each other sick (sometimes hospitalization sick - my son got pneumonia last year and was hospitalized from it while just in kindergarten), push each other off playground equipment and break bones, and so many other things that they are much more likely to face while in school. Not to even mention the harm bullying can cause and the suicides it drives every year. In the grand scheme of things, an allergic reaction to peanuts from someone else's PB&J sandwich? Not even on the radar of things really needed to worry about...like...at all.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Children are much more likely to get each other sick (sometimes hospitalization sick - my son got pneumonia last year and was hospitalized from it while just in kindergarten), push each other off playground equipment and break bones, and so many other things that they are much more likely to face while in school. Not to even mention the harm bullying can cause and the suicides it drives every year. In the grand scheme of things, an allergic reaction to peanuts from someone else's PB&J sandwich? Not even on the radar of things really needed to worry about...like...at all.

Possible anaphylactic shock that can be fatal I think should be on a schools radar. Why do you think airlines banned peanut products on their flights?

 

[DallasApple]

In all these years, years and years and years of kids eating PB&J sandwiches in schools, where are all the overwhelming convincing statistics showing how these allergic reactions have happened at such an alarming rate that actually banning kids from having such a basic lunch is actually suddenly called for now?

My understanding is peanut allergies have increased dramatically just in the past 10 years.And it doesn't appear that scientist know exactly why.So maybe the idea isn't to wait until kids are having allergic reactions at school at an "alarming rate" before precautions are taken at schools.

As far as other food allergies?Peanut allergies apparently can trigger an especially violent reaction compared to other food allergies.They contain a couple proteins not found in most other foods.Then when we roast them on top of that it alters those proteins make them more of an allergen as far as the bodies reaction .

So I guess in a nut shell (no pun intended) more and more children are developing /have peanut allergies..no one knows exactly why..the reaction can be especially violent dangerous...kids of course are in school year round..and peanut butter is a very popular lunch box item or snack ..so with those factors in play the most responsible thing to do for now is eliminate the risk as much as possible in that environment.

 

[Koldo]

Now, in the rest of the article it is also pointed out that the second most common food allergy is milk. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the usual drink issued out at school cafeterias milk? So what is next? No more milk? No one can have cheese? No yogurt? If a packed lunch is for your kid it is for your kid, not for any other kid. You are not packing it for the entire school. :areyoucra

This is what i don't get.

 

[Draka]

Seriously, where are these kids that are having these severe allergic reactions to other kids' sandwiches? We are not talking about schools cooking things with peanuts. Roasting peanuts. Open bags of peanuts with peanut dust scattered everywhere. We're talking about Sally having a PB&J sandwich sitting a few seats down, maybe even a couple tables over, from Andy, who has a peanut allergy, at lunch time. Pray tell, how is her sandwich going to attack him?

 

[DallasApple]

The sandwich obviously wont attack anyone.I imagine one risk could be peanut residue being spread by the hands.I think the issue with peanuts is it only takes a small amount to have a bad reaction.

 

[Draka]

The sandwich obviously wont attack anyone.I imagine one risk could be peanut residue being spread by the hands.I think the issue with peanuts is it only takes a small amount to have a bad reaction.

Which is one of many reasons they teach handwashing and use hand sanitizer in schools/classrooms. Transmission of germs and allergens. I don't know about schools where you are, but where my kids go to school when they come in from lunch and recesses they have to either go wash their hands or use the sanitizer pumps that are in every classroom.


Oh, not to mention, that hot lunches are far more prevalent than cold lunches anyway. Far less children bring their lunches than eat the hot lunch provided by the schools. To me it just seems strange to ban something that very few kids probably even have anyway, and some that do have it probably do because it is economical for their families.

 

[Koldo]

This debate raises an interesting question in my opinion: To what extent are we willing to go to prevent the death of very few?

 

[DallasApple]

As far as milk goes? My understanding is every one is lactose intolerant its a matter of degrees...I don't think anyone ..child or adult should drink milk.Especially not routinely.Interestingly we are the only mammal in all of nature that drinks milk after infancy...and we are the only mammal that drinks milk from another species.

My son learned in biology class that as infants we have a certain enzyme to break down the lactose that we stop producing as we age.IOW IF you tolerate lactose you are the odd ball...

 

[DallasApple]

I don't know about schools where you are, but where my kids go to school when they come in from lunch and recesses they have to either go wash their hands or use the sanitizer pumps that are in every classroom.

I am big on hand washing no doubt ..I am positive I have escaped catching many of my kids viruses they brought home because I am a frequent hand washer as it is but more so when they are sick.

Having said that I guess you would have to be concerned with a super allergic person that even the faucet handles ...or the pump on the sanitizer could have peanut residue on it...

I would think it an 'over reaction" but for the allergies are on the rise.I read in one article its doubled in 10 years..and they don't know why.They have theories and of course it would involve genetics but the quick rise can only be explained by environment.One theory is (in part) we lack vitamin D...the sunshine vitamin ..which is crucial to our immune system...

Anyway at the rate that its rising? I don't know..I hope they figure it out because peanut butter is like as American as Apple pie and baseball...

My youngest son brought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to school like half his school life...

The only other thing is I wonder about them being GMO...Who knows....

 

[Draka]

As far as milk goes? My understanding is every one is lactose intolerant its a matter of degrees...I don't think anyone ..child or adult should drink milk.Especially not routinely.Interestingly we are the only mammal in all of nature that drinks milk after infancy...and we are the only mammal that drinks milk from another species.

My son learned in biology class that as infants we have a certain enzyme to break down the lactose that we stop producing as we age.IOW IF you tolerate lactose you are the odd ball...

If you tolerate lactose you are an oddball? Most people aren't lactose intolerant. Besides, dairy is one of the best, if not the absolute best, sources of calcium we have. Something we need in our diets. Why shouldn't we eat dairy?

 

[Draka]

I am big on hand washing no doubt ..I am positive I have escaped catching many of my kids viruses they brought home because I am a frequent hand washer as it is but more so when they are sick.

Having said that I guess you would have to be concerned with a super allergic person that even the faucet handles ...or the pump on the sanitizer could have peanut residue on it...

I would think it an 'over reaction" but for the allergies are on the rise.I read in one article its doubled in 10 years..and they don't know why.They have theories and of course it would involve genetics but the quick rise can only be explained by environment.One theory is (in part) we lack vitamin D...the sunshine vitamin ..which is crucial to our immune system...

Anyway at the rate that its rising? I don't know..I hope they figure it out because peanut butter is like as American as Apple pie and baseball...

My youngest son brought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to school like half his school life...

The only other thing is I wonder about them being GMO...Who knows....

One doesn't get an allergic reaction from the residue left behind from peanut butter on the skin. One has to actually ingest it. I believe this was covered earlier in the thread. So unless Andy is licking Sally's fingers off after she eats her sandwich, or she loads up her fingers with peanut butter and scrapes them over Andy and he licks it off himself, merely getting residue on him isn't going to cause any kind of severe reaction. At the absolute most it might cause some itching which would prompt what? Washing. Problem solved.

 

[DallasApple]

Its funny...I know that in our kids schools (this would be elementary years ago)..If a child showed up to school with no lunch and had no money...they would feed them a peanut butter sandwich(no jelly) and I think a piece of fruit and white milk.

Yesterday my grandson who is 5 in kindergarten came over and his parents had not kept track of his account and OOPS he had no money in his account (or a lunch bag) ..he said they gave him a cheese sandwich.Im sure they have changed there "default" lunch for lunchless broke kids to cheese because of this rising peanut allergy issue.

 

[Draka]

Here, if a child shows up with no money and no lunch, they still get a hot lunch. They just keep track of money owed for hot lunches and send home an account bill either weekly, every two weeks, or monthly depending on the school. Parents can apply for reduced cost lunches if they meet certain income requirements.