September 5, 2007
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is an essential part of the elementary school lunchroom. But for 2.2 million American students, that meal and others are off the menu. Whether it’s milk or peanuts, wheat or soy, many common foods are unhealthy—and often deadly—for children with food allergies. And as the prevalence of food allergies increases in the youth population, it has become a growing priority for schools to take steps to prevent children from being exposed to allergens. It’s not as simple as making sure they don’t eat the foods they’re allergic to. Even faint traces of peanuts or milk can cause reactions in children who cannot tolerate them. Touching a student’s hands handling these foods and being exposed to surfaces they have eaten on are both dangerous for children with allergies.
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Auburn schools implemented a plan six years ago to notify all teachers who come into contact with a child with a food allergy about their condition. Parents usually notify the school of the child’s allergy and the symptoms of a reaction. This information is then circulated not only to the child’s teacher, but also to the lunch, gym, music and art teachers. District Nursing Supervisor Caren Radell notes that art is a particular danger zone for food allergies due to the use of supplies that may contain peanut products, the most common food allergen. The lunchroom is where the most care is taken to keep children with food allergies safe. Both before and after meals, all children must wash their hands. “In case there’s a peanut butter stain on the tissue of a child’s hand afterward,” Radell said. The lunch staff works hard to help children with food allergies as well. Cashiers and lunch room aides will know if a child is unknowingly trying to purchase an allergenic product, such as a cookie that may contain peanuts, and will prevent them from doing so. The Weedsport school district operates a database that notifies lunchroom cashiers when a student with a food allergy checks out. If a child attempts to purchase a food that triggers an allergy, the cashier will be able to prevent the student from leaving the lunch line with it, Food Service Director Donna Deyo said. The Moravia school district uses a similar system for its students with milk allergies. As the school lunch manager for Moravia’s Millard Fillmore Elementary and Middle/High Schools, Jennifer Parker-Smith manages services just for students with milk allergies. “Most kids are very good at it, they’re well trained when they know what to look out for,” he said. In the Auburn and Moravia districts, utensils used to prepare allergenic items are not used to prepare other foods for allergic students. “If we use a knife and spoon for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, we use that knife and spoon for that and nothing else,” Radell said. Children with food allergies also sit at their own lunch table. Students with meals at home are not allowed at this table due to the possibility of their food being contaminated with allergens. Radell believes this policy protects children from exposure to allergens in the lunchroom without embarrassing students. “We work closely with the parent to make sure they’re comfortable,” she said. “They need to feel comfortable letting their child come to school.” Port Byron schools are also hoping to run peanut-free tables from this school year. Middle and high school nurse Amy Potrzeba, who previously worked with the Allergy and Asthma Diagnostic Office in Liverpool, will work with the primary school nurse to institute this change. It is also considering mandatory hand washing for students. Auburn schools are also writing to parents of classmates with food allergies asking them not to bring holiday food that could aggravate the allergy. The name of the allergic child is also kept secret to rule out any possible ostracism. Parker-Smith, also the mother of a first-grader, received a letter from her daughter’s teacher informing her that if any child in the class has a food allergy, Parker-Smith – and all the other parents in the class – will be notified . “Teachers are pretty well in control of that, so we won’t be sending out peanut butter cookies,” she said. So far, no child in the Auburn school district has had a significant allergic reaction to school food. In the event that he does, however, school faculty have been instructed how to administer an epinephrine shot to stop an anaphylactic reaction. At Port Byron, Potrzeba created a protocol in March that called for an epinephrine pen to be available in case a student had an allergic reaction. The danger posed by food allergies has recently caught the attention of the state legislature. In early August, Governor Eliot Spitzer signed into law the Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2007, which will require the New York State Health Commissioner to develop guidelines for schools that will minimize the risk of student exposure to food allergens . But with the steps they take to prevent any problems, local school districts seem to be ahead of the food allergy game. — Compiled by David Wilcox Get local news delivered to your inbox!
