Nut Aware

[Xenon]

We've gone from nut-free to nut-aware. In my inbox this morning:

Nut Free / Nut Aware Signs – Could you please check each classroom/ staffroom that the Nut Free Signs have been replaced with Nut Aware Signs? Please email me if you require a Nut Aware Sign.

Beware the nut:

[Graham Kemp]

Please explain.

Is this something ado about peanut allergies?

That would be my guess, anyway.

[Loopy]

Hve you managed to erradicate ALL nuts? Or are there several under surveillance...

[Xenon]

Graham: just got the signs. Reads:

AAC is a Nut Aware College. Please help protect our children with severe allergies by leaving nut products at home.

(still prefer my version)

[snoopy]

On the subject of nuts

We are not 'nut free' but students are encouraged not to bring nuts or nut products to school. However, nuts are used in Home Ec for cooking. Do 'nut aware' schools use nuts in Home Ec.?? What about senior classes where students and teachers are aware of allergies and act accordingly??

Snoopy

[J]

We have quite a few anaphylactic students in our school, so we have to be nut free as well as dairy, egg, cherry and sesame aware. We use all the "aware" products in Food Tech, but the anaphylactic students bring their own utensils, wooden spoons etc to avoid cross contamination.

[macca]

As far as I'm aware Food Tech don't have any nut products. I've only just managed to convince my HT we should replace energy in peanuts prac. and use potato chips

[rae]

This is an interesting conversation. I have encouraged a nut free department for a number of years and substituted nuts for other things as needed. One of our teachers daughters has nut allergies and she said even exposure through someone else handling thenm and then tranferred to door handles / chairs etc can cause a reaction in people who are anaphlatic.
Recently on a school trip to Melbourne a yr 12 student with known nut allergies consumed a burger with some sort of sauce that contained nuts. She was fully aware and read the ingredients, nothing indicated to her that there were nuts. She had a reaction, ended up in hospital overnight and now carries an epipen and a medical alert bracelet. She hadn't had a reaction in years.

[J]

We have a number of epipens in the school and we have all had the training to use them.

[Narelle01]

My daughter is anaphylaxsis to peanuts, reconfirmed at recent testing.
On Friday night we went to a combined schools performing arts festival. There were students from K-12 performing.
During the performance the man sitting beside my husband opens a bag of PEANUTS are starts eating. All we could smell was peanuts, my daughter was sitting in between the 2 of us..I was about to grab the usher when my hubby told him off.
Surely his student would go to a school where they would also be encouraged to not take peanut products to school, and that would carry over to school events.....not to mention that there was 'no eating / food/ drinking inside the venue"
Of all the things to take to a show - peanuts!
(not to mention the man who sat in front of us munching on a really smelly subway sub and then having coke to wash it down)

[Loopy]

We have been nut free since 2007 and trained in epipen usage. Narelle, it's a shame people just don't take notice of no eating or drinking signs, they have no idea that it can go beyond looking after the venue. Shame on these obviously "illiterate" people.

[linotas]

My kids school and the two I work at are nut free. We have a current yr 7 student here ana to egg so had to substitute a couple of pracs the teachers wanted to do.

I don't really get people not being aware these days. My kids know that nut products e.g. peanut butter sandwiches are only for home and never ask for them out. To them (and me) it is just second nature and as nut allergies are extremely common these days, you never know who you will come into contact with.

[Narelle01]

I knew the allergy.org people did not endorse full bans of nuts - as it gives a false sense of security.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifest ... 6640620065