Allergies Leading To More Schools Banning Outside Foods

An increase in food allergies among children means taking homemade cookies to school might soon be a thing of the past, with a growing number of schools banning outside foods.

The CT Post reports how the coastal city of Milford in Connecticut is one place where a ban is being introduced. There, principals from all nine elementary schools in the city met over the summer and agreed to a blanket ban. As Cathy Berni, a Milford parent, says:

“The ‘no food’ policy gives us consistency across the elementary schools. The way it had been, some schools let you bring things in and others didn’t.”

Allergies and the difficulty of knowing what ingredients are in baked goods brought in from home have contributed to the decision. Milford superintendent Elizabeth Feser added:

“We’ve seen an increase in serious food allergies among children, and this is a way to make sure that everyone is safe.”

‘Peanut-free’ tables have been common in many schools for a while, but Genevieve Salvatore, spokeswoman for the state Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), points out that kids are not always that fussed about hygiene:

“They may eat their peanut butter and jelly sandwich at a separate table, but then they will touch doorknobs, bathroom faucets and drinking fountains, and it only takes a tiny bit of contact with peanuts to cause some kids serious problems.”

The problems Salvatore refers to include Anaphylaxis. This severe allergic response can cause a swollen throat and glands, rashes, hives, and can also make breathing difficult. The condition has resulted in deaths before, and in extreme cases can be triggered by relatively little contact.

The website of FAAN reveals peanut allergies are growing more common, while allergies to milk, eggs, soybeans, shellfish and tree nuts also affect kids.