I think in this specific case, the check is no longer required. If the 11-year old knows enough to be scared then he/she knows enough not to eat anyone else's food or candy and to keep their own food "safe".
...I am assuming the reaction only occurs if the allergen is ingested.

In the end, I wonder how usefully the checks really are. The only way to know for sure is to read all the ingredients and that's not exactly available from a kid's lunch. While I wouldn't knowingly send a bag full of eggs and nuts, there are many products out there that could have trace amonuts or come in contact with something that has trace amounts.

One other thought.... I wonder if the kids carry their own epi-pens on them.

Cheerio!
A

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And why isn't it discrimination against the children that do want eggs and nuts? My son has sensory issues and ONLY eats certain foods. His anxiety over food is as real as food allergies and can have similar physical reactions (although generally not severe).

Public places cannot reasonably accommodate EVERY child. Checking every lunch box is an unreasonable accommodation IMO.

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Karen, I agree with your last statement that
"Public places cannot reasonably accommodate EVERY child. Checking every lunch box is an unreasonable accommodation IMO."
However, I don't think it is fair to compare your child's sensory issues with a serious food allergy. I believe you that his anxiety can be a big deal, and I don't mean to lessen that at all; but my daughter could die if she is has peanuts. Not only that, but her reactions aren't just from eating peanuts, but from skin contact as well. If another kid ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then touched her, she could still have a reaction. She is still young, but I am already worried about how we will deal with these issues when she is in school. So far I like the idea of the separate table for allergic kids - though that could create other problems. Overall, I just want to just make sure that those that are responsible for her well being take reasonable precautions and know how to handle emergency situations.

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First of all, an 11-year-old is old enough to know not to share food if that can be a problem. At some point it isn't fair to inconvenience the whole school to accommodate a few children, especially where there are alternative remedies, as I believe is the case here.

Secondly, how come nobody is complaining about the invasion of privacy and just plain totalitarian aspect of having every kid's lunch box searched every day? And what happens if the sandwiches are wrapped in wax paper - does the teacher open that too? What if the teacher has germs on her hands? What if one of the kids' lunches has germs (or traces of peanut butter) on it, and the teacher's search procedure ends up spreading it to everyone else's lunch box? Not to mention the extra time involved in taking such an extreme measure. Time that ought to be spent learning. I am surprised they ever thought it workable in the first place.

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I think the best thing to do is to have the kids with allergies eat at a designated allergy table and checking the food that sits on the allergy table. Teachers do not really have the resources to check every lunch box but these children with allergies still very much, need to be protected. Our daycare does this where there are a couple of children with severe food allergies and it works really well.

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This would be a nightmare for the lunchroom staff and they would be the ones ending up doing it and what if the cook or lunch lady just made something with peanut or whatever in it? Or worse yet, had dirty hands from just washing a table off or had been collecting lunch money. I won’t even go there folks! I was playground/lunch lady for 15 years and there is no way you could possibly check everyone’s lunch. OMG! The thought of it sends me over the edge. Sitting at a designated table would work for small kids but let me tell you that lunch is all about "social" hour and sitting with your friends is the only thing kids want to do. Besides who's to say someone NOT sitting at the "allergy table" eats peanuts and then touches the allergic child outside at recess. I'm not sure that would do anything but ostracize those kids who "have" to sit there. You just don't know who cruel some kids can be. Our biggest class to date was a little over 800 5th graders. Can you imagine checking all those lunches?? Besides, how can you be sure who puts what into what?

I also really agree with SKL about all those germs with everyone touching your child’s food. Somewhere down the line it's going to depend on the child. They need to know how serious it is and watch not only what they eat but what other's eat so they don't get touched. The allergic child should be the one to learn they have to do this for the rest of their lives and not leave it to anyone else. Mind you, I'm not talking about really young kids. What if someone thought someone checked? Then the parents get mad at the school. This is very sensitive but I can't see the school doing this. In my humble opinion, impossible in big districts. These kids need to know how to save their own lives. I know personally, both my boys loved peanuts and used to take them in their lunch all the time. I would have had no idea not to put them in their lunch.

Please don't think I'm stupid or anything, I just don’t know this, but isn't there a shot or anything for this? I also wonder like A asked, do these kids carry epipens with them or any kind of antidote?

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Listen to yourselves...you should be ashamed. These children are not asking teachers to "check every lunch bag" ... that just makes your blog sound a little better. These kids are asking for an adult to BE IN THE CLASSROOM overseeing. These kids do wear epi-pens and have been trained how to take care of themselves (can't stay alive for 11 yrs if you don't) what they can't be expected to know is if there's minute traces of peanut butter /egg or milk residue stuck on the pencil sharpener because the kid before ate it for lunch. If we were talking about reduced supervision in the school yard you ladies would be up in arms but because we're talking about "other people's children" suddenly safety procautions aren't that important. The point is these children have had this accomodation for five yrs...it worked, they have now been stripped of them without cause, this is a violation of the Ontario Human Rights Code and even though your group of "well we're mothers and we know it all" group does not agree, you're opinion doesn't matter...the law is the law. Under the Code, anaphylaxis is considered a disability which is allotted accomodations. Those accomodations were illegally removed which is against the Code. Rather than judging children who are trying to advocate for themselves perhaps a lesson in compassion is in order.

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As a mom of a highly allergic 7 year old. It is the parents responsibilty to teach that child not to eat anything that his parents have not said is ok. However it is the schools responsibilty to check teh cafteria. They should be allowed to eat with teir friend and have their fod. No swapping no sharing , they eat their food , non allergic kids eat theris. Whoever thought the table by themselves was a good idea does not have allergic kids. These kids already can't participate in bday parties, christmas parties, valentines parties and now you want to excile them amore for something out of their control. Please lets do it to one of the "normal" kids and see how long it last. My son has had an ananphaltix reaction when he was 4 due to a cookie his grandmother gave him. He now checks everything.like i said hes 7...

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