Food allergies and school lunches

Make it safe

When you're packing lunches for your school-aged children, make sure you're being allergy aware. And if your kids pack their own lunches, help them be allergy aware, too. The main allergens to watch for -- because they're responsible for the majority of reactions in Canada -- are peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soy, seafood, fish, wheat, eggs, milk and sulphites. Reactions range from mild skin irritations to loss of consciousness, and in the worst cases can be fatal.

Allergens at school

Most schools have particular food restrictions. Contact your child's school and follow their policy--even if your child is not allergic. The health and safety of other students depends on everyone following the allergen policy.

Lunch-packing tips

• Notify you child's school if he or she has a food allergy. Work with the teachers/administration to come up with a strategy for keeping your child safe. Make sure your child knows it is not safe to trade or share food.
• If peanuts are on the school's restricted food allergen policy, use hummus or apple butter instead of peanut butter in sandwiches.
• Read the labels on the food you pack in your child's lunch, and don't pack restricted items. Even trace amounts of allergens can cause severe reactions, so avoid labels with warnings that say, "May contain."