Author Topic: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)  (Read 4782 times)

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Offline marensmama

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Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« on: February 12, 2012, 22:55:58 pm »
I'm baking Valentines cookies for Maren's grade one class and for Hayden's preschool, which I usually do for any holiday or special occasion (with teachers' permission of course!)  As I bake, I find myself obsessing about the peanut allergy issue.  There are two kids in Maren's class with anaphylactic peanut allergies, and one at Hayden's preschool with suspected nut allergies (although his mom lets him have things with trace nuts because she doesn't really think he's allergic ??? )

I don't have a peanut free kitchen.  Our entire family enjoys peanut butter and it's the only thing I can eat for breakfast on a daily basis that will hold me until lunch.  So technically speaking, anything that is washed with that peanut butter covered knife can contaminate what it comes into contact with, same goes for the cutting board we use, etc.  Right?

When I bake for school I keep an eye on the ingredients and make sure I use nothing that contains traces of nuts, but I'm acutely aware of the fact that unless my kitchen is peanut free then I could be contaminating everything.  I think if I was an 'allergy mom' I'd have lost sanity long ago, or be homeschooling my children so I could watch every mouthful of food they ate.

Now, it's entirely possible that I'm overthinking this.  I'm likely obsessing over this so I don't have to worry about the more pressing issues at home.  But are there steps I can take to make sure that I'm not going to make anyone's child sick?  I always use clean utensils, cutting boards, cooling racks, etc. but is that enough?

Nicole - Mom to My Lovely Girls


Offline We Three

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2012, 23:12:11 pm »
My nephew has a lethal...and I mean LETHAL peanut/tree nut allergy. Whenever he is hereI only serve things where I have checked the label and such.  My dh eats a PB&J every day of his life...and all I do when he is coming (my nephew) is wipe the fridge handle, wipe the cabinet knobs, and run the dishwasher one last time before he comes so that nothing has PB on it.  Anything that is washed in soap and water (dishwasher) is no longer contaminated.

As you bake, read all the labels, and I honestly think it will be just fine.  Wrap up the baked goods when you're doneso that they are covered, and I honestly might skip the peanut butter for that one morning if you are dropping the stuff of at school. 

 I do believe you're doing enough. Run the dishwasher and wipe down handles and knobs before you begin...I really do believe that will be ok.   :-*

Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2012, 00:15:28 am »
That's a tough one Nicole, because afaik soap and water are not necessarily enough to get rid of proteins from foods. (Though I think a hot wash in a dishwasher might?). We don't have any known nut allergies (spencer has never eaten nuts or anything with a "may contain" warning) and I don't even buy anything with nuts. I have a jar of pb that I rarely use out of cross contam fear!

My sister recently ate something with pb on it and then awhile later shared something with her son. He ended up with hives on his face from the nut residue in her mouth! 

I'm a member of another forum (Kids With Food Allergies) and I know there are families on there that have separate toasters, dishes etc for their allergic kids. I'm kind of glad Spencer's food intolerances are such that she can't eat anything from other parents anyways-i just make her snakcs and treats myself. 
Heidi




Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2012, 00:46:42 am »
Just to add...it's not the soap and water alone, it's the friction that gets rid of food proteins and just hot water alone won't do it. So, if you seriously scrubbed and then used the dishwasher for the baking stuff you are using, then maybe it would be okay? Ugh, it just gives me the heebie jeebies though  :-\
Heidi




Offline nona

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2012, 01:22:33 am »
hmm this is interesting. our public schools only allowed purchased cookies, not homemade ones so one can read the labels. the nut allergic kids can sit at a nut free table at lunch and no one at the school is allowed to share/trade lunches.  do they not give you guidelines on baking? i know assuming is never a good thing but maybe the parents of the kids have taught them not to eat homemade treats or to ask? i know things can happen though.  my DS has a cashew/pistachio allergy but thankfully it is not lethal ( i guess you don't really know bc he is only  been  exposed 2x to cashews and once to pistachios).  we talk about this a lot and i always have him ask. thankfully, his nut allergies are not common nuts kids eat though.
heather




Offline ~ Vik ~

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2012, 02:05:23 am »
I know there are families on there that have separate toasters, dishes etc for their allergic kids.
That's us - we have a 4 slice toaster and the left side is exclusively for Dylan-safe items, and the right side is where we would toast anything unsafe. There are no peanut products in our house at all, and the rare other nut (eg chocolate covered almonds at Christmas) are kept in the basement and not eaten in Dylan's presence. I have one frying pan that I use for Dylan and another that I use for eggs. Other than that we don't go so far as having separate dishes, but we do run everything through the sanitary cycle in the dishwasher, and everything at daycare is run through that way as well.

According to our allergist, hand washing with soap and water is generally not enough to remove all traces of allergens (especially things like peanut butter, which is really sticky), but a dishwasher's sanitary cycle is.

maybe the parents of the kids have taught them not to eat homemade treats or to ask?
Tbh, that's me. I wouldn't trust anyone's home baked goods for Dylan, no matter how much they tried to reassure me :-\ I just don't trust that they have the in and out knowledge to keep Dylan safe. I know that people's intentions are always good, and no one would even intend to cause harm, but miniscule traces of an allergen are enough to cause a reaction.  I have taught Dylan not to share food or accept food from anyone without approval from a few select people, and even at 3 he will hold up a new food and ask "Is this safe for me, momma?" before trying it.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2012, 02:13:47 am by Vikki ~ Dylan's mommy »
D ~ dairy, egg, peanut/nut and mustard allergies
Proud to have breastfed for over 24 months!


Offline marensmama

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2012, 03:53:47 am »

maybe the parents of the kids have taught them not to eat homemade treats or to ask?
Tbh, that's me. I wouldn't trust anyone's home baked goods for Dylan, no matter how much they tried to reassure me :-\ I just don't trust that they have the in and out knowledge to keep Dylan safe. I know that people's intentions are always good, and no one would even intend to cause harm, but miniscule traces of an allergen are enough to cause a reaction.  I have taught Dylan not to share food or accept food from anyone without approval from a few select people, and even at 3 he will hold up a new food and ask "Is this safe for me, momma?" before trying it.

See, this is what I'd hope parents would do.  I don't want the responsibility of having someone's child get sick (or heaven forbid die!!) over my baking.  I don't think I should have the responsibility of another family's child's health.  I'm not educated in that way.  I have not been given explicit instructions on how to handle it, and I likely won't go nut free in our house simply because it's food that is nutritious and that my children enjoy (and will eat ::) ).  I certainly don't send peanut or nut products out of the house, but I do serve them here at home.  On the other hand, I want to be the kind of mom that bakes heart-shaped cookies at Valentine's for the class and cupcakes for the birthdays...  I do that for MY kids, and I want them to be able to share with everyone... So I try to be aware, but if I were a manufacturing facility, I would have to declare that my products may contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, and dairy.  And parents of kids with food allergies would not feed my food to their children, and that would be totally fine with me.  Because I don't want to make anyone sick.  Hopefully the parents have a suitable alternative planned if there is an occasion where the child can't have what I make - and in every instance where I've made birthday cupcakes I've contacted the parents of allergic children so that they can send something if they don't trust what I make.  BTW, this Valentine's party that they are having has an emphasis on healthy treats, so the parents are encouraged to bring fruits, veggies, cheese, crackers, etc. with only a few authorized baked goods (and each parent is asked to provide a snack for 6-8 kids, so not every kid will want/get a cookie anyways and there will be plenty of other food to have.  Oh and the cookies are small!)

Another point is that peanut allergies have all the press, but what about the other allergies out there that are just as fatal??  I can't know about all that, that's the parent's responsibility to either educate the people around them or limit their child's food (or both!!)  I honestly can't tell you how many times I've texted parents to get approval re: food items.  We were having a cookie decorating party for Hayden's birthday and I texted the mom a few days before, asking if a separate table with nut-free labelled candies for decorating was enough to ensure his safety... I didn't hear back until 15 minutes before the party started.  I texted a mom today to ask what vanilla she used in her baking since the only ones I had on hand may contain trace nuts.  Another mom dropped her daughter off for a playdate at our house and only told me of her daughter's anaphylactic peanut allergy when I asked if there was an allergy (standard playdate protocol for me to ask!).  The daughter showed me where her epi-pen was after she left, again, only when I asked if she had one.  This girl has eaten everything I've ever put in front of her, never once asking me if it contained nuts (of course I wouldn't serve anything like that to anyone's child unless I knew for a fact that they didn't have an allergy, but still!!)

So my problem here is that somehow I'm the one worried about this.  I don't think these kids, their parents, or the school are very proactive about ensuring the kids safety.  I have no problem adjusting how I do things to accommodate allergies, I just need to have it outlined for me because my children have other issues but thankfully not food allergies (so far!!)

I guess next time I send fruit.... I just love to bake, and my girls love to share it. *sigh*
Nicole - Mom to My Lovely Girls


Offline We Three

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2012, 05:17:47 am »
 I do know that my sister has never has let her ds eat any baked goods at all unless she herself made it.  I was just sharing what we do when he comes to our house...(wipe everything down and run the dishwasher and dry cycle on hot/hot). 

 I am surprised that you haven't been give some kind of gudiance and instruction here??   :-\  2 kids with anaphylactic allergies and no letter has ever been sent home? Yikes!!!  If it were me I would bake something "safe" but in addition also buy something packaged so someone could read the label.  And I'd put in a call to the teacher too...has she ever mentioned it?

Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2012, 05:29:32 am »
I'm guessing they can't give instructions or guidance or they would open themselves and parents up to liability if the worst did happen.  Honestly, as a parent of a kid with multiple food intolerances and auntie to many with fatal allergies I just don't get why food has to be the emphasis at parties...but anyways!! Nicole, I think you are doing the best you can with what you know, and I think it is up to those parents bring their own treats for their kids that are safe.  I would imagine the(meaning the school and the allergic children's parents) already have a plan worked out for parties and the nut free thing is just because of school policy, because you are right, a child could be anaphylactic to anything and that is just not your responsibility!

(oh, and the whole playdate thing frightens me too! yikes! everytime a niece or nephew comes over with the epipen I am constantly reading and re-reading the instructions and going through the plan in my head of what to do if the worst happened!)
Heidi




Offline nona

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2012, 05:32:42 am »
nicole, you're sweet to worry but stop! yea, i think you are right - sounds like the school & parents are not very proactive. at our school, if a kid is severely allergic we are told and asked not to bring certain items. also,  I know they do this in the public school bc some of friends end up sending their non-allergic kids w/ sunflower butter sandwiches (and btw, no one seems bothered by it they just do it out of respect for the allergic kid).  IMO, i have a kid with nut allergies and it is MY responsibility to make sure the other parents know and my son understands his allergy, etc.  Even having a kid with a nut allergy, i rarely ask if other kids have allergies. I mean their parents should be on top of it. One of the kids in our playgroup has a peanut allergy and it is never really an issue at playdates, etc. I had another friend w/ a peanut allergic kid and she was extremely strict about it and her house was completely peanut free and no one was allowed to bring baked goods over. i can't believe the parent dropped her kid off w/ a severe peanut allergy w/ an epi pen at the last minute! TBH, i never leave the epi pen - hmm, maybe i should be doing that but i think it would make my friends really nervous!  Granted, can't say i am serving a lot of nuts at playdates though. I will serve baked goods sometimes but the kids of my friends are such picky eaters they wouldn't eat it anyway so it is more for the adults.....

i'm sure you will get lots of opinions on this topic though. also, my son's reaction thus far has not been severe but dh & I  are both in the medical field so can deal with it right away. we have never needed the epi pen (we have one just in case) and have managed to take care of it using other methods. usually DS says his throat feels weird and then he pukes a bit later. of course, if exposed again his reaction could be more severe. anyway, my point is we (DH & I) may not be quite as strict or freaked out about it as others.

Our house is not nut free but we rarely buy pistachios or cashews anymore. (kinda stinks bc i love both of them). i feel like i just wrote the most rambling post ever!  (i'm still kinda shocked we have a kid with a nut allergy since no one in our family does and i have no idea how i'll deal with nuts with this next kiddo)
heather




Offline marensmama

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2012, 05:35:26 am »
No, the teacher has only briefly mentioned it in a beginning of the year newsletter (and no reminder in the request for food for the party letter that came home).  Our school has a 'nut aware' policy which asks that parents refrain from sending nuts or nut products in kids lunches.  The same policy states that if you MUST send nuts or nut products, your child must be willing and able to wipe down their eating area.  Ummm, really?  A kindergarten kid with a damp, hardly absorbent brown paper towel will clean anything well enough?  When such a serious consequence exists?  I am completely uncomfortable with the policy, so obviously I don't send anything that contains nuts.  But that's all we're instructed to do.
Nicole - Mom to My Lovely Girls


Offline nona

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2012, 05:39:25 am »
this is our public school policy for elementary schools:

"XXX Food Service Department has a nut-free policy for Breakfast, Lunch, A La Carte, and After School Snack programs for all elementary schools."

for preschool, it depends on the individual class based on the kids with allergies. granted, they rely on the parents to tell the teachers and director of the preschool program but they will often request for the class to be nut free.
heather




Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2012, 05:41:25 am »
That's too much to put on a kindergarten kid...but in all honesty I think with older kids it is a good idea. The child with the allergies needs to be aware and know how to handle it themselves, because for kids with allergies to things other than nuts that is all that they can do.  They should change the "nut aware" to "allergy aware" and just have everyone wiping up their area  ;D

Funny, you have me thinking that other than the fact that I know our elementary school has a no nut policy I can't remember anything coming home about it at all!  Our preschool and daycare are nut free too, but again, not much help when your child has other allergies.
Heidi




Offline marensmama

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2012, 05:53:17 am »
Re: the girl with the epi-pen, I asked her if she knew how to use it and she said no, someone has to help me do it.  No problem, but if no-one knows it's in her back-pack?  And I've not been shown how to use one, wouldn't know what it even looks like!  Sure, finding it in a moment of panic, reading the instructions and using it before your daughter suffocates all seems reasonable.  WTH?!?!
Nicole - Mom to My Lovely Girls


Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: Obsessing over baking for school (non-peanut free kitchen)
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2012, 06:01:21 am »
Omg Nicole! I just can't imagine why a parent wouldn't give you some guidance on the epi if they are leaving their child for a playdate. Although, I always get strange looks when I quiz parents on allergies if they are dropping a child off here.
Heidi