Allergy Aware – not food bans

On this page

Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA) does not promote food bans in schools and Child Education and Care (CEC) services. Instead, A&AA promotes an Allergy Aware approach as recommended in the Best Practice Guidelines for preventing and managing anaphylaxis in schools and CEC services.

What is Allergy Aware?

Allergy Aware means having many things in place to reduce the risk of an allergic reaction and to recognise and treat an allergic reaction well when it occurs.

Ways for schools and CEC services to be Allergy Aware:

• Know who is at risk of anaphylaxis and what they are allergic to
• Train staff
• Have anaphylaxis policies and documentation
• Good communication about allergies
• Have emergency response plans and practise them
• Age-appropriate education about allergies and helping friends
• Reduce risk with measures such as handwashing and not sharing food. Further information can be found below.
  • CEC – Strategies to reduce risk – Allergy Aware
  • School – Strategies to reduce risk – Allergy Aware

Why not food bans?

Allergies which can cause anaphylaxis can develop to any food including staple foods like cow’s milk, wheat, and eggs. Staple foods are in most lunch boxes and in many canteen menu items so are difficult to ban. Some people are allergic to many foods.

If one type of food is banned, it sends a message that that some food allergy is more serious than other food allergy which is not true. Banning one type of food does not help protect students with allergies to other foods.

Other reasons why A&AA doesn’t promote food bans:

• Claiming to be ‘nut free’, gives people a false sense of security. They may not then focus on other parts of anaphylaxis prevention and management such as staff training.
• It is too hard to check if the ’banned‘ food is being brought into the school or CEC service, it most likely is. For example, a muffin made with almond meal.
• Some families may not realise what ingredients are in packaged food.
• It is important for students with food allergy to learn how to manage their food allergies as they get older by:
  • Not sharing food
  • Speaking to people about their allergies
  • Washing hands before eating
  • Asking if food is safe
  • Getting help from an adult if unwell or worried

In schools

There may be times when families are asked not to bring certain types of food into class. Usually this is for young children or when the students are going on an excursion. An excursion can be higher risk for an allergic reaction because of the change in daily routine, being away from school, and participating in other activities.

Examples include families being asked:

• Not to send messy egg sandwiches in a class with a young student with an egg allergy.
• Not to send sticky nut spreads if a young student has a nut allergy.
• Not to send yogurt pouches which can squirt if a young student has a cow’s milk allergy.
• Not to send peanut or tree nuts when going on an excursion.

This should be done on an individual basis depending on the environment, the child and their peer group.

Some state or territory education departments have policies or procedures which say that peanut and tree nuts are not to be used in curricular or extra-curricular activities. This is not a food ban.

In childcare

Some CEC services may choose not to buy, prepare or serve food containing peanut, tree nut or egg products but this does not mean that there are none of these foods in the centre.

It is very difficult to make sure that peanut, tree nuts or eggs are not brought to CEC as children might arrive still eating their breakfast, staff may bring them from home, a gift to staff may contain them (for example, a box of chocolates), or activities which involve bringing food to share may contain them. CEC services should not advertise that they are ‘nut free’ or ‘egg free’.