Wait, so now sunbutter/ sunflower seeds and oils are an allergen?

[Anonymous]

Is this a new thing? I'd never heard of this allergen but just got a note we can't send sunbutter or other sunflower seed products to school anymore. Is this just a random occurrence at our school or have other people encountered this one elsewhere? It's a bummer because we use sunbutter in place of peanut butter specifically to avoid allergens, and we had previously also been told not to use Wowbutter because it has soy and soy is a "Big 8" allergen.

How common is this in your communities? We're struggling right now because our kid is on a declining growth curve so I'm trying to pack as many calories and protein/fat into her diet but it can be challenging within the food restrictions.

[Anonymous]

I am over other people’s allergies. Schools can separate kids that have extreme allergies to their own table/room.

[Anonymous]

I'm at a parochial school and we got a list of what we can bring to the Christmas party and it basically consists of gummy snacks, Capri Sun and chips, all individually packaged of course. Everything else is an allergen.

[Anonymous]

Probably there is a child who is severely allergic in your child's school.

Packing lunches is already difficult enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a new thing? I'd never heard of this allergen but just got a note we can't send sunbutter or other sunflower seed products to school anymore. Is this just a random occurrence at our school or have other people encountered this one elsewhere? It's a bummer because we use sunbutter in place of peanut butter specifically to avoid allergens, and we had previously also been told not to use Wowbutter because it has soy and soy is a "Big 8" allergen.

How common is this in your communities? We're struggling right now because our kid is on a declining growth curve so I'm trying to pack as many calories and protein/fat into her diet but it can be challenging within the food restrictions.

Any food can be an allergen. Sunflower and pea are emerging allergies along with mustard

[Anonymous]

There's a Chickpea butter I use as an alternative though it is a bit pricey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a Chickpea butter I use as an alternative though it is a bit pricey.

I’m intrigued. Tell me more.

[Anonymous]

Must be your school and a student with a severe allergy. My kids are allowed peanut butter for lunch but not snacks. As lunch is in the cafeteria and they can separate kids who have a threatening allergy. In classroom it's not possible so no peanut based snacks.

[Anonymous]

Pumpkin seed is also an option. But OP your school can't just be top 9 plus free. That's irresponsible because most people don't know how to read labels properly and may contain is voluntary.

Signed mom with a kid who has peanut and egg allergies that cause circulatory shock and collapse from anaphylaxis.

[Anonymous]

DS has a baseball teammate allergic to sunflower seeds, which is quite unfortunate when baseball is your sport. His parents would have to ask umpires to not eat seeds when he pitched.

[Anonymous]

Soy has been a known, major allergy for at least a decade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am over other people’s allergies. Schools can separate kids that have extreme allergies to their own table/room.

Agree. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am over other people’s allergies. Schools can separate kids that have extreme allergies to their own table/room.

Agree. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Wow, that seems pretty harsh. I’m willing to be inconvenienced so that a child doesn’t end up in the hospital.

[Anonymous]

It's one thing to ban allergens your specific classroom reacts to, but banning from the whole school is rough.

Our school had an allergy friendly table at lunch and each allergic kid got to pick a friend to bring there - getting picked was HOTLY contested and my kid would refuse peanutbutter so she could be eligible. But it was "opt in" in terms of avoiding allergens, not a school-wide ban.

[Anonymous]

Send the peanut butter, almond butter, sun butter. Whatever your kid will eat.