Food allergies: Childcare centre slammed for extreme food ban

A BRISBANE child care facility has taken its policy to protect children with allergies from coming into contact with potentially deadly foods to an extreme new level, but experts are labelling it pointless.

A QUEENSLAND child care facility has imposed a breakfast ban on youngsters eating nuts or nut products at home, to protect kids with allergies.

While the 70 families at the West End Community Childcare Centre in Brisbane have embraced the breakfast ban, allergy experts claim the unprecedented move is extreme and unnecessary.

“I have worked in child care centres where I know this request would not have gone down well, but West End is a tight-knit community and all parents have been willing to adapt their home routines to help put another layer of protection around our children with allergies,” centre director Gemma Casey said.

One in 20 Australian children has a food allergy and the centre has 10 children who are allergic to foods including all kinds of nuts, eggs, chickpeas, seafood, dairy and wheat.

“It is not easy keeping on top of allergies and we are responsible for keeping our kids safe,” Ms Casey said.

“Some allergies can be life-threatening. We feel it is a safety net if all the children have no trace of nuts before arriving here.

“We are a nut-free centre and we outsource our foods from a company that does not use eggs or nuts.”

Jack Geneve-Clayer (centre) eats morning tea with his friends Vihaan Narahari and Lucy Wickham. Jack has egg, nut, soy and milk and dairy allergies. West end Community Childcare Centre has a strict no nut policy and requests that parents refrain from feeding their children nut products before attending the centre. Picture: Claudia Baxter

MOST COMMON CHILD FOOD ALLERGIES

Peanuts

Sesame

Tree nuts/cashew pistachio almond

Eggs

Cow’s milk

Seafood

Soy

Fish

Wheat

But President of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia Maria Said insists that the home ban is not required and the body does not support the use of the words “nut-free centre”.

“Children with food allergies play on play gyms and go to shopping centres where we have no idea what others have eaten and they do not regularly have anaphylaxis as a result,” she said. “It is highly unlikely that a person will have an anaphylaxis unless they eat the food.”

Ms Said encourages allergen minimisation and credible staff training but says the use of the words “nut-free centre” can lull parent and teachers into a false sense of security as nuts will turn up either intentionally, or unintentionally.

Jack Geneve-Clayer has egg, nut, soy and dairy allergies but his mates at the West End centre support him 100 per cent.

“We are appreciative that families are doing what they can to avoid Jack having a bad reaction,” dad Simon said.