The Nut Conundrum

Specialties School

Published

Advice needed--we are a "nut aware" school. Our cafeteria supervisor asked if she can serve coconut water. I know coconut isn't technically a tree nut, but for some reason the FDA considers it one. We have no students with reported coconut allergies. I advised to avoid serving coconut water if possible (just so we don't have any angry parents). What are your thoughts?

What is a "nut aware" school?

I can think of a couple of working definitions that have nothing to do with food consumption.

We cannot say nut-free because we provide some prepackaged snacks (such as popcorn, gold fish crackers, etc) that may be processed on equipment that has encountered tree nuts or peanuts. No tree nuts, peanuts, nor their oils or butters can be brought into our school.

Specializes in Pediatrics, school nursing.

I work at a 9th-grade campus, and we have a student starting Monday who has an airborne allergy to peanuts, and contact to all tree nuts. We are not a nut-free school or district, and everyone is flustered about this student starting. I have spent many hours this week writing an IHP, training teachers on Epi-Pens, and going to all of this student's classes to talk to the kids about not eating in class, and washing their hands and faces if they eat nuts before this student arrives. I can't wait until the end of next week, and we move past this.

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