Katy ISD Peanut Free

[NativeTexan]

We have recently moved to Katy and I was told that Katy ISD is peanut free? Is this true? What exactly does it mean?

[unanimous]

We have recently moved to Katy and I was told that Katy ISD is peanut free? Is this true? What exactly does it mean?

True.

This means no peanut products available on campus or allowed to be brought in (PB & J sandwich, peanut snacks...). Some kids can have fatal reactions due to allergies.

[editor]

They can teach evolution in the schools, but apparently Darwinism is off limits.

[musicman]

True.

This means no peanut products available on campus or allowed to be brought in (PB & J sandwich, peanut snacks...). Some kids can have fatal reactions due to allergies.

this is hard to believe. how is the school going to stop a child from bring a pbj sandwich?

[Chris]

True.

This means no peanut products available on campus or allowed to be brought in (PB & J sandwich, peanut snacks...). Some kids can have fatal reactions due to allergies.

Are you serious? That is one of the craziest things I've heard. No one apart of Katy ISD can engage in peanut products because a very low percentage of students are allergic? What does that have to do with the majority of everyone else or students?

[VicMan]

Are you serious? That is one of the craziest things I've heard. No one apart of Katy ISD can engage in peanut products because a very low percentage of students are allergic? What does that have to do with the majority of everyone else or students?

I heard that people with nut allergies are EXTREMELY sensitive, and very small traces of peanuts can cause reactions.

Still, I'm not sure about the best way to deal with this...

[hbcu]

hell...that was all alot of folks could afford in the 50s and 60s...I didn't see a mass death rate then....people panic too much now

[musicman]

hell...that was all alot of folks could afford in the 50s and 60s...I didn't see a mass death rate then....people panic too much now

i remember in elem, i had a classmate who had problems with grass and would occasionally have to wear a mask. KISD's reaction is definitely overkill IMO.

[Ktex]

According to a reserach article on pubmed.gov, approximately 125 people die each year in the US due to peanut allergies.

Other adolescent death stats:

Motor vehicle accidents 100,00+ per year.

Drug abuse: 19,103 per year

Alchol abuse: 19,171 anually

Flu: 63,730 annually

Infectious diarrhea: 3,100 deaths

Suicide: 29,199

While I sympathize with parents who have lost children to peanut allergies, I'm much more concerned about the above stats. How many students did KISD lose last year alone? Lets see, I can recall two deaths for certain due to suicide. How many student athletes did we lose due to heart problems in the last year? Now, how many students have we lost due to peanut allergies in the past decade? Numbers I'd really like to know.

[native_Houstonian]

As a person with a nut allergy, I support and applaude KISD for banning peanuts in the schools. I know that PB & J is a staple for many kids, but for a few, it could be deadly. Unfortunately, I'm not being over-dramatic. The following is a story that occured a few years ago in Canada.

Girl dies after kissing boyfriend who ate peanut butter sandwich

The number of people with food allergies is on the rise, and science hasn't figured out why yet. There is also an organization that is trying to help with understanding and curing food allergies food allergy network

[VicMan]

The coroner later states that the peanut kiss did not kill Desforges: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...0303?hub=Canada

As a person with a nut allergy, I support and applaude KISD for banning peanuts in the schools. I know that PB & J is a staple for many kids, but for a few, it could be deadly. Unfortunately, I'm not being over-dramatic. The following is a story that occured a few years ago in Canada.

Girl dies after kissing boyfriend who ate peanut butter sandwich

The number of people with food allergies is on the rise, and science hasn't figured out why yet. There is also an organization that is trying to help with understanding and curing food allergies food allergy network

[unanimous]

Wow.

Strong reaction to something that is pretty much main stream today.

I'm guessing you all don't have kids. This isn't an unusual arrangment - more the rule than the exception.

[VicMan]

Wow.

Strong reaction to something that is pretty much main stream today.

I'm guessing you all don't have kids. This isn't an unusual arrangment - more the rule than the exception.

Really? I do not remember this happening at any of the schools I attended.

[musicman]

Wow.

Strong reaction to something that is pretty much main stream today.

I'm guessing you all don't have kids. This isn't an unusual arrangment - more the rule than the exception.

mainstream? i just went to the grocery store and they had bags of shelled nuts and a container with unshelled peanuts that people can buy by the pound. should this practice be banned? should people go cut down their pecan trees?

[charris911]

I called Katy ISD, and was told that they do not serve PB BUT that students are allowed to bring PB sandwiches...etc.

Sharing food is not allowed.

My daughter starts kindergarten next year, and I was curious.

[bcnet]

mainstream? i just went to the grocery store and they had bags of shelled nuts and a container with unshelled peanuts that people can buy by the pound. should this practice be banned? should people go cut down their pecan trees?

Well, like someone mentioned, if you had children or knew someone with severe nut allergies you would probably not be so quick to criticize. This is becoming more and more common in daycares and school all over the place. Some nieghbors kids of some of our best friends son has a severe peanut allergy which to the point of being life threating if were to eat something with nuts or even come into direct contact with them. He carries an "Epipen" injector at all times as a precaution.

[MidtownCoog]

Some nieghbors kids of some of our best friends son has a severe peanut allergy which to the point of being life threating if were to eat something with nuts or even come into direct contact with them.

Those are the type kids who should sign a waiver before entering a "normal person's house".

But this is really nothing new. You can actually call your airline and request a "peanut free" flight.

[charris911]

But this is really nothing new. You can actually call your airline and request a "peanut free" flight.

I always get some "nut" sitting next to me, and its always a crowded flight. I should call ahead and ask for "peanut free seating".

[musicman]

I always get some "nut" sitting next to me, and its always a crowded flight. I should call ahead and ask for "peanut free seating".

i'm sure they'll seat you next to victoria osteen.

[Trae]

I always get some "nut" sitting next to me, and its always a crowded flight. I should call ahead and ask for "peanut free seating".

[charris911]

i'm sure they'll seat you next to victoria osteen.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. God Bless You. Thanks for the laugh!

[cottonmather0]

True.

This means no peanut products available on campus or allowed to be brought in (PB & J sandwich, peanut snacks...). Some kids can have fatal reactions due to allergies.

I am 33 years old and have been allergic to peanuts all of my life - in fact, I spent part of Memorial Day weekend in the emergency room because of it - and still I think policies like this are just plain stupid.

Why trample on the convenience of the many kids who like peanut butter and can eat it just so little Bobby won't get sick? Why not teach Bobby to learn to stay away from it if he smells it (like I did back then and still do today) and to read the cafeteria menu beforehand so he can ask to sit at a separate table if need be?

All of these "peanut free" policies and the like come from overprotective parents who would do better to teach their kids to buck up and be responsible for themselves instead of bullying schools and teachers into the same overprotective mania that they're afflicted with themselves. It's fine to keep allergins out of the house - when I got married my 10 year old dog had to switch to being 100% outside because my wife is allergic to him, similarly, my wife, who loves peanut butter, can't keep it in the house because it bothers me. But that is our HOME, and our home is NOT A PUBLIC PLACE.

Geesh, don't even get me started!

[NativeTexan]

I called Katy ISD, and was told that they do not serve PB BUT that students are allowed to bring PB sandwiches...etc.

Sharing food is not allowed.

My daughter starts kindergarten next year, and I was curious.

My child will be starting Kindergarten as well (Kilpatrick). Thanks for going to the source and getting the facts on KISD policy. I didn't realize I was going to set off such fireworks.

[Erick]

As recently as 2006, it was a school by school decision and I do not know if that has recently changed or not. I asked my son, who goes to Morton Ranch and he said that not only is it allowed, but they serve PB & J sandwiches.

Edited July 8, 2007 by Erick

[editor]

It's not just schools.

I read an article in the paper this week about a minor league baseball park that's having a "peanut free day." Apparently there's a lot more to it than just not selling peanuts. They have to scrub down the bleachers (probably not that big a deal) and public areas ahead of time.

I wonder if they'll change the lyrics for "Take me out to the ball game" that day.

I am 33 years old and have been allergic to peanuts all of my life - in fact, I spent part of Memorial Day weekend in the emergency room because of it - and still I think policies like this are just plain stupid.

For those of us who are not similarly afflicted, do you mind telling us what happened to set off your allergic reation?

[westguy]

It's not a bad idea to get rid of the PB&J sandwiches. I thought schools were trying to cut down on junk food served there and peanut butter is one of them. It is made with corn syrup and hydrogenated vegetable oils (trans fats).

[editor]

It's not a bad idea to get rid of the PB&J sandwiches. I thought schools were trying to cut down on junk food served there and peanut butter is one of them. It is made with corn syrup and hydrogenated vegetable oils (trans fats).

Have you ever had the "all natural" peanut butter? I love it, but it's an acquired taste. My wife won't touch the stuff because it separates in the jar and you have to mix it yourself. Also, it doesn't have any salt -- just peanuts.

On its own, peanut butter is one of the healthiest foods out there, but you're right -- too many brands fill it with junk for no particular reason.

(Off topic: When I was in ROTC as part of our survival training we were taught that if you can find a cow you can live for weeks off its milk and iron pills.)

[cottonmather0]

For those of us who are not similarly afflicted, do you mind telling us what happened to set off your allergic reation?

Sure. In this particular instance my wife and I were eating at a local restaurant where we go 1-2 times a month. We usually order hummus before dinner at this place, but on that night my wife wanted to try something new so we ordered the "eggplant dip". About an hour later after we got home I started getting nauseated. I eventually threw up and ended up irritating my nasal passages and then it was a full-on histamine and anaphylaxis reaction. I couldn't breathe so my wife took me to the emergency room and after some oxygen and industrial strength benadryl I was fine after a couple of hours.

I never did call the restaurant to confirm, but I am sure this is one of those instances where they either used peanut oil instead of olive oil in the recipe or it was a prepackaged dish that used peanut butter as a cheap filler. These are usually the worst kinds of reactions - especially things deep fried in peanut oil - because I don't know whether I've eaten anything until it's already ingested, usually in a large quantity, and I'm sick. If I accidentally bite into a peanut butter cookie or a fancy sauce or whatever, I can tell as soon as I put it in my mouth and I can usually spit it out and immediately take some benadryl and be OK. Similarly, I can usually smell it if someone next to me is eating a peanut butter sandwich or a Snickers bar and I can just get up and walk away, which is what I was taught to do in school.

This gives me a good chance to clarify my original post, too - when it is out in the open and you know it's there, it's pretty easy to avoid peanuts and peanut butter. There's a distinct odor and appearance that I have learned to recognize almost immediately. Kids should be taught to avoid it and ask about ingredients if there's ever any uncertainty.

On airplanes, I think it's OK to ask the crew to accomodate you because it's a closed environment with recirculated air and you simply cannot get away. I don't usually ask the entire plane to accomodate me because I'm not quite as sensitive as some people and I can take claritin and benadryl and be OK for 2-3 hours, but I have no qualms about asking a stranger sitting next to me not to eat them and I have never run into anyone who was rude or inconsiderate.

Ballparks and schools are a different story, though, because it's easy to avoid exposure if you're careful - just change seats - and kids need to learn that the world isn't always going to accomodate them. Just deal with it, I say, and don't let some overprotective Mommy raise a stink.

[MidtownCoog]

when I got married my 10 year old dog had to switch to being 100% outside because my wife is allergic to him

That's harsh!

[editor]

I have no qualms about asking a stranger sitting next to me not to eat them and I have never run into anyone who was rude or inconsiderate.

In a situation like this, would it be enough if the other passenger emptied the entire bag into his mouth all at once, or is it still a problem?