Eastover is a nut and peanut restricted school, effective September 3, 2013.
Like many other schools, Eastover follows the increasing national trend of children who have peanut and nut allergies. This growing health risk requires Eastover to take the necessary protective measures to make the building a nut-restricted school. Due to the strong probability of cross-contamination of nut products, when a child is diagnosed with a peanut allergy the child also has a strong propensity to develop other nut allergies and for the allergic reaction to become more severe with each exposure. It is alarming how quickly a child can go from touching or breathing a nut into anaphylactic shock. Nut allergies can result in fatal anaphylactic reactions in children who have been exposed to even the smallest traces of nuts. These students could potentially react to airborne odors of nut products or small traces of nut products that may remain on desks, doorknobs, or on other surfaces or areas around the school building.
The Federal Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) requires that a packaged food product that contains nuts as an ingredient must list the word “peanut” or “tree Nut” on the label. Please be sure to read all product labels carefully before purchasing and serving any item. If a food label says “may contain traces”, or “processed in a facility (or on equipment) with peanut/tree nut products” it is considered unsafe and against our Eastover School’s Nut Restrictive policy to serve. Homemade treats are not accepted since there is no way of regulating the possibility of cross-contamination.
For further information on food allergies, you may consult the Food Allergy website.
