Nut-Free Does Not Mean It’s Safe.
I know some in the food allergy community don’t understand why I am so vocal against peanut/nut-only policies in schools. I have been attacked and silenced many times, but I still speak up because people’s lives depend on it. This post is the clearest example I can give the outside world in understanding the dangers and frustration non-peanut/nut allergy moms feel.
Yesterday, I tried out SnackSafely’s new feature. This is a new feature which allows the user to customize his or her own allergy list. It’s no secret I am not a fan of SnackSafely, but I keep an open mind and wanted to test out the new feature. I have many comments about my experience using it, but that’s a post for another day. While I was scrolling through SnackSafely’s new list making feature, I saw an ad for a candy called Sixlets. To be frank, the ad was disturbing to me. The ad said “candy for all!” It also stated that 2 students in every classroom have a nut allergy. The Sixlets ad also used the color teal and stated they are about food allergy awareness. Upon seeing this ad, I went to the Sixlets website and saw more of the same. Then, I went to their Facebook page and they had a post about back-to-school and how they are classroom safe.
The problem is Sixlets are NOT “candy for all”; in fact, they contain whey, non-fat milk, and soy. That is 2 of the top 8 allergens! Sixlets should not be claiming they are “candy for all”. If my sons ate Sixlets, they would have an allergic reaction and possibly anaphylaxis. In addition, Sixlets also has their facts wrong — it’s not 2 kids in every classroom have a peanut or nut allergy; it’s 2 kids in any class have a food allergy, ANY food allergy. Big difference!!!
Sixlets’ response to these issues was dismissive. They said in a comment on Facebook that they label for milk and soy, and they blamed the misleading information on SnackSafely. They refused to address the fact that they are putting kids with dairy and soy allergies in a dangerous situation, and that the misleading information could result in students with dairy and soy allergies being excluded while other students enjoy Sixlets since the adults unfamiliar with food allergies may believe Sixlets are truly safe “for all” and decide to serve them.
Some food manufacturers, like Sixlets, fail to understand when you bill something as “school safe” and it contains any of the top 8 allergens or even non top-8 allergens, it’s not really “safe”. With reactions to more than 160 foods having been documented at this point, what food could really be considered “school safe” or safe “for all”?! The focus on just peanut allergies in schools have put other kids with top-8 food allergies as well as non-top 8 food allergies at risk. Students with non-peanut/nut food allergies are at increased risk because people only see “school safe” or “candy for all”, and that’s it. They take it at face value. People without food allergies frequently don’t know how to read labels for food allergies. This candy is being billed “for all” but yet excludes many kids with food allergies.
This is why I speak up. I am advocating! This, in my humble opinion, is raising the correct kind of food allergy awareness, one that demands acknowledgement that just because something doesn’t have nuts, doesn’t mean it’s safe for all in a classroom. If Sixlets wants to raise food allergy awareness, then they need to start by getting their facts correct.
