Posted By Zoe Barnett
I think this is a bit of a long shot but knowing how knowledgeable colleagues are I thought it was worth trying!

My LEA will soon be joining the Free Fruit in Schools Scheme. Just so I can be forewarned, are there any known allergic reactions to fruit that I may have to provide advice or warnings on?

Many thanks as ever!

Posted By Paul Phillips
One of the ladies in my former workplace had a citrus allergy, whenever she came into contact with Orange or Lemon containing materials even in air fresheners her tongue would swell to the point where she could not close her mouth properly. I was told it had nothing to do with her being a woman!

There are the obvious one if nuts are on the menu

Posted By Debbie Walker
We have had workers who are allergic to lettuce sap! Bit of a problem in a salad factory!!!

Debbie

Posted By Kirsty Bryson
Known someone who was allergic to bananas and suffered reaction similar to those described in response above about citrus allergy.

Slightly off the fruit allergy topic, I was on a scheduled flight to Spain earlier this year and the cabin crew made an announcement that there was a passenger on the plane who suffered from a severe allergic reaction to nuts and for that reason no snacks (the usual small packet of peanuts you get with a drink) would be served.

First thought was that it was quite extreme with but on second thoughts I wouldn't like the responsibility of someone suffering a severe reaction mid flight so better to remove chances completely.

Posted By Alistair Reid
My father has a vomitting reaction to melon.

Posted By Kevin Walker
From these responses it must be simply a case of no fruit in schools. Much to dangerous, watch for the newspaper headlines, child sick after exposure to donated banana in school yard.

But you've also missed the attraction of bees and wasps and the subsequent problems with stings and anaphylactic reactions.

Kevin

Posted By Jonathan Breeze
James,

Your suggestion is simplicity itself, it is (in my humble opinion) the epitome of reasonably practicable.

Far better than the suggestion I was considering of tinned fruit.

Out of interest - we all have these anecdotes, but does anyone have access to statistics on allergic responses in the general population?

Posted By James Byatt
Jonathan,

here's a place to start...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/hea...gy/conditions_food.shtml

Do Ronseal do tinned fruit? At least then the contents "would do exactly what it says on the tin...."

Posted By Simone Plaut
As an experienced health care professional as well as a Safety Practitioner (spent many years working in NHS) and also studying natural medicine at weekends (masochist clearly) i spent some time on work experience with a food allergy specialist in Southend
The only fruit that she had never found anyone allergic to is pineapple (been in practice for over 20 years).
The best advice is that citrus fruits spray readily both from the flesh, as do the essential oils in the pith when being peeled. Allergic subjects should not sit near to anyone eating them. The other safety issues around this is the risk of injury in peeling if using a knife, so peeled fruit only.
Apples and pears: safer as less likely to form a mist to afffect others.
Kiwi: unlikely to form a mist.
Grapes: unlikely to form a mist.
First aiders briefed and trained.
children observed following any new fruit introduced. Questionairre sent home to parents to check for allergies before introduction.
Children taught to alert teacher if any child looks unwell.
Pulse rate increase and colour heightened in hands indicates allergic reaction (not IGE but sensitivity....less dramatic and dangerous.
Hope this helps
Regards to all
Simone Plaut
London

Posted By Ken Taylor
Along with chocolate and cheese, citrus fruits are constantly reported as triggers for migraine episodes. Citrus fruit is often added to other foods and drinks but the fact will often only appear in the small print of the ingredients list. Personally, I get my headaches from other causes but do sympathise with those for whom fruit and fruit juices are a hazard.

Posted By Steve Langston
Just a few facts on the subject:

1 in 80 people in this country suffer from a nut allergy. However only 1 in 160 people actually display any sort of allergic symptoms and most are insignificant symptoms such as mild stomach ache!

That said most schools will have people who are alergic to nuts, and probably allergic to many other products.

Another fact - most alergic reactions (98%) are detected by the age of 3.

Therefore people who are allergic will already know of what they can and cannot eat/touch. You will probably find any child who is allergic to a fruit would run a mile as soon as they knew about it! After all they will possibly remember struggling to breath or falling uncoscious.

In addition children who are allergic and of school age will be known to the school nurse (i think they are called something different now) and the teachers will be notified of any appropriate action that needs to be taken.

You may find the following links useful to the anaphylaxis campaign:

The second link includes a sample protocol that is designed for a school environment.

http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/

http://www.anaphylaxis.o...uk/mainpage_schools.html

In short if a school knows that a child has an allergy you need to work with the parents and child themselves. If you do not know and the child does not know that they are allergic (as there is no previous history then surely it is not foreseeable.

Will you not write to all parents advising of the scheme, and will they not have the opportunity to opt out?

Hope this helps

Steve