KITCHEN FACT SHEET MANAGING ALLERGIES

Food allergiesIf a child has an allergy to a certain food, then eating that food will cause an immune reaction. Allergic reactions to foods include skin rash, runny nose, abdominal pain, tingling in the mouth and/or lips, swelling, and wheezing. Symptoms can be mild to life threatening, depending on the severity of the allergy. Fortunately severe allergic reactions are rare, but in the case of a severe allergy extreme caution in the kitchen is necessary as even a minute amount of the allergen can be dangerous. The most common food allergies are to wheat, dairy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and fish/shellfish.

Food intolerancesFood intolerances are not true allergies. Instead, intolerance refers to difficulty digesting a specific food. This can be due to lack of a digestive enzyme; for example lactose intolerant people generally do not produce the digestive enzyme lactase. Food intolerances can produce symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhoea, bloating, runny nose, headache, and skin rashes such as eczema.

Identifying the children with food allergies or intolerancesA key step for all Kitchen Specialists at the beginning of each year is to identify those children who have food allergies and intolerances for each class that is attending Garden to Table sessions. The school office should have a register of children with food allergies and intolerances and this list should be printed out and readily available in the kitchen so that it can be checked regularly and double checked before each class. The list should also set out the severity of the allergy or intolerance, and the treatment steps required if a reaction does occur. These may range from administering an anti-histamine for a mild reaction or administering an epipen and calling an

ambulance for a child that has a severe reaction and goes into anaphylaxis. The school office will be in charge of keeping and administering medication and will have staff trained to use an epipen if required.

Occasionally a child who thinks they don’t like a food may tell you they are “allergic” to it even if they are not. If a child says they are allergic to something, this is always worth following up to double check. However do discourage children for naming foods they dislike as an “allergy” as this is confusing and can be dangerous if it ends up masking those children who do have true allergies.

Communicating with the parents of a child with an allergy or intolerance can be very helpful. Kitchen Specialists may like to do this directly via email or a quick phone call to the parents concerned at the beginning of the year. The parents will most likely feel more comfortable with their child participating in a GTT kitchen session if they know allergies are being taken seriously, and they may have creative ideas for working around dietary restrictions. Or even volunteer to come in assist on the days their child is doing a kitchen session.

Children can have reactions to foods which can manifest in many ways. There are two main types of reactions to foods and these are classified as either a food allergy or a food intolerance.

Managing your menu to take account food allergies and intolerancesIn a class you may have more than one child with an allergy and/or more than one type of allergy. This can be further complicated if another child in the class has a dietary restriction due to religious beliefs or other reasons. When planning menus, ensure that children with allergies, intolerances, and dietary restrictions can be accommodated in some way. The trick is finding a balance between accommodating a child with an allergy or intolerance and making them feel included, and allowing the class to learn about cooking with a range of whole foods.

There are many ways to manage food allergies in the kitchen. Here are some options to consider:

Most of the time, it’s possible to plan the menu so that there are at least a couple of foods that a child with an allergy can eat. Salads, roasted vegetables, and stewed or baked fruit are all foods which are easy to make without common allergenic foods. Recipes can be used for the whole class which eliminate an allergen, such as a dairy, wheat/gluten, or eggs. Check out the Garden to Table recipes for inspiration.In certain cases, a substitute for the allergenic food can be used (see the substitution table below for ideas)In other cases, it’s easy to set aside some of the prepared food before adding an allergenic ingredient - for example, if the class is making a roast vegetable frittata a small portion of the roast vegetables can be set aside for a child with an egg allergy. It is a very good idea to have some allergy friendly foods set aside in the case of needing a quick substitute or a ready to eat food. Raw fruits and vegetables can be sliced for children to try. Fresh fruit can be substituted for sweet foods that may contain the fruit alongside eggs, dairy or gluten. Gluten free substitutes (pasta, crackers, tortillas, pizza bases), ready-made batches of gluten free cookies, or gluten free/dairy free/nut free bliss balls can be kept in the freezer/fridge for use as needed.

Setting up your pantry to help with managing allergiesWhen purchasing ingredients for the pantry, try to buy ingredients not made on the same equipment as tree nuts/peanuts/soy/gluten/etc. if possible and applicable. Common allergens and possible contamination are required to be labelled on the packaging. Always read labels carefully as many packaged ingredients are made with equipment used for a variety of products. If you are ever using any processed foods as an ingredient in a recipe, check the ingredient list carefully - allergenic foods can be present in additives.

You may find it helpful to keep allergen substitutes on a separate clearly-marked shelf in the pantry to avoid contamination or confusion. For children with severe allergies it may be necessary to have a set of equipment that is always kept allergen free. For example, you could set up a box for baking with measuring spoons, measuring jug, mixing bowls and wooden spoons and cake tins that is only used for gluten free cooking. Get the whole class informed and involved in keeping the children with allergies safe. This is another great way to use teamwork in your GTT sessions.

More information can be found on the ‘Kids with Food Allergies’ website:www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/page/choosing-safe-foods.aspx

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Managing Allergies