Aw, Nuts

This peanut-allergy thing is disconcerting. We're nut-freaks in Denguy Haus. We loves all types of nuts. We have bags of walnuts and pecans in our cupboards. We have a tin of trail mixed-type nuts and things on hand regularly. I have jars of salty, flavoured peanuts in the TV room for movie-watching. We would be lost without our Just Peanuts organic peanut butter. If I could send peanut butter sandwiches to school, both of my kids would be fatsos. We rip through a 500 mL (1 pint) jar in about a week. But others have a severe problem with peanut products and we should concern ourselves with the well-being of others. It's unfortunate and frustrating, too. When I was wee, I never heard of anyone having peanut allergies—just where the heck did this allergy to peanuts come from?
    The Allergy Asthma and Immunology Society Of Ontario states on their web site: "Sensitization may possibly occur during a pregnancy when the mother overindulges in or perhaps even just eats peanut products, and peanut proteins have even been found in breast milk." Ah, good, I'm so glad we figured it out: it's the mother's fault. Can't we blame additives or processing methods or farming techniques or over-saturation of peanut products in our food supply? No, no—blame the mother. There's also a theory on the possibility of prevention by early exclusion in a child's life. So, who knows? And, if we can't figure it out, what do we do about it in the mean time—ban peanut products in our homes and schools?
    Keeping peanut products out of our homes is easier than keeping it out of our schools. Not all parents will comply and then does it become the responsibility of the school to control the peanut infringement? In a CBC Marketplace article, Marilyn Allen says no—her daughter died after using a knife with residual traces of peanut butter. She believes it shouldn't be up to the schools, and cites better education of our children as a more effective defense. "...when you look at a ban, you're asking for a reduction in vigilance. Personally, I'd rather see everyone striving for safety."
    Schools are also reluctant to impose a full-on ban of peanuts due to liability problems. If they ban a substance, they take responsibility for the consequences should that banned substance cause harm to a child on school property. Besides, what about after hours or off of school property?
    Neither of my children have friends with peanut allergies (that I'm aware of)—no friends who come to our home, to be sure. I have a niece who's best friend is allergic to peanuts and, to make the home safe for her visits, they have removed (to the best of their knowledge) all products containing peanuts save for trail mix which is kept in their top-most cupboard. The visiting child is well versed in safety precautions and knows what not to eat, so peanut butter was the biggest threat due to its sticky residual properties. Once you spread it on bread, it could be on your fingers then the counter, and so on. Better safe than sorry.
    Holidays must be the most difficult for those with the allergy. It would seem that all chocolates are processed on the same machinery as peanuts probably for cost-cutting measures. A few years ago, I switched to only dishing out certified peanut-free products on Halloween—the ones that have the Peanut-Free logo or that clearly state that they are peanut free. A small step, but an important one. Now I'm wondering about my home in general. At the moment we still eat peanut butter—we just have to be diligent about our hand-washing and teeth-brushing before we head to school.

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Refs and Info:
The Allergy Asthma and Immunology Society of Ontario
CBC Marketplace: The Politics of Peanuts
Calgary Allergy Network: Why Don’t We Just Ban Peanuts (and Nuts) At School? by Nancy Wiebe
Peanut Allergy Online Resource Guide
Of course, Peanut Free Mama has a whole host of sites on this and similar topics on her blog page, as does Jenny at The Nut-Free Mom Blog. See for yourself.