Q: As part of the hints for a take-to-school lunch that would be safe to eat and appetizing, the comment was made about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches: Check with the school to see whether peanut butter is banned. Are there really school districts that ban peanut butter in your child’s lunch?
-- Earl B. Jackson, Flowery Branch
A: About one in 10 districts nationwide has banned certain foods in all its schools, and an additional 22 percent have done so in some schools, according to a 2009 study by the School Nutrition Association, based in National Harbor, Md. About 96 percent of districts with a food ban target peanuts because of peanut allergies in some students. Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokeswoman for the School Nutrition Association, told Q&A on the News that although it is happening, the group does not have a list of schools or districts that ban peanut butter. The decision often is made at the individual school level, she said. Matt Cardoza, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Education, said it ultimately is a local decision in Georgia. The DOE does not have a list of schools that ban peanut butter because that information is not required by the state. He wrote in an email that school principals ban peanut butter because they think it will protect them, but it could be a liability issue for a school that is advertised as peanut-free if a parent of another child forgets, sends in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and an incident occurs.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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