ASL NO PEANUT POLICY

Dear Parent / Guardian:

In accordance with our Guiding Principles, especially our commitment to making others around us successful, we are writing to share an important concern with you. Life-threatening food allergies are on the rise. One of your child's classmates has such an allergy. She is allergic to peanuts, peanut butter, and foods containing any type of peanut oils. Peanut-allergic students are susceptible to severe allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, and even death upon coming into contact with peanuts or peanut residue. To help us keep them safe, we are implementing a NO PEANUT POLICY at Aveson.

Please review the following information:
•Pack lunches without peanut butter, peanuts, or peanut oils. Food items may leave a residue on hands or clothes and can be transferred to tables and shared materials.
•Clean students' hands/mouths after eating peanut butter before school.
•In the event that a shared snack or craft material will be sent to school, read all package labels and provide only peanut-free items in their original, unopened packages that:
-contain no peanuts
-contain no traces of peanuts
-are not manufactured in a facility or on equipment that processes peanuts.
-read labels every time, as the product's "safe" status may change.
•Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether an item contains peanut or peanut oil.

Common items that you might not expect to contain peanut products are:
granola/nutrition bars (peanut butter)
bird seed and dog food
some fried foods and some Asian foods (might be cooked in peanut oil)
hard ice cream from an ice cream stand (cross-contamination from scoopers) and
bakery products (cross-contamination from display shelves and cooking apparatus).

It can be difficult for parents to know what to choose when trying to accommodate a peanut allergy, so below you will find a partial list of nut-free snacks that may help you think about special treats to send with your child that do not pose a danger to other children. We thank you for your thoughtful cooperation in this important matter.

Thank you,
Dr. Cognetta

Peanut/Nut-Free Snacks:
Alternate Nut Butters (if no tree nut allergy exists) – Soy Nut Butter, Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, Sunflower Seed Butter (several brands available at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods—just check the labels carefully)

Important: Due to continual changes in manufacturer packaging and processing, please read the ingredient label of your snack to ensure that it does not contain any of the following... peanuts/nuts, peanut/nut butter, peanut/nut oil, peanut/nut flour, peanut/nut meal or any of the statements "May contain traces of peanut/nuts" or "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts (and/or other nuts)".

The following list is just a suggestion about common snack items that are safe for Nut Allergies, we are not endorsing specific brands. This list is safe for ALL nut allergies (Peanut AND Tree Nuts) and could help you plan for items you intend to share with other children. Use it for your next Piñata or Halloween handout! Fruits
All fresh fruit
Dole Fruit Bowls
Del Monte Fruit To-Go Cups
Sun-Maid Raisins (not chocolate covered)
Applesauce Cups
Motts Fruit Blasters
Applesauce Tubes
Vegetables
All Fresh Vegetables Including:
Carrots with Dip
Celery Sticks with Cream Cheese or Dip
Gummy Snacks (Not Brachs.)
Betty Crocker or Nabisco Fruit Snacks including:
Fruit Roll-Ups Fruit By The Foot Gushers
Shark Bites Fun Fruits
Scooby Doo Fruit Snacks Trix Fruit Snacks Hi-C Fruit Snacks Pokemon Fruit Snacks
Salty Snacks
Rold Gold Pretzels
Snyders of Hanover Pretzels
Popcorn (Pop Secret, Orville Redenbacher, Healthy Choice)
Crackers
Honey Maid - Cinnamon Grahams & Sticks, Honey
Grahams & Sticks
Ritz Crackers (plain only, not sandwiches)
Keebler Club Crackers (original only, not sandwiches)
Nabisco Saltines, Sunshine Cheez-Its, Triscuit, Wheat Thins
Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Goldfish (only plain, pretzel or cheddar. (Not Cinnamon Grahams)
Sargento- Mootown Crackers & Cheese Dip
Keebler Town House Crackers
Sportz Cheddar Crackers
Kraft Handi-Snacks Cinnamon Graham Crackers w/Applesauce Dip
Kraft Handi-Snacks Crackers with Cheese Dip
Misc. Cheese
Yogurt (not soy brands)
Gogurt, Danimals, etc.
T. Mazettis Carmel Apple Dip (with apples)
Pizza