These new procedures apply to all curriculum and extracurricular activities and are designed to assist all teachers when planning activities which may involve students in the preparation and/or sharing of food, to protect the health and safety of students.
These procedures support the Anaphylaxis Procedures for Schools and are mandatory for all NSW government schools and preschools.
The main message of the new procedures is Schools must not use peanuts1, tree nuts2 or any nut products in curriculum or extracurricular activities. This does not include foods labelled as “may contain traces of nuts”.
While these procedures will have particular significance for Food Technology and Hospitality teachers who deal with students preparing and sharing food on a regular basis, they are applicable to all KLAs P-12.
Please take time to ensure all members of your faculty are familiar with the procedures. Ensure that measures are put in place to review all curriculum and extracurricular materials to eliminate the use of peanuts, tree nuts and all nut products, including as rewards or treats.
Remember to check ingredient labels for “hidden” peanut or tree nut ingredients such as almond meal, marzipan, peanut oil and others.
Plan for faculty time to review and discuss the procedures. Read this information page from Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia to further understand the need for these new procedures. Read the advice in this week’s SchoolBiz.
1 Peanuts grow under the ground and are a legume and therefore from a different botanical family from tree nuts that grow on trees.
2 Tree nuts (includes almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts and others)