Allergy doctors say it’s time to bring back Bamba as new school year set to start
Israel Medical Association group cites research saying that kids with food allergies do not suffer serious reactions if others bring allergenic foods to class
Renee Ghert-Zand is the health reporter and a feature writer for The Times of Israel.
As parents and kids gear up for the return to school on September 1, the Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology advises the educational system to allow allergenic foods into schools and kindergartens.
This announcement comes after years in which it was prohibited as a matter of policy to bring in foods that could provoke an allergic reaction in children with food allergies.
Some are in favor of the new recommendation, while others think it is misguided and puts children with food allergies at risk.
Food allergies are on the rise worldwide. Researchers are attempting to understand why and how to better alleviate symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, and hives. At worst, allergies can cause throat swelling, difficulty breathing, and anaphylactic shock that can lead to death.
More than 170 foods can provoke allergic reactions. The most common ones are peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, etc.), soybeans, fish, crustaceans, and shellfish.
In Israel, the rise in cases can feel particularly fraught. The country does not have regulations requiring uniform labeling of allergens on food and food sellers and handlers often do not have proper knowledge of allergenic foods.
According to the Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, a subgroup of the Israel Medical Association, the longstanding prohibition on bringing allergenic foods into schools was based on two assumptions that have now been proven incorrect.
The first is that serious or anaphylactic reactions can occur if an allergic child either smells or touches the food they are allergic to. The second is that keeping the allergy-triggering foods out of the school will lessen the chances of allergic reactions.
The association issued a position paper stating that “international allergy associations (in the US, Europe, and Australia) have published position papers in recent years advising against keeping allergenic foods out of schools and kindergartens (except for cases of babies and very young children or children with developmental delays).
“The Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology recommends adopting the international approach and not applying across-the-board bans on allergenic foods in all schools and kindergartens,” the statement continued.
According to association chair Dr. Arnon Elizur, children with food allergies are not at risk of a severe or systemic reaction just from smelling or touching a food they are allergic to — except for fish.
In a recorded message to the media, Elizur said that the position paper had been released to let parents and children know what they need to be afraid of, and what not, as they prepare for the new school year.
“Children who eat a food they have an allergy to can have a serious reaction. This can lead to legitimate and understandable fears. As the father of two children with food allergies, I understand this fear very well. However, children with food allergies will not react to smelling or touching an allergenic food. These actions will either not provoke any response at all, or will cause a minor skin reaction,” Elizur said.
“In other words, if someone eats an allergenic food near them, there is nothing to be worried about — either at home or outside the home. If the child does not eat the food they are allergic to, they will be fine. This knowledge will give them power over their allergy and self-confidence,” he said.
Yahel, the Israeli organization representing children with food allergies and their parents, came out against the association’s recommendation.
“If someone thinks that we will abandon our children to the jungle known as school and kindergarten in the Israeli education system, they are either naive or dangerously disconnected from what’s going on,” a Yahel representative was quoted as saying in an article in a publication for Israeli healthcare providers.
In response to this and other criticisms and concerns, the Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology issued another statement explaining that food allergies are a chronic illness with both psychological and physical implications.
“Our job does not end with examination, diagnosis, and providing medications. We believe our professional mission includes education and guidance in terms of all aspects of a patient’s illness and its impact on their life,” it said.
According to Elizur, there are enough things for children with food allergies and their parents to worry about. It’s better to focus on what is really of concern instead of what is not.
Dr. Mona Kidon, director of the pediatric allergy clinic at Safra Children’s Hospital at Sheba Medical Center, told The Times of Israel that she wholly supports the stated conclusions of the Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology’s paper.
“However, as with everything in medicine, there may be extremely rare cases in which there are children who could potentially have a severe systemic allergic reaction to a minimal exposure from, for example, playing with a ball or toy that was touched previously by an allergen,” Kidon said.
“But these are very rare individuals and can be recognized and advised by their allergist. This should not influence the general recommended policy,” she emphasized.
The association reported it was working with the Health Ministry and Education Ministry to finalize a revised policy concerning allergenic foods in educational institutions.
In the meantime, it remains the parent or guardian’s responsibility to do their part in keeping a child with food allergies healthy in all settings. This means regular checkups with an allergy specialist and giving the child’s school an official letter explaining the child’s food allergy and how to recognize and deal with an allergic reaction.
Schools should have an EpiPen (an antidote epinephrine injection to be given in case of anaphylaxis) on hand, but a parent should also supply one for their child and make sure staff knows how and when to use it. If the child is old enough, they should also have their own EpiPen in their schoolbag.
