In Frederick County, Maryland, schools apologized for an allergy mix-up that they say "could have proven tragic." Thankfully, there are no reports of children suffering allergic reactions after eating school lunches last week.
On Tuesday, school cafeteria employees noticed that the nacho chips they had been serving to students had been made with peanut oil. With rising peanut allergy rates in school-aged children, this is certainly cause for alarm. The mix-up could have caused a serious allergic reaction or even the death of a student, if the chips had been eaten by a child with a peanut allergy.
Fast-acting cafeteria workers have been credited with removing the nachos from the lunch line. School staff then contacted the families of children who have peanut allergies and attend the school.
The school district's policy is to only buy foods that are free from peanut oil and other peanut products. This peanut-free policy is a response to the rise in peanut allergies among students attending school in the district. District officials are now trying to determine how those nachos made it onto the school lunch menu.
Though no students suffered an allergic reaction as a result of the mix-up, this story underscores the serious danger that even just a simple switch in nacho chip brands can pose. Read more about the recent mix-up here: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Frederick-County-Schools-Apologi...
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