MSD Policies
Students
155 Food Allergy Protocol
It is the policy of the Board of School Committee that parents, students, and school personnel share responsibility for preventing allergic reactions to food or ingredients used in food preparation at school.
The Superintendent shall draft regulations/procedures for the implementation of this policy.
FOOD ALLERGY PROTOCOL REGULATIONS
Parents, students, and school personnel share responsibility for preventing allergic reactions to food or ingredients used in food preparation at school.
In an effort to prevent allergic reactions, the following steps shall be followed:
The parent/guardian of the child with the food allergy shall provide the district director of food services with a physician’s order identifying the allergy and the ingredients that cause it. This order must be contained on the sample diet order form for special meals provided by the school district.
The order shall note instances in which epinephrine must be available and administered.
The Director of Food Services shall forward a copy of the physician’s order to the school nurse and the consultant dietician.
The school nurse shall obtain an annual update of the sample diet order form for special meals as well as annual orders from a physician for emergency medications. The parent shall provide the school nurse with a letter from a physician designating children who are capable of carrying and administering epinephrine to themselves at school. The nurse shall prepare an allergy health care plan (or insect sting allergy care plan) for each student with an allergy. This plan should include a photo of the student.
The consultant dietician shall review the labels of packages containing ingredients used in food preparation and proposed recipes and menus to determine the presence of allergens. The District Director of Food services will provide these labels.
Once the labels, recipes, and menus have been reviewed, the dietician will contact the parent/guardian of students with identified allergies to determine if alternative menus are required and, if necessary, to compile these menus.
The school nurse shall create an allergy health care plan for students with food allergies.
The school nurse shall provide a copy of the allergy health care plan of students with food allergies to administrators, food service workers, and school staff.
Students with food allergies who require special meals shall identify themselves to food service staff.
An allergen free table shall be available in each cafeteria. No food containing identified reaction-producing ingredients shall be allowed at this table.
The allergen free table shall be cleaned with a new cloth after each lunch period and dried with a paper towel. Cloths used to clean other table shall not be used.
Kitchen staff shall designate an allergen-free area in the kitchen that will not be contaminated with ingredients that would produce an allergic reaction.
Gloves shall be changed when serving student who have allergies and when preparing meals in the allergen-free area of the kitchen.
Contamination of utensils shall be avoided.
The school nurse shall train staff to be aware of students with food allergies and to be knowledgeable of what to do in case of an allergic reaction.
The food service staff shall view a video about food allergies and shall review this policy annually at a training coordinated by the Director of Food Services.
Revised From 4/13/05, 12/14/09
First Reading Coordination: 4/9/13
Second Reading and Adoption by BOSC: 4/29/13