Ontario school bans soy spread because it looks too much like peanut butter

The National Post ^ | October 13, 2011 | Tristin Hopper

[Melissa 24]

A London, Ont., school board has banned peanut butter substitutes simply because they could be confused with their peanut counterparts, angering parents already frustrated by efforts to find an acceptable lunch their kids will eat.

In a recent memo, Thames Valley District school board director Bill Tucker wrote that “any products considered to be a peanut butter replacement are no more appropriate in our schools than regular peanut butter.”

Parents were asked to “avoid using peanut butter and peanut butter alternatives because of the difficulty in being able to distinguish alternatives from the real thing.”

“There’s a lot of upset parents,” said Scott Mahon, maker of WowButter, a “safe for school” soy-based spread marketed as tasting “just like peanut butter.” Manufactured one hour north of London, WowButter was specifically named in the district-wide memo.

To combat mix-ups with real peanut butter, WowButter promotes an elaborate step-by-step labeling program. On the first day of school, WowButter parents send a prepared letter to the child’s teacher indicating their intention to pack the product in school lunches. From then on, every sandwich bag or container carried by the child is affixed with a “100% peanut and nut free” label provided by the company.

The company ships across North America, but so far, London is the only school district to raise hackles over the issue, said Mr. Mahon. “This is the frustrating part; we have hundreds of schools across Canada who have requested free samples and information … they’ve chosen the education route,” said Mr. Mahon. “The Thames Valley School Board has chosen to not educate and restrict – it just doesn’t make any sense.”

[netmilsmom]

>>You know I have an idiot allergy, think I’ll enroll in their school and demand all idiots be removed from school, along with their substitute idiots.<<

Today, my FRiend, you win the interwebs!

[Sloth]

10 people die every year from peanut allergies.

Then the risk is essentially zero. Ten times that many die just from being struck by lightning.

[TexasRepublic]

I think on my next flight I will notify the airline that I am allergic to alcohol. Let’s see if they stop serving it for my flight.

Or suppose you told them you are allergic to muslims. I'll bet the airline would advise you not fly. The same principle should apply to people that are allergic to peanuts.

[TexasRepublic]

BTW, I *am* allergic to muslims and I *do not* fly!

[AppyPappy]

Oddly, my experience has been that peanut allergies are usually held to boys, they cause instant dramatic horrific death and they include all types of nuts (even though peanuts are not nuts). The mothers always try to control the environment in order to prevent a lunchroom scene that rivals the evisceration of William Wallace.

Children with milk allergies tend to lose the death allergic reaction because of small amounts of exposure that can’t be helped. Eventually the moms just give up trying to prevent the small exposures.

[Lockbox]

Thanks very much, does the prize come with a picture of Ann Coulter?

[cyclotic]

A study in New Zealand revealed that over 90% of peanut allergy diagnoses are false positives. They way to really tell is to go the the hospital and eat a bowl of peanuts. If you react, you are allergic, if not, Bon Appetit.

90%

[netmilsmom]

Here's a picture of Ann giving the "Twinkles" hand signal.

She approves of your post!