Buffalo schools are becoming concerned about food allergies among the students. That ranges from the peanut issue to determining what is in other food brought into the buildings, like cupcakes for birthdays.
That's why the school board is considering an actual policy controlling everything from parents and doctors reporting kids with allergy problems to making sure the information is in student health files.
Food Service Director Bridget O'Brien Wood says staff members check for potential problem ingredients.
"Eggs and wheat and peanuts and tree nuts are the big ones that we're really looking at and we have to monitor labels," O'Brien Wood said.
"We have trained our food service staff to always look at labels and sometimes they can change an ingredient and it's on the label and they don't really tell us."
The school board is looking at establishing a 14-page food allergies policy. Schools Superintendent Kriner Cash admits it's more than a little complicated.
"I don't want to restrict things like breakfasts in classrooms," Cash said during a recent meeting.
"But, we also know there are highly variable ways that food can get into the classroom through incentives, through birthday parties, through Child of the Week, somebody comes and has a holiday and also a celebration from all the cultures."
In a number of buildings, a table is set aside for for kids with allergy issues. If a friend comes over to eat with the allergic students, staff members are asked to monitor what the other student is eating. After a meal, that table is supposed to get a special cleaning.
