There’s a fuss in Vaughan over a schools decision to stop inspecting children’s lunches for allergens: Parents want school’s allergy checks reinstated

Some schools have been completely banning all food containing peanuts from being brought by children. I even heard of a school that banned sandwiches because they weren’t “healthy enough” for kids.

From the above article:

“The families say failing to screen lunches for eggs, peanuts and other allergens to which their children suffer severe reactions is a form of discrimination.”

Even for peanut allergies, which seems to be the most common fear, the rates are only around 1% of the population (references: here, here, and here).

I realize I may feel differently if I had a child who had a severe allergy, but completely banning these foods seems extreme. I’m slightly on the fence on peanuts (mostly leaning towards thinking a ban is a bit extreme). For “eggs and other allergens” which presumably appear in the population much less than 1%, I definitely think that’s extreme. Where does it end?

And specifically in the case of the first article, it goes to the point of every child’s lunch needing to be searched? I can understand banning some items in food provided by the school but lunches brought by other kids is another matter. And, arguing it’s a human rights violation to not search the kids lunches?