Cafeterias post 'right to know' food allergy alerts

Food allergies can be life-threatening. To minimize the chance of accidental exposure to a food that may trigger an allergic reaction, the district's new food-service provider posts "right to know" information in every school cafeteria. The information -- kept in a binder -- lists ingredients in school food that are common causes of food allergies. They include:

• Milk and milk products

• Egg and egg products

• Peanut and peanut products

• Tree nut and tree nut products

• Soy and soy products

• Fish and fish products

• Shellfish and shellfish products

The binder does not list manufacturers who also may process allergens (like peanuts) in other products they produce. However, Whitson's requires its manufacturers to have practices in place that minimize the possibility accidental contamination from other products during the manufacturing process.

Any student with a severe food allergy should NOT assume that a food is safe to eat and should always ask before eating cafeteria food. That student's parent or guardian should contact the food-service manager to discuss dietary needs and restrictions. Product specifications are subject to change and manufacturers are not required by law to provide updated ingredient declarations to Whitson's.

For more information, contact Stephanie Lasher, Whitson's assistant food service director, at 475-6644 or  slasher@albany.k12.ny.us.