Food allergies are a huge issue when it comes to school meals. Serious allergies can cause anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction. Despite those scary potentials, Glasgow has its very own food allergy community. Students with allergies tend to be cautious at Glasgow, especially in places like the lecture hall and cafeteria. In a survey conducted, around 26.2% of Glasgow students have a food allergy and 18.4% haven’t been diagnosed, but may still have one. For students, getting the time to further understand their peers is a part of life, including learning how to keep them safe. Some might have a food allergy, so it’s best to be prepared to know how and when to support them.

Only 8.9% of the students who have or may have food allergies have actually had problems at Glasgow that have arisen because of their allergies. Some of these problems include no allergy-friendly breakfasts, lunches, or afterschool snacks at Glasgow. In comparison, 32 million people, out of the 7.9 billion people in the world, have food allergies. Glasgow’s students with food allergies communicated through the survey that the breakfast, lunch, and snack are all food allergy problems. According to various observations, the meals served by the school have alternative options or options exempting allergens for nine out of the nine most common food allergies, however, there weren’t many alternatives for dairy (milk), wheat, and soy product allergies.

Food Allergy Awareness Month, which occurs from May 1st until May 31st every year, is a month where people may be wearing teal during that month because teal is the color of food allergy awareness, which can be seen as the primary color of the Teal Pumpkin Project. The Teal Pumpkin Project is where owners of a house will place a teal pumpkin outside their house on Halloween. That teal pumpkin means they have food allergy-friendly options and will not serve candy – only toys, stickers, etc. In school, students with food allergies are qualified as people with disabilities, and therefore can be eligible for a 504 plan. A 504 plan outlines what the school will do to help the child’s allergy in the school setting. 

Food allergies surround the people at Glasgow and the support for the students with food allergies continues to grow. These students bring necessary traits into their lives from their experiences with food allergies. Students with food allergies showcase the perseverance, confidence, and determination needed to push forth in life.

For more information about food allergies, visit https://www.foodallergy.org.

Sources:

Facts and Statistics | Food Allergy Research & Education

Common Allergens | FARE

Living Teal – Teal Pumpkin Project & Be a PAL | FARE

Section 504 and Written Management Plans | FARE