Schools and child care centres should train staff on food allergies and have epinephrine available to treat anaphylaxis, but new guidelines do not recommend food bans.

The recommendations come from an international team, led by McMaster University, which has developed practice guidelines for the prevention and management of allergic reactions to food at child care centres and schools. The guidelines were published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

«The management of food allergy is a sensitive topic,» said Susan Waserman, chair of the guidelines panel, an allergist and professor of medicine at McMaster University.

«Our goal is to help the school community understand the risk of allergic reactions — and offer evidence-informed guidance for managing it.»

The guidelines recommend that child care and school personnel receive training on how to prevent, recognize, and respond to allergic reactions. The guidelines also suggest that unassigned epinephrine autoinjectors, which are sold under the brand names ALLERJECT, Emerade, and EpiPen, be stocked on site.

The guidelines recommend there be no site-wide food prohibitions, such as ‘nut-free’ schools, or allergen-restricted zones, such as ‘milk-free’ tables, except in limited special circumstances.

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