People who have an allergy can become sick when they come into contact with things that are harmless to most people. The most common food allergens are sesame, milk, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, eggs, seafood, soy and lupin, but you can be allergic to many different foods.

The latest advice is for schools and tuckshops to be ‘allergy aware’ rather than claiming they are ‘nut/egg gluten free’, as this is very difficult to manage. It is always helpful to have a clear conversation with parents of students with allergies to discuss their needs, your processes for managing special orders and what could be offered by the tuckshop.

There is a wealth of information and training available from ASCIA and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia have development an allergy guide for canteens.

The current Anaphylaxis Guidelines for Queensland State Schools from the Department of Education is available as a document within the Supporting Students with Asthma and/or at Risk of Anaphylaxis at School procedure, linked below.

There is an excellent free training course for schools at All About Allergens.

Teacher Resources

Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia has produced allergy awareness teacher resources for primary and secondary school students.

The resources for primary school years (K-6 students) and the secondary school years (year 7-10 students) are designed to provide educators with information for teaching students what allergies are and how to help friends who have them, including being able to recognise a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) and act appropriately when it occurs.

View the downloadable resources below.