Mass. district’s peanut ban could hurt foodservice sales

In an effort to protect students with food allergies, Plymouth Public Schools has voted to ban peanut products—including peanut butter sandwiches—from being sold, reports plymouth.wickedlocal.com.

Despite the ban’s good intentions to protect students with peanut allergies, Patrick Van Cott, the district’s foodservice director, said it could have a negative effect on his operations, which sell 40,000 peanut butter-based sandwiches a year, half of which are sold in the elementary schools.

“Our sales have been affected by the current regulations, so I am a bit worried that the elimination of the peanut butter at the elementary level offering may hurt us financially,” Van Cott told FSD via email. “We do provide the students with many other menu items, including ham, turkey and tuna sandwiches. So hopefully they will shift to the other offerings.”

The ban, which starts Jan. 18 at all of the district’s elementary schools and preschool, will impact nearly 200 students with peanut allergies, officials told the website. The district’s middle and high schools will continue to sell peanut products.

Read the full story at plymouth.wickedlocal.com.