Birthday cake ban questioned by experts

Allergy experts have questioned bans on school students sharing homemade cakes in the classroom.

Homemade goodies have been banned in a growing number of schools because of concerns over allergy control.

But CEO of Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia, Maria Said, argued against blanket food-sharing bans at schools.

She said food bans should be in place to protect children with severe food allergies, but not all kids should miss out.

"We do support bringing birthday cakes, we don't want that tradition lost," she told NewsCorp.

"We don't want to create a sterile environment. What we need to do is reduce risk.

"Children with allergies do have to be singled out sometimes but we don't want them to miss out altogether."

According to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy guidelines, blanket food bans are "generally unnecessary and are not recommended in late primary or high school". However they do concede they could be appropriate for younger children.

Earlier in the year a council in Melbourne's eastern suburbs banned kindergarten pupils from sharing homemade cakes in the classroom because of health and safety fears.

Homemade goodies were no longer allowed under a Knox Council ruling because of concerns over 'correct food handling procedures' and 'allergy control'.

Despite condemnation from parents and the public, the council stood by its policy, saying in a statement it has a legal obligation to protect children in its care from potential dangers, including foods, and that it operates according to national regulations.