Is it or is it not alcohol?

What a crappy article. "Pink slime chicken nuggets".

 

Reason 3,627 to homeschool.

Technically it is alcoholic.... about 1%. It's a fermented beverage. But I think it's a bit of an overkill.... a note home to mom would have been more appropriate.

 

I just wish they could do what they wanted why do people have to nose into people's business?

 

"Oh look! Mom made me some compost tea!"

 

I just wish they could do what they wanted why do people have to nose into people's business?

Because norm is not the norm anymore, very few children take their lunch to school anymore let alone anyone with kombucha. Does not surprise me at all what schools are doing today, they have lost control of the situation. The world is madd, they have lost their freakin minds when it comes to common sence. And this is only the start of the maddness, it will only get worse. > Thanks Marc

 

This brings to mind something I witnessed this week while subbing in the office of the local middle school during an afternoon. On that particular day, apparently two mothers had dropped off lunches that their children had forgotten at home. For whatever reason, at the end of the day, neither lunch had been claimed, despite announcements over the PA for the children (by name) to come to the office.

When the day was over and all students had gone home, the other lady in the office said the lunches had to be tossed since they had been on the counter all day and remained unclaimed. Couldn't stick them in the fridge in the teacher's lounge and try to get the owners to retrieve them the next school day. Nope, that was against policy.

She proceeded to open the first lunch, which was in a brown paper lunch sack. It contained: a baggie of sliced apples, a baggie of baby carrots, a baggie of dehydrated banana chips, a baggie of walnuts, a bottle of water, and a vitamin. Her comment: "no wonder the kid didn't come claim this!"

The second lunch, in a brightly patterned plastic huge 'lunch bag' contained: a bottle of Pepsi, a chicken lunchable and a tube of go-gurt.

To me, the bottle of Pepsi didn't belong in a school lunch. Pop at school! Geez, when I was a kid that was not allowed. (I won't even address my feelings on the other contents)

To my great surprise, it was the first, healthy lunch was turned over to the vice principal for 'disciplinary' action. Because of the vitamin, which is apparently in violation of the school drug policy (mandated by the state)--all drugs, otc or prescription, must have paperwork accompany them, be kept in a locked cabinet in the school office, and only be dispensed by authorized personnel. You can't even send in a cough drop, or, apparently, a vitamin with your kid unless you deliver it to the office first.

 

There is a lack of common sense in many of these cases, however, there are generally rules that need to be complied with if you send your kids to public schools- no pills (could be a vitamin-maybe not) no alcohol (what percent do we allow?) and I would say glass bottles could be a hazard to very young children. If you send your kids lunch, try to know the school rules and comply with them. Kids can have their vitamin at home and drinks can be sent in stainless steel bottles.

 

Elementary school kids trade and share lunches. I would not want my kid trying kombucha or for that matter home canned food from someone I did not know. While I can and have canned for years and my kids ate my friends and relatives home canned food, I am very picky. There are some people's home canned things I do not want my family eating because they don't use very good canning methods.

Why would you send anything with alcohol in it to school with your kid? There is probably a zero tolerance policy and some kids may be on a medication that you can't mix with alcohol.

 

I have heard very funny unintentional stories of parents being confronted by a very upset principal because their young child was drunk at school due to some home made juice that sat in the fridge a little long--- and even those stories were not this extreme.

 

Elementary school kids trade and share lunches. I would not want my kid trying kombucha or for that matter home canned food from someone I did not know. While I can and have canned for years and my kids ate my friends and relatives home canned food, I am very picky. There are some people's home canned things I do not want my family eating because they don't use very good canning methods.

Why would you send anything with alcohol in it to school with your kid? There is probably a zero tolerance policy and some kids may be on a medication that you can't mix with alcohol.

Since there is no "dislike" button, this post's "like" button can stand in it's stead.

 

Elementary school kids trade and share lunches. I would not want my kid trying kombucha or for that matter home canned food from someone I did not know. While I can and have canned for years and my kids ate my friends and relatives home canned food, I am very picky. There are some people's home canned things I do not want my family eating because they don't use very good canning methods.

Really?

Well I hope you have your kids trained very well not to trade their lunch w/ my kids.
A lunch packed by *ME* be may contain raw dairy ingredients, homegrown eggs, jerky made from wild meat, and produce grown in soil and then canned by my own hand.

If storebought pop and chips are 'safer' to you then you need to engrain that into your children so I dont poison them w/ my nasty foods.

Teach them that my peach/ ricotta calzones are not safe to eat.

 

My DS17 is taking a home EC class and he actually took a pkg of venison burger to school for use in a chili recipe which was consumed by his WHOLE CLASS.

Here in the Ozarks we can still get away with that, I guess.
:shrug:

 

Really?

Well I hope you have your kids trained very well not to trade their lunch w/ my kids.
A lunch packed by *ME* be may contain raw dairy ingredients, homegrown eggs, jerky made from wild meat, and produce grown in soil and then canned by my own hand.

If storebought pop and chips are 'safer' to you then you need to engrain that into your children so I dont poison them w/ my nasty foods.

Teach them that my peach/ ricotta calzones are not safe to eat.

I never said I wanted my kids eating junk.

My kids grew up on raw milk, we not only most of grew our own food but the hay and grain our animals ate. We had both a garden and an orchard.

However, I have meet people who want to cut time and/or cost when they are canning, or are not too fussy about cleanliness. Since there is no way botulism can be seen until someone gets very sick, I didn't want my kids eating things that may not be canned properly. I don't worry about what my kids any more, they are adults and do their own canning.

 

I never said I wanted my kids eating junk.

My kids grew up on raw milk, we not only most of grew our own food but the hay and grain our animals ate. We had both a garden and an orchard.

However, I have meet people who want to cut time and/or cost when they are canning, or are not too fussy about cleanliness. Since there is no way botulism can be seen until someone gets very sick, I didn't want my kids eating things that may not be canned properly. I don't worry about what my kids any more, they are adults and do their own canning.

Exactly. I only eat canned food from very trusted sources. A few months ago I had my son with me cleaning houses. The husband at the house we were cleaning had bought some strawberry jam at the farmers market. When he opened the jam it bubbled over and was totally fermented! Yikes! He was going to feed that to my son on toast because he thought the lady just overfilled her jars! His wife and I were telling him to STOP! We checked the other jars from the same seller and they were not even sealed. How scary. I know someone who thinks that if her rubber seals are not good enough that putting saran wrap under the lid will seal the jars. Seriously not everyone cans properly.

 

Kombucha is, ah... an acquired taste. Pretty doubtful straight kombucha would be traded round, lol. Even the strawberry flavored GT can be an experience.

If you read the article, the way they treated this *elementary school child* was appalling. Oh my word. About the time I found out they had decided to question him, with a police officer, as if he were a mini thug, heads would start rolling.

I wouldn't send it to school because the stuff is volatile and tend to want to fizz everywhere like a badly shaken soda. But seriously... kids are chowing down on msg and artificial sweetenrs, and we're going to panic about KOMBUCHA? Ooh, scary slightly fermented tea. Beware!

 

Elementary school kids trade and share lunches. I would not want my kid trying kombucha or for that matter home canned food from someone I did not know. While I can and have canned for years and my kids ate my friends and relatives home canned food, I am very picky. There are some people's home canned things I do not want my family eating because they don't use very good canning methods.

Why would you send anything with alcohol in it to school with your kid? There is probably a zero tolerance policy and some kids may be on a medication that you can't mix with alcohol.

This struck me due to the rational, well meaning, anyway.

Why would a parent not send a good healthy lunch to school? Now, consider a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. There are plenty of children allergic to peanuts, as in deathly allergic. Should peanut butter sandwiches not be permitted? How about Diabetic children, stop allowing other children any treats for the fear one of the Diabetics gobble the treats? This could go on, but point made.

I really believe you meant well, but even Kefir contains a small amount of alcohol, and it is very healthy for adults, children, and babies.

All I can say is that I am amazed more folks don't withdraw their children from public school!

I homeschooled my DS and DD for ten years, but divorce, and single parenthood changed that. DS hated school while DD considered it more of a party. The food served at school? Absolutely garbage...

Ever watch "Super Size Me?"

 

As parents, we need to teach our children not to eat other children's lunches, maybe. Responsibility lies with the child choosing to eat another child's food...

 

This struck me due to the rational, well meaning, anyway.

Why would a parent not send a good healthy lunch to school? Now, consider a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. There are plenty of children allergic to peanuts, as in deathly allergic. Should peanut butter sandwiches not be permitted? How about Diabetic children, stop allowing other children any treats for the fear one of the Diabetics gobble the treats? This could go on, but point made.

I really believe you meant well, but even Kefir contains a small amount of alcohol, and it is very healthy for adults, children, and babies.

All I can say is that I am amazed more folks don't withdraw their children from public school!

I homeschooled my DS and DD for ten years, but divorce, and single parenthood changed that. DS hated school while DD considered it more of a party. The food served at school? Absolutely garbage...

Ever watch "Super Size Me?"

After elementary school the school lunches were great! Giant slices of pizza, french fries, Chicken strips, McDonald's style breakfast sandwiches in the mornings. Not to mention my middle school had its own SHAKE MACHINE! You could have a vanilla,chocolate, or strawberry shake, french fries and a GIANT slice of pizza (literally like 1/4th of a pizza) EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. And don't forget the selection of candy bars and other kinds of candy that was always by the check out's.

How we all didn't die of heart attacks....I'll never know lol.

The school lunches ARE garbage. Its sad.

 

I am so thankful I have fed my children so well! My DD told me she was buying locally organically grown fruits, vegetables, and meats. Usually from Farmers Markets or Farm Stands. She is blanching and freezing everything, but soon to get a water bath canner, juicer, eventually a pressure canner, and dehydrator. She eats a superior diet and is happily awaiting her box from me (dehydrated pears, plums, and apples, plum chutney, pear butter, apple butter, and spiced cider...). Everything was made from what I grew, most unsweetened, or a little honey only. She loves Kefir Smoothies, doesn't like junk food.

 

Well, if 1% alcohol beverages are considered proper to be consumed in elementary school, any objections to having vending machines with a 2% shandy in middle school? Maybe some 3.2 beer in high school cafeterias? For those who have children in school, would you tolerate their classmates sharing alcoholic beverages with them? Tobacco or alcohol, should be same zero tolerance nationwide.

Martin

 

Fermented forms of highly nutritious probiotic foods can hardly be compared to beer. But, if one starts checking out fermented condiments...

Vinegar, for just starters:run:

Soy sauce, too. No cough medicine at school!!!

I'm tired, or I'd have some fun posting quite a list.

 

Vinegar and soy sauce are not alcoholic. A search for kombucha alcohol content tells me that it can be as high as 3%. Not much difference than sending the kid to school with a can of 3.2% beer. I'm shocked and surprised to find people here who think that that's OK. Maybe I've been out of school for too many years!

Martin

 

Kombucha is .5 to 1% alcohol on average but the fermentation time can hike this up. Milk Kefir can range from a high of .5% to 2% alcohol and Water Kefir from .2% up to about 2% alcohol also, a traditional Apple Cider can be from 2% to 8% if using specific methods. My goodness this list can go on but in the end, I would rather have a kefir kept cool with an ice pack than a hot ham sandwich with mayo that sat in a hot locker for hours before lunch like our Mom used to send us to school with. Smart though for kids, we threw them out unless they were peanut butter and jelly. She used to load the mayo on the tuna sandwiches..boy did they smell awful by lunch time and into the trash that went. WE asked her to send only peanut butter and jelly because we had no way to keep our lunches cold. No, we did not trade other kids for anything homemade from their lunches. We had never heard of Kombucha as kids. Our Mom did send awesome homemade cookies, muffins, choc chip zucchini cake etc...all kinds of yummy baked goods plus carrot sticks or celery sticks and our friends always tried to trade us for the baked part of our lunch. So yes, kids will trade and share! I think if the school objects to Kombucha, try sending home a note...good grief! My girls got hooked on a drink out of the vending machine at school called....RED BULL. You would not believe how many of these high caffeine addictive drinks the kids and their friends would consume in a day. It was at the high school my one daughter went to and the other daughter picked up her habit...it is still something they find themselves wanting once in a while... So while alcohol content is of course a concern, they might want to screen all the lunches if they are thinking that parent meant any harm, their reaction was ridiculous! I mean they are still trying to get the Energy drinks out of their own vending machines loaded with Soda which has up a ten teaspoon of sugar equivalence per can.... The quality of their frozen, microwaved hot lunches, no comment, as it will surely get me into a debate or in some sort of trouble with someone.... I have no doubt folks send homemade foods/drinks to school to avoid the exposure to foods and beverages they do not wish their children to consume.....

Just a side note.

Naturally Bewed Soy Sauce has from 1 to 2% ethanol and is taxed by the United Kingdom with a Spirit Duty Tax.... My husband likes Kikkoman Soy Sauce which has a level of 1.7% alcohol. So yes, condiments might be evaluated if the school is placing scrutiny on Alcohol content in foods and beverages...yes condiments too. In balsamic vinegar and wine vinegar they range from 1 to 2%. For allergies one should be aware of anything their child consumes but it would be kind of hard for a school to eliminate all alcohol. Condiments are consumed in a very small amount however so the concern for their alcohol content would not bring attention to them as easily. Cough Medicines for older children can have up to 20% alcohol as per their age and the dosage recommended.

 

Hmmm! Here's someone who wonders why their kombucha was thought to be 3% while lab tested it at 2.1%. Why does my kombucha have high alcoho... - Kombucha Tea - tribe.net

Unless someone in a school has the equipment to test the alcohol content of a drink which normally contains alcohol, how can one possibly condone it as OK in an elementary school? When a stranger points a gun at someone, that gun is generally assumed to be loaded.

Martin

 

As parents, we need to teach our children not to eat other children's lunches, maybe. Responsibility lies with the child choosing to eat another child's food...

This has always been my stance. As a mom who had to teach a 4 year old to not accept 'sugar free' stuff (he's allergic to aspartame; it set his asthma off horribly) from grandma (!!!) because it had the potential to kill him, I've always firmly believed that it's up to the parents to teach their kids what they can and can't eat, not up to the school to mandate if peanut butter sandwiches are outlawed.

Now, I know kids will trade lunches around. But you know what, the responsibility lies with the kid who chose to eat somebody else's stuff. It's called taking the consequences of your actions, or cause and effect. A great learning tool.