Quick answer: The allergy sticker should name the food: PEANUT ALLERGY, not “food allergy,” not a peanut with no words, not “see the nurse.” Put the child’s name next to it with a regular name label or a Sharpie — we do not print names on our stickers. Put Got EPI? on the kit zipper, not on the lunchbox lid. Everything else belongs on a card in the teacher’s folder.
On this page
- The line that works
- Lines that fail at 11:40
- What goes on which surface
- Copy you can use
- Siblings, nut-free classrooms, and kids who can read
- What a label cannot do
- FAQ
The line that works
A lunch monitor has about two seconds and two feet. They are not going to read a paragraph, scan a QR code, or decode a tiny peanut drawing with no text.
Kids With Food Allergies already tells families to mark food so it can be told apart at a glance. Same idea at school, with more strangers. Color helps. Words still have to name the allergen. A green star with no text only works for people who already know your household code.
Two marks, two jobs:
- Whose box this is — the name label you already use for school. Ours do not include a name. Use the school name tag, a cheap name sticker, or a Sharpie on the lid.
- What the rule is — the allergen, in words. PEANUT ALLERGY or NO PEANUTS. That is a rule. “Food allergy” alone is a vibe.
Name tag next to the allergen sticker — two marks, two jobs.
A third mark belongs on the kit, not the sandwich:
Got EPI? on the zipper or pocket where the device actually lives.
The cafeteria does not need that line. The adult opening a backpack does.
Lines that fail at 11:40
| What people write | What a stranger hears | Write this instead |
|---|---|---|
| FOOD ALLERGY | Picky eater, maybe | PEANUT ALLERGY or NO MILK |
| See teacher / see nurse | I have to go find someone | The allergen, on the box in their hand |
| A peanut icon and no words | Cute sticker. Or a snack? | PEANUT ALLERGY in plain type |
| May contain peanuts | This is a packaged-food warning. Wrong object. | PEANUT ALLERGY on their box. CONTAINS PEANUTS on other people’s food at home |
| A full action plan on vinyl | Too small to read. They skip it. | One allergen line on the box. Plan in the nurse folder |
| Allergies ❤️ | Nothing useful | The food. No decoration that costs letters |
Phone numbers: useful, not on a 1.5-inch square. Put the number on a card in the classroom folder. The lid only has to stop a swap or a trade.
What goes on which surface
Write the same allergen everywhere food lives. Write the kit location on the kit. Put the name next to the allergen, not instead of it.
| Surface | What goes there | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Lunchbox lid | Name label + PEANUT ALLERGY | Symptoms, 911, the 504 plan |
| Inner container / bento tray | The same allergen line again. ★SAFE if you packed it at home | Assuming the lid stays on the box |
| Water bottle | Name. Add the allergen sticker if bottles sit in a shared bin | A novel |
| Backpack or name tag | Name + the allergen sticker | Name only, with no allergen anywhere nearby |
| Kit zipper or pocket | Got EPI? | Putting this only on the lunchbox |
Lid and inner container both get the food line because lids migrate. The cubby pile on Wednesday is full of orphan lids.
We already use this split at home: food marks on food, medication mark on the thing that has to be found in a hurry. Same logic as the door check for the EpiPen and the fridge door in a shared kitchen.
Full disclosure, since this is our blog: that is an allergen label on the lid, a ★SAFE mark on the container you packed, and Got EPI? on the zipper. A label maker and a Sharpie do the same job. Use what you have tonight.
Copy you can use
Keep letters big. If two allergens will not fit on one sticker, use two stickers stacked. A substitute will not squint for you.
Allergen sticker (the 1.5-inch square)
- PEANUT ALLERGY
- MILK ALLERGY
- EGG ALLERGY
- NO PEANUTS
Name (separate — not on our stickers)
- Whatever the school already uses on cubbies and water bottles
- Or a Sharpie on the lid, next to the allergen sticker
Kit
- Got EPI?
- EPI IN FRONT POCKET
Safe food you packed (inner lid or a corner — not a replacement for the allergen line)
- ★SAFE
Do not put ★SAFE on the outside instead of the allergen. Safe-to-you is not the fact a stranger needs first. They need what to keep away.
Siblings, nut-free classrooms, and kids who can read
Two kids, one kitchen: names do more work than colors. Blue vs pink is meaningless to a cafeteria aide. Two different name labels plus two different allergen stickers is not.
Siblings with different allergens: each box gets its own allergen sticker. Do not color-code and hope. Write the food.
Classroom with a nut-free rule: still label. Nut-free policy is not the same as “everyone read the binder.” The kid next to yours may have a sunflower-butter sandwich that looks like peanut butter. The lid still has to say PEANUT ALLERGY.
Your child can read: let them help pick the words. FAACT has kids practice lunch from their own box. A seven-year-old who can say “my lunchbox says peanut allergy” is doing part of the job you cannot do from the parking lot.
What a label cannot do
A label makes a well-meaning mistake less likely. It does not make the cafeteria safe. It does not replace the action plan, a no-sharing rule, or soap and water. FARE’s cleaning guidance is blunt: hand sanitizer does not remove food allergens and is not an alternative to handwashing.
Nothing here is medical or legal advice. The plan, 504 plan or health-plan language, and medication decisions belong to you and your child’s clinician.
And because we make stickers: a sticker is not a substitute for the action plan, it does not replace clinical guidance, and no sticker prevents an allergic reaction. TagMyAllergy is a labeling and reminder tool. It is not affiliated with Viatris or EpiPen®. It is not a medical device.
Frequently asked questions
Is “NO PEANUTS” better than “PEANUT ALLERGY”?
Both beat “food allergy.” Our printed labels say the allergen plus ALLERGY. If you are using a Sharpie, “NO PEANUTS” is a rule a lunch aide can follow without a diagnosis lecture. Use whichever still names the food.
Should the sticker include my child’s name?
Ours do not. Put a regular name label next to the allergen sticker. The name answers “whose.” The allergen sticker answers “what.”
Should I put my phone number on the lunchbox?
Optional, and it eats space. Put it on the teacher card first. The lid’s job is name + allergen.
Milk allergy — do I write casein and whey too?
No. Write MILK ALLERGY, the word your child’s clinician uses. Casein and whey belong on grocery-label literacy, not on a 1.5-inch lunchbox square.
What if the school says no medical labels on bags?
Ask what they will use so a substitute can identify the box without you. An allergen line is a note, not a diagnosis on a shirt. If they block every visible mark, put that in writing.
Do I still label if I also emailed the teacher?
Yes. The teacher will be out. The box has to work that day.
Can I just use a Sharpie?
Yes. Waterproof vinyl lasts through a wet water bottle. Sharpie tonight is better than a blank lid Monday.
Do you sell epinephrine?
No. We sell vinyl labels and reminders. Medication comes from your pharmacy and your clinician.
Sources: Kids With Food Allergies — Prevent Allergic Reactions in Your Kitchen · FAACT — Let’s Rehearse Lunchtime at School · FARE — Food Allergy Management in Schools (FAMS): Expert Recommendations (2024) · FARE — Cleaning Methods · CDC — Food Allergies in Schools
Written by the TagMyAllergy team — a brand run by allergy families, for allergy families.