Monday, October 19, 2009



Travelling with food allergies






There is no doubt about it: travelling with food allergies takes a lot of forward planning. You can’t simply book your ticket online and turn up at the airport like everyone else. In most cases, you need to go through a sales centre, disclose your food allergies and then think about what sort of nutritious meals and snacks you can pack. This is further hindered by security measures on liquids.


And you can expect more of a headache if you have to carry an auto-injector. I remember a security guard carrying my daughter’s EpiPen and escorting us through Brisbane international airport after our check-in person tried to wrestle the injector away from us (despite our doctor’s letter). We refused to be parted, thus the escort (as it was another security guard told them it was ridiculous and let us resume control of the EpiPen).


Considering we have no option but to travel by air, what can we expect from airlines? Penny, our chief executive, went to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Alliance meeting in the USA in September and there was a lot of vigorous discussion on this topic.


The general consensus was we can’t expect airlines to guarantee safe meals. This is because meals are being prepared by different caterers, in different parts of the world, and under a wide range of legislation.


What we should expect is for airlines to allow us to take our own food on board. In some cases, flight attendants are kind enough to put your food into their convection ovens to heat up, but this is that at their discretion (and if you go down this route, you will need to put your food in something that is not going to melt!).


We should also expect airline staff to be trained in an emergency response to anaphylaxis and to be able to administer adrenaline auto-injectors if required. Most airline staff receive first aid training, and Virgin and British Airways staff receive five days of training, including life support, and do an annual refresher. Virgin Airlines Australia staff are now trained in recognising and treating anaphylaxis. We think all airlines should follow Virgin’s steps. At the opposite end of the spectrum, one airline has forced passengers at risk of anaphylaxis to sign a form that says they will pay all costs if the airline has to turn around in an emergency. Members of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Alliance are currently investigating this.


In the meantime, recent research indicates that we need better education all-round, and particularly within our food-allergic community. A letter published in last month’s Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology looked at self-reported allergic reactions to peanuts and tree nuts on commercial airlines. The study surveyed 471 people known to have severe peanut, nut or seed allergies. Almost 10 per cent of those surveyed (45) reported reactions and, alarmingly, only 12 of these people notified their flight attendants. Peanuts were the main culprit. Six people went to an emergency department after the plane landed.


In the majority of cases, the allergic reactions were a result of eating the airline food. The study noted that while a proportion of people believed the reaction was to inhalation of peanuts, there has not been enough evidence to support this, even from other similar studies. The authors suspect the reactions are due to some form of ingestion, for example, getting allergen on their hands.

What are your thoughts on airline travel?



  • Do you think airlines should minimise risk for those with peanut allergies but not serving peanuts? What sort of experiences have you had when travelling?

  • How have you managed your meals, particularly on long-haul flights?

  • Another important question is: how easy is it for you to find out airlines’ policies on food allergies and anaphylaxis?

  • How do you get hold of the relevant person at the airline?

  • What can we suggest to airlines to make travel easier for food allergy sufferers?


We would love to hear your experiences, and your input will help us with information we are putting together on travelling with allergies.


If you prefer not to comment on the blog, but still wish to share your experiences, you can email me at inga@allergy.org.nz.

Inga Stünzner
Information Officer