Eating nuts in enclosed spaces

I have been on a plane where they asked everyone not to eat any nuts as they had someone with a severe allergy on board. Of course, they were right to do this. Someone dying trumps your right to eat a nut bar wherever you want!

I suspect posters don't mean to be unkind or selfish, but are very ignorant of the potentially fatal consequences of eating peanuts for some people.

Now that the have been enlightened on this thread, I sincerely hope they change their attitude.

I can safely say I’m the cause but no idea why. glammagran, me too!

What a very selfish post obviously you don’t have a grandson with a severe peanut allergy most people on a flight are considerate of this but there’s always an exception of a greedy person

I’m quite incensed by some of the comments here. DD2 (30) has had an epipen since she was 2. And she has been very ill due to nut exposure on a number of occasions. At her (private) school she was taken into a cafe in France serving cakes with nuts in and just by being in this environment, she started to feel faint. The teachers literally told her to get a grip but did eventually let her wait outside. Actually, she is not allergic to peanuts but virtually all other nuts, Brazil nuts being the worst. As I detest peanuts and gorged most other nuts whilst pregnant I can safely say I’m the cause but no idea why. Her own daughter, DGD3 has no allergies at all, her brother DGS2, had a huge milk intolerance but is now ok with yogurt and butter but still hasn’t had cows milk yet and he is 3.

Are people who are very sensitised to nuts expected to remain indoors for the rest of their lives just so an entitled minority can eat nuts anywhere they wish?

I fly long-haul quite frequently and cannot remember nuts being handed out for a long time. I agree that nut allergy’s can be fatal if untreated/slow treatment and to that end nutts should not be consumed on flights.
Although some heavy perfumes can cause problems for asthmatics, it can sometimes be the accumulation off these smells that can trigger an asthma attack which although uncomfortable can if not treated also become fatal, especially if the sufferer has run out of medication or is badly controlled, or with other chest problems
As far as the diabetic is concerned, I carry lucozade sweets in case of a hypo which can be experienced by both Type 1 and Type diabetics.

As an ex-smoker, I don’t think that going without nuts for the duration of a flight would be as difficult as not smoking. Like smoking, it’s a safety issue.

I've been on se eral different airlines when announcements have been made to let passengers know that a passenger is sensitive to nuts and nuts or any item containing any kind of nuts should not be unwrapped or opened. Noticed some passengers being a bit unsure and staff would check with the passenger concerned asking if item would be okay. People were checking anything, heard someone ask if the item they had with palm oil in it was it a danger. System seems to work.

ordinarygirl

I would also add that if catering for vegans and others was not so dire, then people would not need to take nut bars with them on planes and trains. Nut bars are a replacement for a meal that is not offered to vegans by catering firms . It is not a snack but for a vegan it is nourishment on a long flight.

It's problematic, but I think airlines are catching up with the trend and will eventually offer a wider variety of options.

In the meantime however, would anyone want to be the cause of someone's death on a flight? That would certainly cause more anguish than missing a meal.

The fault lies with the catering companies used by the airlines - so pressure needs to be applied, initially to the airlines to find more suitable caterers. I think the vegan business world is getting its act together anyway.

The selfishness on display here is mind-boggling. I doubt anyone would die over the course of a 12 hour flight because they weren’t able to eat any nuts but someone could easily die because another person insisted on consuming nuts in an allergic person’s presence.

This thread was on my mind today while shopping. I’m going on a six hour train journey tomorrow and when buying food for my trip I decided to avoid nuts, just in case it affects anyone on the train. It wasn’t hard to avoid nuts, there are loads of alternatives and I’ve still got a tasty ‘train picnic’ to enjoy.

My son suffered anaphylactic shock in 1986, the day after Hallowe'en. He had been given a bag of monkey nuts at the Beavers and I told him not to touch them, but he did.
He had only one and if my husband hadn't made him sick, he would be dead.
It is just that people weren't so well versed about it then.

Well, yes, they did. My daughter was born in 1992 and I remember that a child died from anaphylactic shock caused by eating peanut butter about the same time. Parents were warned about giving their children nuts. There had been suspicions about nut allergies from the 1970s. It's difficult to know whether there has truly been a rise in allergies or a rise in awareness. Childhood deaths have fallen dramatically since the 1970s and it could have been that some of those children died from an unsuspected allergy.

Who knew?????

I regularly stuffed my face with in flight peanuts. G and Ts , snacks and the holiday started here.

I'll probably avoid it now.

Where did all these severe nut allergies come from? No-one questioned this 30 years ago.

Another thought to this debate. If someone does have anaphylaxis on a plane then the flight will be diverted to the nearest city where there is a hospital .Epipens do not stop the reaction from progressing they give time until further treatment can be given. I have had numerous anaphylactic shocks to wheat and nuts. 2 Epipens pause the reaction for about 10 minutes then I need further shots in the ambulance,i v steroids antihistamine s,oxygen and iv fluids in resus.
So although people may be inconvenienced by not being allowed to eat nuts on a plane ,it will be a greater time delay to the trip if someone has a serious allergic reaction. Or sadly you may have a death on the flight which will also have an impact on all passengers and crew.

Well, I flew long haul home last Friday and Internal yesterday, no nuts.
I can't remember the last time I was offered Nuts, it's these Pretzel things they give you now.

My DD said her recent flight to Crete was nut free and no one complained, I think it's a small price to pay to not threaten someone's life

ordinarygirl

I would also add that if catering for vegans and others was not so dire, then people would not need to take nut bars with them on planes and trains. Nut bars are a replacement for a meal that is not offered to vegans by catering firms . It is not a snack but for a vegan it is nourishment on a long flight.

We're flying next week with Jet2, a four hour flight, very early departure.
Hot meals have to be pre-ordered so I have booked breakfasts for the four of us, two of which are vegan options.
I can't speak for other airlines, but Jet2 have several vegan options on their in-flight menus.

Absolutely fair. What's NOT fair is putting someone's life in danger

EkwaNimitee

No, it’s not fair or right, first nuts then what next?
My emergency travelling stash-for a low blood sugar episode or meal not turning up-includes fruit and nut bars. I had to use them yesterday on a train journey.
I can’t imagine what non-perishable items could be substituted.

Why so selfish when there are alternatives? Low blood sugar simply needs bringing back and many things can do rather just fruit and nut bars.

Grandmabatty

So your 'right' to eat nuts means someone's life is at risk? Are you saying that you couldn't find an alternative for the two or three hours in an airplane? Nut allergy is one of the most severe allergies

This. How to devalue the life of someone else because you fancy a snack...😱

I’m shocked at some of the selfish and ignorant comments in this thread. I’ve spent many miserable hours in A&Es with each of my daughters. Both allergic to nuts since babies. Both now adult . I’d like to add that many airlines are sympathetic (Easy Jet, Ryanair, Jet2) but many are not. BA have not been helpful in the past, nor Emirates or Virgin (“but the 1st class passengers HAVE to have nuts with their pre-dinner drinks”).
I think that in spite of warning the airline in advance, it often depends on the cabin crew whether announcements are made, and also on the understanding and consideration of fellow passengers.
Thank you, OP, for raising this issue.

MilestOne Last week, travelling north on the motorway we stopped at a service station for coffee and a sandwich. There was no mayonnaise in the cream cheese and smoked salmon sandwiches.

grandtanteJE65

Surely, if nuts are so dangerous that eating them on a plane might mean someone else died, you would refrain from doing so?

Dried fruit such as apricots, prunes or raisins would do, wouldn't they?

I may be ignorant here, but I have not heard of anyone dying because the person next to them ate dried fruit.

You're not ignorant. Dried fruit is sold in small packets and would be far better than nuts for treating a hypo. There are also sorts of snack bars which don't contain nuts.

Grandmabatty

So your 'right' to eat nuts means someone's life is at risk? Are you saying that you couldn't find an alternative for the two or three hours in an airplane? Nut allergy is one of the most severe allergies

Well said, Grandmabatty!

My son is a vegan and he manages to find food without nuts when staying with us and surely diabetics can find food to carry with them that doesn't contain nuts!

Severe nut allergies are surprisingly common and research suggests that many people could have died from then in the past and their deaths explained as heart attacks etc. I got my first nut allergy reaction in 1957!

It's only in the last 30 years or so that nuts have been so widely available and included in convenience foods. Previously, they were seen as 'treats'.

Surely, if nuts are so dangerous that eating them on a plane might mean someone else died, you would refrain from doing so?

Dried fruit such as apricots, prunes or raisins would do, wouldn't they?

I may be ignorant here, but I have not heard of anyone dying because the person next to them ate dried fruit.

Ban all nuts! A danger to life! And while you’re at it ban gluten products too! And alcohol (would have been a Class A drug if categories had been around when it was first introduced!) Seriously, we have to be mindful of those with allergies or disabilities which are in fact often hidden. In this case, a directive by airlines for passengers to list allergies might help. But what about buses/trains/public places etc? A manufacturer/restaurant should obviously state the ingredients in the product or meal, of course. Otherwise I think it is up to the individual to take responsibility and anticipate the co operation of other people, which, considering the seriousness of a potential outcome, should be forthcoming. We cannot legislate for every single danger in the world, unfortunately. By the way, I do have a family member who is severely gluten intolerant (coeliac disease) but she does manage very well.