No Peanut Zone? What's Next?

[Mark in CA]

Northwest Airlines is getting slammed for reintroducing peanut snacks on board its aircraft:

Peanuts on Northwest Airlines prompt protests - CNN.com

Sounds bit over the top to me.

[PAXboy]

Not really. One friend of mine has an allergy to Sesame seeds and oil. If she inadvertently takes so much as a single sesame seed on food, she will start an anaphylactic shock reaction within five minutes. She carries her emergency syringe with her at all times and MUST inject herself the moment she detects the reaction, or her husband will do so.

For some people, peanuts have the same reaction, so I would vote for no peanuts just in case the person next to me has a bad reaction to them.

[Mark in CA]

The airline industry has been serving peanuts in the cabin for 50 or more years. I don't recall ever hearing of anyone having a problem with that. Why are we hearing about this only now? Do we suddenly have a plague of peanut-sensitive passengers?

[Load Toad]

Yeah cos I think we can all count the multiple times we find ourselves next to the peanut sensitive can't we? Many's the time I've been in a bar, on a plane or in a queue for a bus and suddenly people around me have been struck down by my peanut eating murderous selfishness....

Since it quite obviously is a massive risk to public health then it is far worse than smoking and must (and I can not, repeat can not stress this strongly enough) be banned from all public places immediately.

[aviatordom]

I remember Airline Peanuts, they tasted pretty good!

I can understand both sides of the argument. Some people will say that it is unfair on 400 other passengers, if one of them has a nut allergy.

But what do you do when someone has a bad reaction whilst over the middle of the Atlantic and their syringe is in the hold?

[CornishFlyer]

Most airline's carry Epi pens in their First Aid kits if things do happen but obviously it'd be easier if it didn't happen in the first place. I've flown with airlines that have a no-nuts policy and also that have a nuts-for-all one too and never had anything happen

[WHBM]

I am one of those people who has a serious nut allergy. In my case peanuts are OK but others (cashews etc) are really bad news.

As far as I am concerned it is MY responsibility to handle this wthout impacting on others. I don't walk into Chinese restaurants and demand that they stop serving cashews while I am there. If it were to be a real problem for me, I wouldn't go in there in the first place.

[Alanwsg]

But what do you do when someone has a bad reaction whilst over the middle of the Atlantic and their syringe is in the hold?

I guess you submit their name to the Darwin awards.



Here's a more thoughtful article about peanut allergy ...
(Sorry, Pprune won't let me post the URL, it gets zapped)
Google for the "Junkfoodscience" blog,
And search for "Peanutty thoughts for today"

And for those (most?) of you who won't read it, here's the relevant paragraph ...

These reports might seem to be saying that more children today have diagnosed food allergies, but that is not what they are actually reporting. The studies behind these claims were surveys, all of which found that the percentage of parents who report they believe their children have food allergies has increased over the past decade.

But these reports have also neglected to reveal that repeated studies have found that 5 times more parents report their children have food allergies than actually do when tested in double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges; and as many as 12 times more report food allergies in their infants and children than actually have food allergies when given skin prick testing. The discrepancy between perceived and actual food allergies is growing.

[Mark in CA]

Here's a more thoughtful article about peanut allergy ...

I had read about this earlier, and is part of why I brought this subject up. And it's not just nut allergies. There seems to be an increase in (unsupported) perceived threat from lots of things these days, including terrorism. On a more mundane level, I still find it a bit odd to see small children on tricycles wearing helmets. All part of the overly protective societies we live in, I guess.

[radeng]

As I understand it, peanuts aren't actually nuts, but are a bean.

Do peanut allergy sufferers also have problems with chick peas?

[Iain Wilson]

As a parent of a young woman with a severe peanut allergy, allow me to (hopefully ) make a few things a little clearer. It is true that nut allergies and peanut allergies in particular are on the increase. Atopy or the state of being sensitive to certain everyday items is now commoner than it ever was, almost cerainly down to uses of chemicals and changes in our environment. It has also been postulated that our obsession with hygiene may fail to expose babies and children to compounds at an earlier agewhen their immune systems are evolving (Gammaglobulins) - so called "clean dirt". Asthma was something that afflicted fat wheezy boys when I was at school 30 years ago. Now something like one in 5 kids have "asthma" and carry inhalers and they are by no means fat. Nut allergies have risen exponentially over the years and it was, until a few tragic cases made the headlines, extremely difficult for parents whose children were allergy free to understand the severity of these reactions. Nut allergy sufferers do not chose to have this affliction- nuts in one shape or form occur in a bewildering number of every day products and are not always obvious in their presence. Surely it is common sense for these materials to be excluded from the aircraft cabin for the duration of the flight as it would be for any other noxious material which had the potential to cause illness among passengers? Earlier posts mention Adrenaline Auto injectors. These vital pieces of equipment BUY TIME - the user should still go straight to an emergency dept as further medication in the form of more powerful steroids and further adrenaline is frequently needed. Anaphyllaxis in an enclosed aircraft cabin at FL370 over the Atlantic does not bear thinking about - especially if it`s your family member.

[Ten West]

Ban nuts for the common good? No way!

If you're allergic to nuts then don't eat them simple as that.

My pal's wife is allergic to man-made fibres. Want to ban everyone who's wearing artificial fibres too? Oh yeah - better ban the seat coverings on the A/C too in that case. Or use leather of course. But then what about the vegans? Okay, we'll use wooden seats. But no, the rainforest protesters will never wear it! Where do you stop?

I'm sure there are some genuine nut allergy sufferers and there probably always have been, but their cause has been hijacked in recent years by the "I need special care I do, and if i don't get it I'll sue you all" brigade.

[radeng]

I seem to remember that American Airlines serve nuts in Business class and probably First too, and have done for years.

[Mark in CA]

And let's not forget, on 22 December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, Anthony Clement McAuliffe was acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division in charge of the defense of Bastogne, Belgium. The advancing German forces called on his garrison to surrender. The Americans were surrounded. Instead, Anthony McAuliffe wrote:

"To the German Commander: NUTS! The American Commander."

[r.s]

Is it really such a hardship to refrain from munching on peanuts for a few hours if you have been advised they could be detremental to another person's health? Knock yourself out when you land; eat ten bags!

The problem with peanuts on board an aircraft is people with severe allergies can develop anaphylaxis by enhaling the tiny dust particles of a packet of KP being opened from ten rows away. With recirculated air carrying this about, is it really worth the risk to somebody?

The individual did not ask for a life threatening allergy. They have taken all the precautions they can by advising the airline and carrying medication, but as another contributor said, it only buys time. It is not a one jab cure all. Comparissons to people with allergies to man made fibres and such are really not relevant.

[terrain safe]

Interesting thread this. I used to be allergic to dogs when I was very young. Not just a bit but when my parents hired a car I had an attack, and had to be admitted to hospital, all because a previous hirer had had a dog in there 3 weeks previously. So if I go on a plane that has had a guide dog on I would have had serious problems but there is nothing that can be reasonably be done about it. I, and my parents would just have to live with it, even when encumbered with inhalers, tablets etc.

A friend of mine, his daughter has a peanut allergy and suffered a reaction when in the air. The crew were great, they knew that there was a peanut allergy sufferer on the plane, and didn't sell any on that flight. But she still had a reaction. Why? Probably a previous person on the plane had some, wiped their hands on the arms of the seat, and she picked it up from there.

Sometimes, in spite of the bast of intentions, you really cannot stop these things happening.

[EGAC_Ramper]

Yup certainly in our company if its known there is a allergy sufferer onboard then we will stop sales of peanuts or those items containing nuts during the flight. It might annoy some but I'd hope the majority would understand.


Regards

[Load Toad]

How far do you go in accommodating passengers with allergic reactions and how much responsibility should be bourne by the sufferer?

[Ten West]

I was listening to a radio science show yesterday evening where they've now shown that peanut allergy can be cured by gradual exposure.

What they do is start with a tiny dose of the particular protein that causes this problem, then gradually increase the dose every day. After (I think) 6 weeks or so there was no obvious reaction to casual exposure.
They then advised the patient to eat 6 -15 peanuts each day to maintain resistance.

This is of course only applicable to those with genuine peanut allergies who want to help themselves to be rid of it. Those who choose to wear their fashionable allergies as a badge or use it as a licence to browbeat or inconvenience others in the name of political correctness are unlikely to take it up.

And before any bleeding-hearts accuse me of "Not understanding" I'll state here that my girlfriend of many years was diagnosed with a Coeliac (sp?) condition which meant that she suffered all kinds of problems if she ate anything containing even a tiny amount of gluten or wheat products. Did it stop us enjoying a normal lifestyle? No. You just have to use a bit of common sense, that's all.

[Moira]

Gluten give an allergic reaction when you eat them. Als said by previous posters, the mere inhaling of peanut dust can cause anaphylaxis. Seems quite a difference to me.

The gradual exposure may sound nice, but it's not exactly a light treatment. A friend of mine, allergic to whasp stings, got treated that way. In hospital. Adrenalin ready to counter the reactions. Reactions that would inevitably occur. Yes the reactions do get less after a series of controlled exposure but she told me she'd never do it again, as in her opinion it was a real nightmare.