Anyone take PB&J sandwiches through airport security?

[livndisney]

The doctor they interviewed stated that they did a study with highly allergic children and exposed them to peanut dust- there was not one systemic reaction. He also said that fears of peanut dust come not from scientific fact but from fear mongering.

Oh sure-post logic on an emotional Dis thread

 

[fly girl]

Haven't read through all the posts, but after the first 5 pages I have to comment:

OK, I am currently a flight attendant for a major airline that serves peanuts on every flight. I also have been doing this for the past 15 years so I can say it with some knowledge.



If a passenger informs the airline of a peanut allergy we do one of two things.


1. If it is a mild or standard allergy we refrain from serving peanuts 3 rows forward and 3 rows aft of the person with the allergy. This is the most common occurrence. I will talk to the passenger once they board to make sure that is acceptable, and the allergy is mild. I will offer to wipe down their seat (it's leather) and tray table for them if needed.


2. If they have a SEVERE allergy the plane is cleared out of all peanut products, the entire plane is vacuumed before boarding, and the row of seats and tray tables the passenger with the allergy will be in is wiped down and disinfected. That is really all we can do.

During boarding, I will make a PA explaining the severe allergy and to refrain from consuming any products with peanuts. I will again repeat the announcement once we are in air and explaining our service.


Passengers understand, in all my years I have never heard one complaint about not being able to eat peanuts in either circumstance. Seriously, how hard is it to refrain from eating peanut products for a couple of hours? And we will always have alternative snacks to provide.



OK, hope that cleared up what the airlines do. Granted, I have only worked for one airline but my guess is that it is pretty standard protocol these days.

 

[CamoMama]

The doctor they interviewed stated that they did a study with highly allergic children and exposed them to peanut dust- there was not one systemic reaction. He also said that fears of peanut dust come not from scientific fact but from fear mongering.

That's actually not what the article says at all the words fear mongering do not appear.

“the typical inhalation reaction would be similar to that suffered by a cat-allergic person exposed to a cat walking into a room: itchy eyes, sneezing, and runny nose.” As he said, the “chance of a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction from airborne exposure is very small.”

Typical, not extreme; very small, not zero. He says that the smell of peanuts does not cause a reaction, but peanut dust can. The article actually mentions the presence of proteins in peanut dust and says if there is no protein there is no reaction.

Again, when death is a possibility I think we should all err on the side of caution. Especially when the inconvenience is as minor as just not eating peanuts for the short time you're on an airplane.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Are you kidding me? I have a child with special needs, so I know what it's like to need to make special arrangements. Our lives REVOLVE around our kids' medical issues. Notifying the airline isn't about how their issues affect others, it's about making sure that kid is safe. If you don't inform the airline in advance it will not be possible for them to ensure that your medical needs are met. I don't know any parent who would risk that.

You are the one who has a "revolves around me" attitude. That kid might die, but it's okay as long as you get your peanut butter crackers, right?

It's great that you're proactive and inform the airline in advance of your party member's potentially life-threatening allergy (and take the first flight of the day in each direction to ensure the plane is as clean as possible, and preboard, and wipe down the area where that person will sit, and put some type of covering on the seat/armrests/tray?).

Not everybody does. Over the years here, I've seen reports from people whose fellow passengers don't mention allergies until peanuts are served.

And you have me confused with someone else. I'm the one with the self-contained pb&j sandwich.

 

[Nicoleclaw]

It is not disingenuous. An airplane is isolated from medical care in the event of an anaphylactic reaction. Chances are a paramedic could reach a person within minutes of a reaction on ground. That is the difference with an airplane.

That is exactly what I was going to say. All of these other examples are on the ground in a much more open space. Plus, even with an epipen, they often need to be re-administered 15 minutes later AND even if the allergic person does not need another dose, you DO need to be in a hospital asap after the epipen is given. Epinepherine is not something to fool around with and medical attention is needed to monitor the reaction to that alone.

 

[Nicoleclaw]

Haven't read through all the posts, but after the first 5 pages I have to comment:

OK, I am currently a flight attendant for a major airline that serves peanuts on every flight. I also have been doing this for the past 15 years so I can say it with some knowledge.



If a passenger informs the airline of a peanut allergy we do one of two things.


1. If it is a mild or standard allergy we refrain from serving peanuts 3 rows forward and 3 rows aft of the person with the allergy. This is the most common occurrence. I will talk to the passenger once they board to make sure that is acceptable, and the allergy is mild. I will offer to wipe down their seat (it's leather) and tray table for them if needed.


2. If they have a SEVERE allergy the plane is cleared out of all peanut products, the entire plane is vacuumed before boarding, and the row of seats and tray tables the passenger with the allergy will be in is wiped down and disinfected. That is really all we can do.

During boarding, I will make a PA explaining the severe allergy and to refrain from consuming any products with peanuts. I will again repeat the announcement once we are in air and explaining our service.


Passengers understand, in all my years I have never heard one complaint about not being able to eat peanuts in either circumstance. Seriously, how hard is it to refrain from eating peanut products for a couple of hours? And we will always have alternative snacks to provide.



OK, hope that cleared up what the airlines do. Granted, I have only worked for one airline but my guess is that it is pretty standard protocol these days.

Can I ask what airline, being that my son is allergic?

 

[Nicoleclaw]

because of breathing problems, i guess on my next flight i will have to put on ticket about alleregy to scentsto make sure no one uses near me. not talking about headache but serious breathing issues, ie needing oxygen. nonscented wipes okay. yes i will miss church this week because of flower scents. yes i know you want your child safe but you could be causing someone else a major problem. and yes it includes perfumes.

Honestly, that would be fine with me. I would have no problem giving something up for a few hours to help keep someone else safe and healthy....part of being a compassionate person I guess?

 

[Mrs K]

It's amazing how many peanut allergy "experts" we have here! I am a pediatric nurse and have a child with severe peanut allergies. I have spent the last 16 years gathering info on food allergies, and certainly don't consider myself an expert. My DD can't even go into a candy store that sells loose nuts without having a reaction. Trust me she is not being dramatic or trying to get special treatment. She would give anything to have the freedom her friends have to eat anything and go anywhere without carrying Epi-pens and worrying about potential reactions. Yes she does lead a normal life, but it's a constant worry. Food allergies are not a choice, they are a disability, like any other disability. I seriously don't think anyone would treat a child in a wheelchair the way they treat an allergic child, or adult. I don't expect people to change their lives because my child could die, but please be considerate. You or your children won't die without having a peanutbutter sandwich on a plane, but mine could. By the way, we don't fly anymore, but the day will come that my DD will want or have to fly. She and others deserve to be safe. Thanks for letting me vent. I'm stepping off my soap box now.

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

It's amazing how many peanut allergy "experts" we have here! I am a pediatric nurse and have a child with severe peanut allergies. I have spent the last 16 years gathering info on food allergies, and certainly don't consider myself an expert. My DD can't even go into a candy store that sells loose nuts without having a reaction. Trust me she is not being dramatic or trying to get special treatment. She would give anything to have the freedom her friends have to eat anything and go anywhere without carrying Epi-pens and worrying about potential reactions. Yes she does lead a normal life, but it's a constant worry. Food allergies are not a choice, they are a disability, like any other disability. I seriously don't think anyone would treat a child in a wheelchair the way they treat an allergic child, or adult. I don't expect people to change their lives because my child could die, but please be considerate. You or your children won't die without having a peanutbutter sandwich on a plane, but mine could. By the way, we don't fly anymore, but the day will come that my DD will want or have to fly. She and others deserve to be safe. Thanks for letting me vent. I'm stepping off my soap box now.

Thank you - I have severe food allergies (mine fit into the percentage of airborne as well) and this is how I feel. To those who are on this thread, please take this time to read what I have to say. It's rambly, but I have to get it out.

I did not choose to have these allergies, I do not want them. At times, I feel they are an embarrassment and a burden. I would do ANYTHING to be rid of them. However, they are a part of me and that's that. As Mrs.K mentions above, I do not expect you to change your lives for me. I know my allergies, and I know what precautions to take. I know what sort of impact my allergies have - in fact, a major airline told me to cancel my flight this upcoming summer and walk. To England.

Please, please try to look at things from our point of view. Please, it's a few hours without a peanut butter sandwich. We have our lives to worry about in those few hours if there are nuts. When I was little, my parents phoned up the same major airline that I'm flying to England with, and offered to replace all the nuts on the plane with anything the airline wanted. From chips to caviar, they said "Take your pick". The airline said nope, our passengers demand nuts.

We are considering other people's feelings here. But please consider ours. Again though, I don't expect you to change your lives, but please think about our lives too.

 

[CamoMama]

It's great that you're proactive and inform the airline in advance of your party member's potentially life-threatening allergy (and take the first flight of the day in each direction to ensure the plane is as clean as possible, and preboard, and wipe down the area where that person will sit, and put some type of covering on the seat/armrests/tray?).

Not everybody does. Over the years here, I've seen reports from people whose fellow passengers don't mention allergies until peanuts are served.

And you have me confused with someone else. I'm the one with the self-contained pb&j sandwich.

I responded to what I quoted, period. You need to learn to read. I didn't say my child has an allergy, I said my child has special needs. And I call BS. If a parent has a child with a LIFE THREATENING allergy, they do not wait until the last minute. Mild allergies I'll buy that, but life threatening? Not a chance. Whether or not your sandwich is "self contained" you are possibly threatening the life of another person for your own convenience. That makes you a terrible human being.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I actually do know how to read, very well.

Believe as you wish, I have no intention of searching through seven years of threads for random posts. It does happen. Who knows why? The traveler doesn't think about the possibility of peanuts on the flight until they're on the plane or the snack's being served? They booked online? They're jerks?

I'm confused why it was necessary to quote-endquote self-contained. The sandwich is prepared in a factory on bread easy to eat but sturdy enough not to break or crack accidentally, in circular form with its filling completely inside the sandwich and the entire circumfurence securely crimped. How is that not self-contained?

I tried (again) to find information about deaths from peanut allergies on flights. Nothing. Then I looked for fatalities period. According to this, there are 100-200 TOTAL deaths from food allergies in the U.S. annually; the second response indicates about 11 or 12 of those are due to peanut allergies.

Small comfort if it's your loved one, I'm aware; but while exposure to peanut protiens (dust) could be fatal in highly allergic persons, the actual number of deaths imply rarity.

This http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/10/nut_allergy_hysteria/ is another interesting article. It's not about the above poster's daughter's situation, but rather in part about how the fear of peanut allergies "could" (that word again ) be exacerbating the problem

 

[fly girl]

Can I ask what airline, being that my son is allergic?

Check your pm.

 

[CamoMama]

Small comfort if it's your loved one, I'm aware; but while exposure to peanut protiens (dust) could be fatal in highly allergic persons, the actual number of deaths imply rarity.

This http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/10/nut_allergy_hysteria/ is another interesting article. It's not about the above poster's daughter's situation, but rather in part about how the fear of peanut allergies "could" (that word again ) be exacerbating the problem

Seriously? You admit that it is possible, and that if it was your child the fact that its rare doesn't make it any easier. Yet you would still endanger someone else's life to eat a sandwich? I know what uncrustables are. My kids have eaten them once or twice, but not since I paid attention to the label. They are not smush proof. Or crack proof. Or anything proof. They can and do leak. It happens. And even if they don't, why would you want to take any chance at all with someone's life, just to prove a point? Just wow. People are really and truly horrible.

They really need to close this thread. It's kind of disgusting.

 

[maxiesmom]

There are thousands of food options out there. I can't understand why it would be a big deal to avoid the 1 that is well known for causing allergic reactions.

As others have stated, there is no way to get the kind of medical care an allergic reaction warrants in an airplane. Once you use an Epi Pen you need to get to the hospital immediately. Kind of hard to do if you are flying thousands of feet above the earth.

 

[okeydokey]

There are thousands of food options out there. I can't understand why it would be a big deal to avoid the 1 that is well known for causing allergic reactions.

As others have stated, there is no way to get the kind of medical care an allergic reaction warrants in an airplane. Once you use an Epi Pen you need to get to the hospital immediately. Kind of hard to do if you are flying thousands of feet above the earth.

I agree. I honestly don't see what is so horrible about not eating one particular food for a 2 or 3 hour period. To prove a point at someone else's expense is just so baffling.

And to answer the OPs first question, we usually don't carry snacks on a plane if it is going to be around dinner time. We just pick something up at the airport or delay a meal an hour or so if we need to.

 

[deegack]

There are thousands of food options out there. I can't understand why it would be a big deal to avoid the 1 that is well known for causing allergic reactions.

As others have stated, there is no way to get the kind of medical care an allergic reaction warrants in an airplane. Once you use an Epi Pen you need to get to the hospital immediately. Kind of hard to do if you are flying thousands of feet above the earth.

There are very few proteins that don't require refrigeration. So taking a turkey sandwich is not an easy solution. You can do it but it is cumbersome and requires planning. While you can slap together pb&j and throw it in you bag. Some people have medical needs that require they eat meals at certain times like the elderly diabetic people dismissed up thread. (why is her disability dismissed so easily? She could have blood sugar issues that make her slip into a diabetic coma and require hospitalization and her pb sandwich could prevent that.)
I personally am flying in the morning but landing right at dd lunch time. Its pretty hard to argue with a two year old and I don't want to just feed her junk and a cereal bar is only a temporary solution. We are planning on eating at the airport before boarding me but if we are delayed I probably will pull out an uncrustable (whole wheat of course) so she isn't screaming that she is hungry.

 

[Hannathy]

There are thousands of food options out there. I can't understand why it would be a big deal to avoid the 1 that is well known for causing allergic reactions.

Because there isn't just 1 food!



I love how all the scientific facts and proof is just thrown out the window on this thread but all the emotions and personal stories are automatically believed!

Get the real scientific facts. You have to have peanut protein in the air to have a REAL not emotionally based reaction, peanut butter does not release protein in the air so no inhalation danger to the allergy person. None, nada, the empty set. If they get them selves worked up from the smell I can't help that.

Yes from loose peanuts they can have a reaction BUT only in certain concentrations. Like the whole plane opening their peanut bags all at once, 1 person at the other end of the plane isn't going to do it-the physics of it do not allow enough parts per whatever in the air to reach the person.


I still haven't heard from any of the people with a peanut allergy my question.
Why don't you wear a mask and gloves? That way you are protecting you and claim that is all you want to do.

 

[kaligal]

Because there isn't just 1 food!



I love how all the scientific facts and proof is just thrown out the window on this thread but all the emotions and personal stories are automatically believed!

Get the real scientific facts. You have to have peanut protein in the air to have a REAL not emotionally based reaction, peanut butter does not release protein in the air so no inhalation danger to the allergy person. None, nada, the empty set. If they get them selves worked up from the smell I can't help that.

Yes from loose peanuts they can have a reaction BUT only in certain concentrations. Like the whole plane opening their peanut bags all at once, 1 person at the other end of the plane isn't going to do it-the physics of it do not allow enough parts per whatever in the air to reach the person.


I still haven't heard from any of the people with a peanut allergy my question.
Why don't you wear a mask and gloves? That way you are protecting you and claim that is all you want to do.

Outside a hospital, the masks draw attention and are embarrassing. They make a kid different. It's a stupid reason not to wear it, but a powerful one.

You have to understand how frightening it is to know your child can die.

Many people don't believe that allergies like this exist and those folks are beyond reason...and honestly, too dumb to bother with. if you're one of those people, just say so...spare people the burden of explaining stuff to someone who simply can't understand it.

Especially if your child has already had an anaphylactic reaction...it is a very scary thing.

Of course mothers will become emotional.

I never bit my tongue so hard as I did the day a teacher's actions caused my son to into anaphylaxis. Very emotional.

For these moms, keeping the child alive is a much harder task then it is for others. It is part of daily life. And it does take a toll.

What they really are saying is, "This is so scary and hard for me that I want it to just go away and have everything be fine, so I can stop worrying. The stress of the worry alone is almost too much to bear. Help me make this go away, will you?"

It's not going anywhere. Even the ones who yell and scream and pretend to make it about other people being bad for eating nuts know its not going anywhere. But it is hard for them.

Lighten up on the moms.

 

[livndisney]

Outside a hospital, the masks draw attention and are embarrassing. They make a kid different. It's a stupid reason not to wear it, but a powerful one.

You have to understand how frightening it is to know your child can die.

Many people don't believe that allergies like this exist and those folks are beyond reason...and honestly, too dumb to bother with. if you're one of those people, just say so...spare people the burden of explaining stuff to someone who simply can't understand it.

Especially if your child has already had an anaphylactic reaction...it is a very scary thing.

Of course mothers will become emotional.

I never bit my tongue so hard as I did the day a teacher's actions caused my son to into anaphylaxis. Very emotional.

For these moms, keeping the child alive is a much harder task then it is for others. It is part of daily life. And it does take a toll.

What they really are saying is, "This is so scary and hard for me that I want it to just go away and have everything be fine, so I can stop worrying. The stress of the worry alone is almost too much to bear. Help me make this go away, will you?"

It's not going anywhere. Even the ones who yell and scream and pretend to make it about other people being bad for eating nuts know its not going anywhere. But it is hard for them.

Lighten up on the moms.

Ok, but if the Mom's are so emotional worrying their kids could die-why would they be concerned that wearing a mask makes the child different? I would do anything to keep my kid alive. If wearing a mask keeps then alive and healthy why not do it? Why force your needs on everyone else?

Personally I just don't buy the whole a mask makes my kid different. Using that logic no kids would be in wheelchairs, have braces, or wear glasses.

I have a kid with allergies(if I walked on a plane and asked for all the people on the plane to refrain from eating all of the allergens(or even just the serious ones, trust me no one would be happy.) I also have allergies (also life threatening), so it is not that I "don't understand" trust me I DO. But I have to be reasonable. If something saves my life or my kids- I don't care how silly it looks I am going to do it. Because my allergies are my problem.

Getting "emotional" and making unreasonable demands just makes it harder for everyone else.

 

[danny1649]

On our Transportation Board can give you solid information to your question.Though I do feel it has been answered for you with good replies. Thanks Danny