Peanut allergy

[winfred]

My kids have severe peanut allergy. The level of allergy is severe enough for them to carry an Epipen with them all the time but not severe enough to avoid food that "may have traces of peanuts".

My wife and kids recently travelled on Cathay Pacific in PE and my sons asked the cabin crew serving meals if the dish contains peanuts. The reply was "No" . To my wife's horror, she found peanuts in the dish and ask the cabin crew to check. They were not able to confirm if there was peanuts or not in the dish. They had the epipen ready and would use it if there is any allergic reaction. Luckily there was none.

I reached out to CX to try to find out if there was peanuts and also to complain about the incident. It took them almost 4 weeks to get back to me with the following reply:

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Dear Mr xx_

Thank you for your latest emails and the additional information regarding the incident.

After checking with our Catering team, the dish that your son consumed was a Halal meal “Massaman Beef, Seasonal Vegetable and Steamed Rice”. The dish contained the ingredient of peanuts. I can fully understand your wife’s anxiety when she noticed a piece of food that was peanut-like in the meal. From your communication to us, it is appreciated that your wife’s recollection of events contradicts that of our staff. In that she recall asking our Crew for a meal with no peanut while our Crew reported that your wife asked the crew whether the meal contained peanuts during meal tray collection. Once again, I am sorry that you were upset with their handling. Rest assured that your further comments with regards to this incident has been shared with our Inflight Services Performance team for their apt follow up.

While we cannot provide peanut and tree nut-free meals as we are unable to completely avoid the use of nuts in our onboard meals, we will do our best to serve peanut-free snacks in a particular class of service if we are notified ahead of time. Passengers can request for a coughtail snack without peanuts in their class of service by completing a “Physician’s Statement: Peanut and Tree nut allergies form” and submitting it at least 72 hours prior to scheduled departure. With the completion of this form, an alternate snack will be offered to all passengers sitting in the same class of service on a Cathay Pacific flight. I hope this additional information is useful and again have shared your feedback with our Catering team for their review.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. If there is anything else that I can assist you with, please let me know.
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Should I fly CX again? Is it normal for an airline to not know what's in the meals they serve?

 

[drron]

Massaman beef typically contains peanuts.

 

[winfred]

Massaman beef typically contains peanuts.

Now I know. But how many Australians teenagers would?

 

[winfred]

I have been thinking about the issue here. From now onwards, does it mean that I have to do what CX said in the letter, that is to complete “Physician’s Statement: Peanut and Tree nut allergies form” and submitting it at least 72 hours prior to scheduled departure?

What a hassle it would be if that is the case.

Would the airline have a list of ingredients of food they serve?

 

[Quickstatus]

Would the airline have a list of ingredients of food they serve?

This resource is pre Covid but it provides a good overview

Several points:
1) Strictly removing nuts from airline catering is impossible and it is not the cabin crew responsibility to check for nuts. It is also not the airline's responsibility to provide a nut free environment, though most have acted responsibly in this matter.

2) Most airlines have eliminated nuts from their snacks and have a webpage dedicated to their policy on peanut allergy. Here is Cathay Pacific's dining allergy statement/policy. Here is Qantas statement on peanut allergy and ingredients for the special order dietary meals. Here is Singapore airline's peanut allergy policy. It is incumbent on the passenger to check with the airline about their nut allergy policy.

3) A lot of airlines' special order dietary meals are actually nut free. Such as dietary required meals - diabetic, gluten, halal, hindu etc etc.

4) The exception to point 3) is that Vegan meals almost always contain tree nuts.

5) The other exception to 3) is that no airline is able to guarantee a strict peanut free meal. At best it will be non strict nut free.

In summary:
In order to avoid nuts on airlines - the snacks are Ok but you will need to order a non vegan special dietary meal when you book your flight such as gluten free to avoid nuts. Alternatively BYO.

 

[darkice]

I've been trying to get a menu with allergens from Singapore Airlines and to my surprise have had no luck.

My daughter is allergic to eggs (weaker reaction) and dairy (anaphylactic) and they just tell me to get one of those allergen free meals - but really all i want is to know whether their chicken rice has dairy or egg.. or whether their wonton noodles has dairy or egg (yes its probably egg noodles).

But they just can't produce one for me. Likewise with QF.

 

[kyle]

So it's a case of taking your own precautions and DIY catering and not rely on others.

 

[darkice]

So it's a case of taking your own precautions and DIY catering and not rely on others.

Pretty much this.

Frustrating though - would have thought with Singapore Airlines and their book the cook they'd be more up front with ingredients, or at least have something handy that they can distribute if asked.

 

[winfred]

I have been travelling with my kids who have severe allergy to peanuts for 18 years. I remember that QF and CX both had a list of the ingredients in their meals and I never had to worry. Doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Is it one of the post-covid changes to air travel?

 

[Pushka]

Pretty much this.

Frustrating though - would have thought with Singapore Airlines and their book the cook they'd be more up front with ingredients, or at least have something handy that they can distribute if asked.

The issue is that some people are so sensitive that even shared cooking utensils and bench space is enough to contaminate.

 

[darkice]

The issue is that some people are so sensitive that even shared cooking utensils and bench space is enough to contaminate.

That's normal though. Most products have a disclaimer saying that it has been produced in a shared facility that also produces X

 

[UP4014]

I think the problem is if you contract out meal supply there is no way as a airline you can completely avoid something like nuts. The caterer is supplying other airlines and perhaps hotels, bus and rail companies.

An airline can put their hand on heart and say we ask for nil nuts and we audit them but it can still happen.

On an airline if you have an allergy you should always assume the worst.

Lucky for me I enjoy nuts.

 

[Pushka]

That's normal though. Most products have a disclaimer saying that it has been produced in a shared facility that also produces X

Which means that no one can guarantee their products are free from the allergens which is the situation in this case. They are saying nothing!

 

[darkice]

Which means that no one can guarantee their products are free from the allergens which is the situation in this case. They are saying nothing!

Yeah a bit disappointing.

I mean all they have to say is contains egg, may contain traces of: milk

For most people that would be very helpful already.

 

[Pushka]

Yeah a bit disappointing.

I mean all they have to say is contains egg, may contain traces of: milk

For most people that would be very helpful already.

Yes I agree. But that isn't the way many cultures manage risk. And given all the issues of people seeking legal restitution will likely be the way of the future.

 

[Andyc]

It's a topic that causes me so much frustration.
I have a food allergy that requires an Epipen and most airlines don't give their in-flight crew the information you'd take for granted at any resturant or fast food outlet.

It's been a few years since I last flew VA business, but they were the best. They used to have ingredients lists assessable from the CSM's iPad. Not sure if this still occurs.

Meanwhile I'm regularly on Qantas business (international & domestic) and they only ever have print-outs that seem more orientated towards plate presentation. Meanwhile, the Qantas lounges are exceptionally good.

It's inexcusable that the airlines don't have this information available. They put so much planning & effort into their meals that I don't believe they give their catering providers much latitude to substitue ingredients. It really should be easy to give the crew ingredient lists - even ones as simple as vegitarian, halal, vegan etc. let alone more specific food allergies.

 

[VPS]

It's a topic that causes me so much frustration.
I have a food allergy that requires an Epipen and most airlines don't give their in-flight crew the information you'd take for granted at any resturant or fast food outlet.

It's been a few years since I last flew VA business, but they were the best. They used to have ingredients lists assessable from the CSM's iPad. Not sure if this still occurs.

Meanwhile I'm regularly on Qantas business (international & domestic) and they only ever have print-outs that seem more orientated towards plate presentation. Meanwhile, the Qantas lounges are exceptionally good.

It's inexcusable that the airlines don't have this information available. They put so much planning & effort into their meals that I don't believe they give their catering providers much latitude to substitue ingredients. It really should be easy to give the crew ingredient lists - even ones as simple as vegitarian, halal, vegan etc. let alone more specific food allergies.

Interesting on QF2 in J from SIN to SYD recently they didn't have any printouts and the last two domestic J flights in QF they have said they have no idea what is in the food.

I too have a severe allergy that requires an epipen and I do not want to have a reaction at 35000 feet

 

[tdimdad]

It's been a few years since I last flew VA business, but they were the best. They used to have ingredients lists assessable from the CSM's iPad. Not sure if this still occurs.

VA has the main dietary req's / allergens on the CSM iPads. And they are well versed in using the list, too, which makes it really easy for us who have intolerance that survives the "prepared in the same facility" scenario.

Meanwhile I'm regularly on Qantas business (international & domestic) and they only ever have print-outs that seem more orientated towards plate presentation. Meanwhile, the Qantas lounges are exceptionally good.

My experience on Qantas lounges ("QP") is the opposite: hopeless in trying to gather what's what. They do have their menu displayed usually but none of the food is labelled so you can't be sure which bowl was the safe option for you.

 

[Quickstatus]

Food allergy that requires an Epipen

It is impossible to completely provide a peanut free environment in an airplane.

Even if QF says that something in its "mainline" or "standard" menu is peanut free, it cannot guarantee an allergy free environment for those meals because it was not produced in a peanut free environment

However, QF actually provides a guaranteed peanut free meals via any of its "dietary required" meals - ie no peanuts used and produced in a peanut free environment (except for its Vegan line which contain tree nuts). So anyone who wants a peanut free meal should order a "dietary required" meal when they make a booking. The vegan meals may contain tree nuts which I think are safe for peanut allergy sufferers

 

[repete]

Noticed this thread due to travelling last year with children with anaphylaxis - somewhat nervy!

It is a real shame if, as Pushka has said, that due to legal scenarios, ingredients aren't displayed. We found it very hit and miss. Multiple times on Qantas flights one meal option would have the ingredients printed, the other not! At least we could then make careful selections about the one, but both would have been nice. On most other airlines, they didn't list anything and cabin crew weren't able to find the information. They were generally willing to look, but came back uncertain. Our fallback was to BYO...