How Does Banning Food Prevent Food Allergy Attacks?

Uh - am I missing something here? Most airlines are not providing meals and a small bag of some pretzels does not count. So what else are we to do BUT bring our own food onto the flight???

I have a friend who is so allergic to peanuts that the mere scent of peanut butter (on the hands of someone who ate a peanut butter cookie an hour ago) can cause serious problems for her.
Would an airline banning food to prevent allergies means that they are assuming responsibility for any allergic reaction that a passenger may experience to food provided by the airline? Sounds like they might not have thought through the consequences ... but I'm sure they'll figure it out quickly enough.

What's going to happen if other airlines get a wiff of this rediculous banning of people bringing their own food on the plane as they will find that people just won't fly with this airline (Flybe). I hardly eat or drink when I fly, but when I do fly I don't eat or drink much, but I do feel sorry for the people who take their own food on the plane as they might have a reaction from the airlines food & drinks as people find that the airlines do charge like wounded bulls for their own food & drinks.I hope that I have said what I feel like saying about this topic.

Regards,

Julie.

I absolutely disagree with you.
As someone with severe allergies, I find airplanes terrifying... so many hours confined with recycled air and everyone snacking on nuts. I have had allergy attacks on busses when everyone around me pulls out bags of trail mix.
You can have very severe reactions to airborne proteins to oil traces left all over the plane.
I'm not saying that they should stop passengers from bringing their own food on, but I am saying that allergy complaints are more valid than you seem to think.

Hello,

 

I read your article as I was googling ways to fly safely with my 5 year old daughter with nut allergies.  There is a misconception that if an allergic person doesn't eat the food that they are allergic to, they will be fine.  There is great concern over cross contamination of surfaces, seats, trays, etc.  There is also (less common) airborne allergies from food being consumed in the surrounding area. My daughter has had one of these reactions in school when she touched something that another child had just played with after he had eaten a cookie.  It's not about restriction of freedom.  It's about concern and protection of those children among us who could potentially die.  Thank you for your invitation to respond.

 

Gina

Cincinnati, OH

Thanks to all who have responded to this thread. I confess to being somewhat naive about food allergies, as they are the one type of allergy I don't have. Since writing this article last July, I have read more about food allergies and I now understand this issue much better. Thanks for helping me get there!