Flying with food allergic 1 yo - tips and advice please

[mum2twoloudbabies]

DS is allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, peanut, soya, rye, and linseed. And just to be really helpful he won't eat potato in any form or eat ready made meals of any description.

So on the flight I will need to take nutramigen powder and boiled water, homemade breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Plus his chlorphenamine (sp?)

In the checked in luggage I was also planning to take his bread (getting egg free seems to be difficult at the best of times) and pasta and a full tub of nutramigen.

So how do I get this through security? What do I need to be aware of? Is it worth having a letter from his consultant confirming his allergies? Is there a central code of practice for airlines/airports that I can refer too?

Finally, we are flying Monarch and going to Fuerteventura, Costa Calleta so if anybody has any experience of the airline or resort that would be really helpful.

Sorry to hear about your son's food allergies. A friend of mine's DS was allergic to all of those things too and now he is 3 and is gradually getting better with some of them.

I have coeliac disease so I pack my own food in checked in suitcases and in hand luggage and I've never had any problems. Is nutramigen a powdered formula? When DD was a baby we took her milk formula and boiled water on the plane - I just had to taste the water when we went through customs, because you're not normally allowed to take liquids through. I've not flown with Monarch, but both airlines we'd been with heated it up for me once it was mixed too.

Do you have all the details of his allergies printed out in Spanish as well? I normally take all the details of what I can and can't eat, and what will happen to me if I do, printed out in English and whatever language of the country we're going to, just in case it is difficult to explain.

Flew with Monarch to Tenerife recently. We have a letter for DS's epipen, but never asked for it. We keep it in yellowcross case with Piriton. Had to decant the piriton into a smaller bottle for on the flight. You can buy the 100 ml medicine (brown glass) bottles from Boots - sometimes if you explain what it's for. You are not allowed to take more than 100ml on board at all, as far as security I asked at London City before we flew as a family and had time to ask all these questions.

You will need to label the brown bottle btw - best to do with full medical name - and they say that you should be prepared to taste it if asked (never been asked!).

Most airlines are pretty casual about it when it's kids. With Monarch we had a great experience with the crew and peanuts on the way out and then on the way back, couldn't find one that spoke enough english to understand about on board and peanuts, so I was glad I had it written down.

Thanks for all the advice. Those links look like just what I need BB. Will study once kids are in bed!

Also, has anybody got any recommendations on a good food carrier? I have been looking at different food flasks but they vary so much. Also, a good cool bag?

On a practical note, he'll probably be asleep for some of the flight. He's more likely to want snack-type foods, so mabe thinking in those terms rather than set meals might make it easier for you.

We've found a big variation in security... Never had a problem with Epi-pens but Pititon was a bit of a hassle. If you can get it on prescription it saves a lot of time. And it can be normal (150ml) bottle if it's medicine. Otherwise just be prepared to taste the piriton and ask for a security supervisor.

Good luck:)

We do get our piriton on prescription so I'm going to take a letter from drs as well as the prescription bottle. Good point about the snacks.

try Blacks or an outdoor shop for food carrier.

Definitely take letter from consultant with details of allergies and medication etc. Make sure clorphenamine has prescription label on it and keep it in a clear sealable bag (like other liquids). You will probably be asked to drink a bit of the water for making up Nutramigen (better than having to drink the Nutramigen itself - I made my husband do that once at the airport!). I used to take the Fruta Pura puree pouches with us as they are within the 100ml limit so can go through security in a clear plastic bag (without having to be tested). Asda cooked ham in a tin and small tins of tuna in tomato sauce (both with ring pulls) are quite handy too if your DS likes them of course. I take some in hand luggage plus pack some in the suitcase too. We tend to take lots of snacky stuff for the journey, rice cakes, fruit, wheat free crackers & smalls jars of paste, freefrom biscuits etc. I agree that printing some translation cards off the internet about DS's allergies is a good idea too plus making sure you know the Spanish terms for all his allergens (I can give you those if you want as I speak Spanish). I've never been to Fuerteventura but I do go to mainland Spain a lot and most of the big supermarkets have 'freefrom' sections like here so as long as you know what you're looking for on the ingredients list you should be able to find certain foods out there (although I agree that finding wheat, soya and egg free bread is a total nightmare so best to take that with you). I discovered last time I went to Spain that the 'normal' Flora over there is dairy free even though it isn't over here! No idea whether it's got soya in though so do check.

Thanks freefrommum. Good idea about the tins. He loves cooked meat and some pastes. Will look out for the flora. I have downloaded the allergen dictionary to both my phone, dh phone and the iPad and the kindle! We should never be caught without it! I am currently memorising all the key phrases with the help of a friend who is a Spanish tutor.

Thanks for the warning about the beans. They're his favourite so would definitely be taking those. Spoke to his dietician today and she is organising a letter from the consultant to include meds and food. I'm trying to find out if there are any weird and wonderful restrictions on food imports but Monarch have gone strangely quiet on me. Will probably need to contact the airport direct.

I agree with babybarrister and in my experience, it's much easier coming home because the Spanish security people don't seem to care what food and drink we bring through!