Would you eat a packet of nuts on a plane?

[Purpleturtle45]

I thought it was widely understood that you don't eat nuts on a plane. The woman next to me just cracked a packet open!

Why are you flying all the time?

I assume you'd also warn the airline ahead of time you are seriously allergic? Or ask a person next to you not to eat them?

I understand epi pens are not everything, of course, there is an element of personal responsibility here which the OP doesn't seem to acknowledge.

Rather irrelevant surely to the thread?

Some people have jobs or lives which necessitate lots of international journeys.

Common sense would suggest this is one of them.

If there is someone with a allergy on the plane I'm not gonna take the "oh well get over it" kind of response. Because they can die

I wouldn't, out of considering for others. There are so many alternatives out there, why risk others?

No it's perfectly normal to eat nuts anywhere.
What is all the fuss about?

Oh totally - I only fly with allergy friendly Airlines (easyJet best in my experience) and get Special Assistance so I embark first, wipe down seat and area, announcement is made etc, so everyone is aware well in advance.

I just meant in response to: I know someone with a severe strawberry allergy, she carries an epi pen. This is what needs to happen for nut allergy sufferers.

The vast majority of us do carry epi pens, but if anaphylaxis happens at 40,000 feet, medical attention is still needed even after two pens.

I live in NZ. Famously on the other side of the world. I have a job that requires international flights (hence the BC flights)and I mixed this up with attending a friends wedding in Europe, a holiday, a visit back to the UK and a stopover in the USA to see a friend.

As posted up thread, if there was any appreciable risk then airlines wouldn’t serve nuts at all. As almost all airlines do serve nuts as a matter of course I think it’s safe to assume than the actual risk is negligible, otherwise there’d be frequent medical emergencies on planes, and diversions.

Since both cost money and are disruptive to operations and airlines are keen to save money and run an efficient operation, I think it’s reasonable to draw the conclusion that the risks highlighted on this tread are massively exaggerated and that it’s generally completely safe and reasonable to consume nuts on a flight, unless there’s an announcement to the contrary. There’s certainly no need to check before tucking in.

Furthermore, in the case of M&Ms which have been referenced a few times, as the nuts in those are completely enrobed in chocolate, then a sugar coating and then ‘varnished’ the minuscule risk posed by nuts must be reduced to virtually nil in them!

I've got a bag of hazelnuts from Turkish Airlines in the house that are served on board, so yes recently.

It's perfectly fine to eat nuts on a plane unless asked not to by crew.

@Tryingtokeepgoing

If there was any appreciable risk then airlines wouldn’t serve nuts at all. As almost all airlines do serve nuts as a matter of course I think it’s safe to assume than the actual risk is negligible, otherwise there’d be frequent medical emergencies on planes, and diversions.

Absolutely right.

Diversions can carry risk and they certainly cost, so the airlines (often with inhouse medical expertise) track the incidence of diversions and if nuts were causing frequent medical emergencies and resulting in diversions policies would change.

The airlines also have to bear in mind from a customer sentiment POV a complete, total, permanent ban, of nut or nut related product consumption onboard would not play well with those passengers who have dietary requirements that mean nuts are a feature of their usual diet.

This is another one of those issues where the airlines have to engage in a balancing act to try and keep as many of their customers as reasonably happy as possible whilst keeping everyone safe.

This is basically it. Why has the thread gone on so long?

Nuts, isn’t it.

I would unless asked not to because a passenger or crew member had an allergy. I love nut products but of course I can manage a flight without my favourite snack.

I assume you’ve never been in a pub then? You would be surrounded by “selfish and unreasonable” people selling, buying and eating all kinds of nuts. It’s completely normal behaviour.

Please no

This. Im not sure why eating nuts is presented as some strange an unusual or special thing. I eat them constantly.

Yes, I have been served nuts on a plane in the last year. I would eat them unless there had been a PA advisory.

As a further data point, google suggest that1 in 200 adults in the UK has a nut allergy, so one could draw the conclusion that on almost all flights there's at least one passenger with a nut allergy. One can also assume that on almost all flights nuts are present, because they are a common and widely consumed food stuff.

And yet, google also suggests that globally only 1in 600 flights is diverted because of a medical emergency, and that is for any medical emergency not just nut related ones. The top 4 reasons for medical diversions seem to be cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal and syncope (which I think is basically fainting though for all sorts of underlying reasons?). Allergic reactions don't feature - so consumption of nuts in flight is a complete non issue, unless specifically called out. Even then I suspect the real risk is very low.

I think that very sad story of the girl on the plane was when she herself consumed a pret sandwich full of nuts.

I don't think there's been a case of someone getting a severe nut allergy due to particulates from someone else eating it.

@Tryingtokeepgoing

The top 4 reasons for medical diversions seem to be cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal and syncope

Anecdata I know but based on a few decades flying around commercially (and before anyone asks, I was paid to do it) that sounds fair..

If you can get the article in the following link to open there are some interesting comments in both the summary and the conclusion:

https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(23)00798-5/fulltext

I know some people are keen on the "you can't be too careful' solution to problems such as this but the logical conclusion if you go down that road is no one flies..

The reality it's about managing risk, not absolutely 100% eliminating it.

I’m allergic to bananas and the smell makes me gag. These should also be banned on aircraft. And trains

Why would she ask? My son is allergic to fish, if you eat a tuna sandwich on a flight would you ask my son first if he was allergic? I don't think you would

My mum
was on a flight a few years ago, where they did an announcement that someone had a nut allergy therefore nuts were not permitted on board. They later came down the aisle with the trolley serving peanut m&m’s!! My mum is a nurse and quickly pointed it out to them!! Seriously!?!?!

Peanuts are not nuts. They are legumes. Maybe that's why.