Airplane Peanut Packets Aren't Going Anywhere Soon

Something was missing in the new rules for the Passangers Bill of Rights. Peanuts. Though last year the Department of Transportation asked for public opinion on how to deal with passengers with nut allergies, it turns out there is a law that makes it currently impossible for it to ban or restrict them from flights.

Well, they could get the peanuts off the planes, but first they would have to have a peer-reviewed study that "determines that serving of peanuts causes severe reactions among airline passengers." And according to the DOT "There has been no such peer-reviewed study, so we declined to take action at this time." We're sure the pressure from the peanut lobby had nothing to do with the DOT backing down.

So those with severe peanut allergies will continue to fly the way they've been flying for years: with an EpiPen close by. Meanwhile, even without DOT regulations, a few airlines say they will do their best to put those with severe allergies in peanut-free buffer zone when given advance warning.

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By Garth Johnston in Food on April 22, 2011 12:18 PM

Comments [rss]

tonyjones

There is nothing like holding the almost lifeless body of a 4 year old who came in contact with bubbles that used a peanut based liquid to get the bubbles bigger.

Somehow allergy does not fit the effect at all.

spiv

I'm just waiting for some asshole to give me shit on a jetblue flight, where i regularly pack PBJ's for my flights! I still want to know why it's OK to have animals in the passenger cabins?

BJA

R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S!!!

Eric

That's gotta be some peanut allergy to effect people merely by riding on the same plane with it. How do they deal with the peanut butter aisle at the supermarket?

Gwinny

People can have allergic reactions by inhaling peanut particles... peanut butter is sealed in those jars, so no problem there (I'm guessing they would avoid any "loose nut" situation in a market... heh heh I said loose nut)

Gwinny

... and to carry an EpiPen on a plane, you need to have a note from your doctor saying that you need to carry it (a possible weapon) for medical reasons... although in all my years of carrying one, I was only asked for the note ONCE (and it was in VA, not NY).

Spirit of 76

Instead of carrying a EpiPen, why not undergo peanut desensitization therapy? The results were very promising a couple of years ago when they used peanut flour. Then all you'd need to do to keep it up is eat a peanut every day. Voila, you'd never have to worry about accidentally touching, eating or breathing peanut residue again.

Gwinny

I don't actually have a peanut allergy...it's a long story. I don't carry an EpiPen anymore. I have some food allergy that was never pinpointed, but as you mentioned, there have been new developments in food allergy testing and I actually made an appointment with my allergist last week to see if I could find more out.