From No Nut Traveler:
My steadfast advice is this: never accept airline meals if you have a food allergy. I strongly encourage others to read my investigative article in Allergic Living for more detail: https://www.allergicliving.com/2023/12/21/the-trouble-with-airline-meals-and-food-allergies/
Testimonial: I am a Diamond Medallion with Delta Air Lines and fly with a shellfish allergy. My wife has a nut and sesame allergy.
With our airline status, we are fortunate to often get upgraded to first class, which typically includes meal service. We always bring EpiPens, and I try to pre-select meals that should be allergen-free.
However, I’ve encountered two major issues:
A) No allergen or ingredient transparency
Airlines do not list allergens or ingredients on their websites or on the meal preparation printouts provided to crews. This would be an easy addition and would relieve a significant amount of anxiety. For example, Delta serves a lasagna with pesto—but does the pesto contain nuts? There is no way to know.
B) Airborne allergens during meal service
Many of the meals being served include airborne allergens. For example, Delta recently began offering crab cakes. On a recent flight, they were cooking in the same oven as my meal, and I could clearly smell the crab. Thankfully, I did not have a severe reaction, but this creates a serious risk. Airborne allergens like shellfish are far more dangerous than something like gluten or other non-airborne allergens. Why are airlines cooking shellfish at 30,000 feet? That’s incredibly concerning.
Why airlines continue to serve major allergens like nuts and shellfish in such a confined space is beyond me. Stick to safer, simpler options like chicken or pasta.
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