From Lianne No Nut Traveler- This is a particularly important testimonial because it illustrates that even when passengers disclose their allergies, reconfirm ingredients with the crew, and receive assurances based on the airline’s allergen information, those assurances can still be incorrect if catering substitutions are not communicated and allergen information is not updated.
Testimonial: On July 20, 2026 during an international flight from Iceland to the United States, two unrelated passengers with diagnosed tree nut allergies experienced allergic reactions after eating the same fresh pasta salad served in an airline snack box.
Before meal service, Alaska Airlines announced the contents of the snack box and identified the major allergens for each item. During service, as the parents of a 12-year-old passenger we again confirmed with the flight crew that the meal did not contain tree nuts, along with our child’s other allergens.
Shortly after eating, my son developed throat itching, nausea, and vomiting while the aircraft was over the Atlantic Ocean. Luckily my husband is a physician who was able to monitor the situation. We also became aware of a second adult passenger with a tree nut allergy, who had eaten the same salad, who also experienced an allergic reaction.
The flight crew then reviewed the airline’s allergen information, which continued to indicate that the meal contained no tree nuts. After contacting the airport catering provider, they learned that a last-minute ingredient substitution had introduced cashew oil into the salad dressing, but the airline’s allergen information had not been updated to reflect the change.
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