**Flying with Food Allergies: Navigating Airborne Risks and In-Flight Protocols**
Flying with food allergies can be tricky, and most passengers probably don’t think twice about the snacks they’re eating on a plane—until a flight attendant makes an announcement about it. But what happens when you’ve already finished your peanut butter snack and then find out someone on your flight has a severe airborne peanut allergy?
One Chicago woman found herself in exactly that awkward situation. Her mortified reaction has sparked an online debate about who’s actually at fault.
### Woman Accidentally Eats Peanut Product on Flight
Arianna (@ariannaviolett) shared her experience in a TikTok video that has since earned more than 891,000 views. She revealed the moment she realized she’d potentially put another passenger at risk—all completely by accident.
> “The flight attendant just made an announcement not to eat any peanut products during the flight because someone on the flight has an airborne allergy to peanuts,” the text overlay on the video reads.
Unfortunately, Arianna had already eaten an entire Smucker’s Uncrustable containing peanut butter before the announcement was made.
> “In my defense, the peanut allergy was announced after I already ate the Uncrustables, but now I feel really bad,” she wrote in the video caption.
The timing left Arianna in an uncomfortable position. She couldn’t undo what she’d already eaten, yet the knowledge that someone on the plane might have a severe reaction to airborne peanut particles clearly weighed on her conscience.
It seems the person with the allergy was ultimately okay; otherwise, Arianna likely would have posted a follow-up video about the incident.
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### Can You Really Be Allergic to Airborne Food Particles?
While most food allergies are triggered by actually consuming the food, airborne food allergies are real—though less common and typically less severe than many might assume.
According to Verywell Health, airborne food allergens can be released during food preparation, cooking, and processing. When someone with a food allergy is exposed to these particles in the air, they may experience symptoms such as a runny nose, itchy eyes, or wheezing. However, life-threatening anaphylaxis due to airborne exposure alone is uncommon.
The exception is individuals with asthma, who may be more prone to serious breathing difficulties triggered by airborne food allergens.
Peanuts, alongside eggs, fish, and shellfish, are among the most common foods that cause allergic reactions. The proteins in these foods can become airborne during preparation or consumption, potentially triggering symptoms in nearby passengers with severe allergies.
That said, simply eating a peanut butter sandwich next to someone with a peanut allergy is unlikely to cause a severe reaction in most cases, as the concentration of airborne particles from casual eating is typically much lower than during cooking or processing.
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### What Happens if Someone Has a Medical Emergency on a Plane?
Flight crews are trained to handle medical emergencies, though the process involves more coordination than most passengers realize.
When a medical emergency occurs, the flight crew monitors vital signs and contacts ground-based medical support for guidance. Flight attendants are trained in CPR and can administer lifesaving medications and equipment from onboard emergency kits, including aspirin, oxygen, blood pressure medications, and intravenous supplies.
They may also call upon any medical professionals aboard the plane to assist.
Deciding whether to divert the plane is a complex call. Dr. Eric Stahl, a cardiologist at Staten Island University Hospital, told Healthline that although flight crew and medical volunteers can offer recommendations, the final decision to divert lies with the pilot and flight dispatcher. It generally takes about 30 minutes to land from cruising altitude, and they must weigh the emergency’s severity against other logistical factors.
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### Airlines Don’t Actually Carry EpiPens
Here’s an alarming fact for anyone with severe allergies: U.S. airlines are not currently required to carry EpiPens—the easy-to-use epinephrine autoinjectors that treat anaphylaxis.
According to STAT News, planes do carry epinephrine, but not necessarily in EpiPen form. Dr. Lindsey Ulin learned this firsthand in March 2023 when she experienced anaphylaxis on a flight and discovered that neither the airplane’s emergency medical kit nor any passenger had an EpiPen available.
EpiPens are designed for anyone to use, typically taking less than 10 seconds to administer and coming with clear instructions. However, since 2016, the FAA has granted exemptions allowing planes to operate without complete emergency medical kits—sometimes without any epinephrine at all.
Ultimately, cost factors into this decision, as EpiPens can cost up to several hundred dollars.
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### Viewers Are Divided on Allergy Management in Flights
The incident sparked widespread discussion online. Some commented:
– “Y’all are talking about it’s common knowledge not to bring peanuts on a plane, but I’ve literally had them hand me snack packs of peanuts before.”
– “Imagine being taken out by an Uncrustable.”
– “I feel like passengers should have been warned before they boarded.”
– “There needs to be a way to communicate this prior to everyone already being seated. Technology can do so many things—are we really telling me we can’t send a warning to passengers not to bring peanuts on board at all?”
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Flying with food allergies requires awareness and cooperation from both passengers and airlines. While airborne allergic reactions from casual eating are rare, the potential risks to those with severe allergies mean better communication and preparedness are essential to ensuring everyone’s safety in the skies.
https://www.themarysue.com/eating-smuckers-uncrustables-on-plane/