Why do many airlines ban peanuts?

There’s a lot of talk about the case online right now mother and daughter thrown out of an airplane peanut allergy girls. Apparently, the mother asked passengers not to eat peanuts for fear that something would happen to her daughter, and this did not go down well with the crew, who decided to kick them off the plane. Without confirmation of the veracity of this story, the discussion that has arisen in the comments is interesting. There are people who support the mother, while others argue that it is stupid to ask other passengers not to eat peanuts when everything would be solved if the girl did not eat them. But is it really that simple?

The truth is that this is quite a controversial topic. We do not know in what company the mother and daughter were flying in the story. But it is true that there are airlines that, as a precaution, Eating peanuts on planes is prohibited.. This is based on the suspicion that people with very severe peanut allergies may also be affected by inhalation of the nuts.

This is something that has been scientifically studied in recent years. Most studies show that inhaling these nuts does not actually pose much of a risk. Especially if they are in a remote location, such as at either end of an airplane. However, prevention will always be better than cure. For this reason, some companies appeal to the precautionary principle and choose to prohibit sale and consumption these products.

What is a peanut allergy?

Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies. It is estimated to affect at least 200,000 people in Spain, although the figure is likely much higher.

Like any other allergy, this is due to the fact that the immune system It falsely reacts to certain proteins present in peanuts as if they were some kind of harmful or infectious agent. It causes symptoms ranging from itchy mouth to hives on the skin, difficulty breathing, conjunctivitis and swelling of the eyes, face and lips. In the most serious cases A. anaphylactic shock, which is often not warned about in advance. That is, someone who previously had only a mild reaction to peanuts may have a much more severe reaction the next time they are exposed.

Therefore, these people should be very careful about what they eat. It occurs much more often in children than in adults. In fact, in some cases there is a peanut allergy sends as patients get older.

Children often have no control over what they eat, so at a birthday party, for example, peanuts are avoided if one of the guests allergic. Should there be no peanuts on the plane if there is a passenger with an allergy?

Reasons for bans on airplanes

In fact, just because peanuts are banned on airplanes doesn’t mean people with allergies won’t eat them. Even if they are young children, they are expected to go with an adult who will make sure they don’t eat anything they shouldn’t. The problem is that the proteins your immune system recognizes are airborne and can become contaminated. inhaled.

In 2021, a team of Swedish scientists studied just how alarming this could be. For this they placed 84 children with peanut allergies in the room, 0.5 meters from the bowl with these nuts. After 30 minutes, they were tested under controlled conditions to see if they developed symptoms.

At the same time, in another experiment ambient air samples peanuts to check if they contain any allergenic proteins.

Only two children showed mild rhinoconjunctivitis it did not require treatment. Moreover, the level of antibodies in his blood did not indicate an allergic reaction. As for the proteins found in the air, the concentration of those that could cause allergies was extremely low.

A matter of concern

A Swedish study found that inhaling peanuts This is not dangerous for allergy sufferers. Most allergists surveyed over the years agree. One of them is a doctor Edwin Kimbelonging UNC Health. As he explained in 2019 on his work website, it is extremely unlikely that people with a peanut allergy will go into anaphylactic shock from inhaling it. But they might feel bad about it. smell of dried fruits.

This is actually because your brain associates this smell with danger, so it can generate Alarm attack. This problem can be solved with psychological therapy, but it will always be much easier to avoid the little things on the plane.

No one will die if they don’t eat nuts during a flight, and people with allergies may not die from the smell, but they may feel sick. There is no need to provoke him. Hence the precautionary principle.