Anyone take PB&J sandwiches through airport security?

[savvy?71]

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that on our Vegas flight, my mom brought a sleeve of Do-Si-Dos (peanut butter sandwich girl scout cookies) in her purse.

Woe to anyone who would have dared confiscate her Do Si Dos.

 

[rachellm]

It might not harm a person, but it can SCARE a person. Imagine you're extremely allergic to something, and suddenly you can smell that something. You don't know if it's peanuts in a bag, peanut butter, or this new PB2 thing I keep hearing about on Weight Watchers that is peanut POWDER that you reconstitute with water to make PB less fatty.

Imagine what your thoughts are. Or if you're a parent of a very allergic child and you're smelling this, not knowing.

Don't you want to be KIND to that potential person?

Just eat it at the gate, where people can get away from you.

I've never met anyone with a peanut allergy that severe (my daugher has a class 4 peanut allergy and airborn is not a concern) but I know most people with such a serious allergy plan their flight times to avoid nut products as much as possible. Like taking the first flight in the am.

As for eating it at the gate - when I bring lunch foods for my kids I plan for them to eat them at their normal lunch time. Which is likely while we're in the air ... not while we're sitting at the gate. Plus you wouldn't know in advance if someone on your flight has a severe allergy. You wouldn't know that until an announcement was made on board.

As for scaring people - having a kid with allergies is scary. But you get used to it and you know what steps to take to keep your kids as safe as possible. So I can't imagine anyone panicing at the sight of my sandwich. And I'd be happy to explain to them that there was no risk

This is all irrelevant for me since we don't eat pb but we take sunflower seed butter and jelly sandwiches on flights quite often.

 

[Music City Mama]

And they should be considerate of others also!

I will eat my PB&J because there is no scientific reason not to. Me eating a PB&J does no harm to an allergy person unless they plan on grabbing it and eating it. Peanut butter does not release peanut protein into the air and that is what they react to. So I will not open a pack of peanuts right under their noses because that is a risk but I will eat my no risk to them sandwich.

What if you get peanut butter on your hands and you touch a surface my child touches? That WILL cause my child to react. I'm so not militant about other people eating peanuts/peanut butter (in fact, we still keep it in our house for DH and me), but it's the attitude about it that really bothers me. Unless you or someone you love (especially a child) has a potentially deadly allergy, you won't get it -- and I don't expect you to, and by all means, eat your precious peanut butter on a flight, but there are other ways for my child to react to peanut butter without ingesting it.

 

[nicki.momof3]

Southwest is the only current airline I can think of that still hands out peanuts as a matter of course. Airtran has been giving out pretzels and while you can select from a bunch of stuff on Jet Blue, they don't have peanuts. I don't think US Airways gave out any food. I'm not talking about long-haul flights but the short ones I've been on between DC and Orlando.

Delta gives out peanuts (I had them in Dec.) on the detroit to orlando flight.

 

[rachellm]

Couldn't you just use another nut butter or sun butter rather than peanut butter?

Sure that's possible. But other nut butters or sun butter don't really taste that much like PB. You can tell a difference. Plus - they're expensive. I wouldn't want to pay $5 for a jar of sun butter just so I wouldn't risk exposing anyone to nuts on a plane.

 

[yankeepenny]

Perhaps it's a new thing (well, new since I flew - over twenty years ago).
Still, all those flights and never an issue with anyone reacting to the peanut bags that were handed out to everyone. I guess I would honor the request, but I think it's a bit silly.

silly? really?????

for some folks, just touching any object or furniture which may have crumbs or a small smear of the food could be life threatening. They can go straight into anaphalactic shock and if not treated quickly, could die as well.

I dont find the requests silly.

 

[WDSearcher]

Can someone please explain this logic?

Sure. For the same reason that you can't bring bottles of water or other liquids or gels in amounts that large through security. I'm sure if you had a tube of PB or a packet of jelly that were under 3 oz and packed in your one-quart ziplock bag, no one would bat an eye. But if you had a full jar of jelly and a full jar of PB ... well ... there's a lot that can be hidden in that, if you're inclinded to do so.

And -- unrelated to the security thing -- why would you WANT to carry a full jar of PB and a full jar of jelly onto a plane? If it's just to have food for the kids during the flight, it's a whole lot easier to make the sandwiches before you leave and pack them already constructed than to break out PB, jelly, bread and knives on that little fold-down tray table. Not to mention the clean up after you've made the sandwiches, and making sure that the tray table is clean before you put a piece of bread down on it.

And if you want to bring PB and jelly with you on the plane so that you can make your own sandwiches once you get to the resort, then I can't believe that the prices in Florida -- even at Disney -- are so much higher that it would be worth lugging the jars through airports rather than just buying them once you get to Florida.

 

[ILoveToRun]

As for eating it at the gate - when I bring lunch foods for my kids I plan for them to eat them at their normal lunch time. Which is likely while we're in the air ... not while we're sitting at the gate. Plus you wouldn't know in advance if someone on your flight has a severe allergy. You wouldn't know that until an announcement was made on board.

Maybe you could ask the podium if they know about any peanut ban before boarding. If there is, just eat at the gate. If not, then bring it. That way, it won't be a waste when you're on board and more important, there won't be any hungry kids.

 

[chimilady]

This would have to be a very rare situation. I was a flight attendant for 5 years and never came across this. Also rather odd since for so many years a bag if peanuts was the snack of choice for most airlines.

I've only flown maybe 3 times int he last 4 years and I can tell you that I have had it happen twice. Kids today are more allergic than ever, and yes, more kids go through MCO than any other airport in the US.

Yes you can take them and eat them.
Eating peanut butter does not bother a peanut allergy person altho they will try to tell you otherwise. But peanut protein has to be in the air for it to be a risk and there is no peanut protein released form peanut butter.

They also can ask you not to eat but they can't force you not to eat them.

It's like people are saying hey, I don't like peanutbutter but I'll just say I'm allergic. Peanut allergies are often deadly. Would you really be so selfish as to possibly kill another kid? Seriously? Perhaps you are correct, but perhaps kids wipe their mouths with their hands and smear it on the seat, or wipe their mouths on a napkin which then gets carted down the aisle right past a peanut allergic kid. Really? You would rather KILL a child on their way to the Happiest Place on Earth just so your kid can have PB? Wow.

 

[WDSearcher]

Not sure if serious?

They've been passing out peanuts on planes for a hundred years. There is no way they could de-peanut a plane. The guy who sat in their seat an hour before probably spilled the peanut dust in the seat trying to lick the wrapper.

The World. lol

When was the last time you were on a flight? I did several Orlando-LAX flights last year, and none of them served peanuts. On a recent flight from Orlando to Houston, one of the flight attendants made an announcement that there was someone on the flight who was severely allergic to peanuts and requested that anyone within a certain group of rows not eat any peanut products. And they offered to move passengers either into or out of the "no peanuts" area if they requested it.

 

[SwiberFam]

You could buy Wowbutter, its made from soy if you are worried about other peoples allergies.

 

[rachellm]

silly? really?????

for some folks, just touching any object or furniture which may have crumbs or a small smear of the food could be life threatening. They can go straight into anaphalactic shock and if not treated quickly, could die as well.

I dont find the requests silly.

I can't speak for someone else who used the word "silly." But I can sorta see the point.

First, I think people who are that severly allergic are very rare. It's not like the majority of people with peanut allergies will have an anaphalactic reaction to residue or airborne particles.

And for those that are truly that allergic - I can't see that making an announcement for one flight will make that much difference. Just because no one on your flight eats anything doesn't mean that you aren't sitting in the seat where someone ate a pb sandwich, some roasted peanuts and a reeses on the last flight. It's not like they're cleaning the planes that well in between flights.

I've never been on a flight where they made an annoucement to the whole plane. I have been on a flight where they asked the 2-3 rows around the person to refrain from eating peanuts - and if anyone refused they were ready to move people around to accomodate everyone.

 

[stargazertechie]

This would have to be a very rare situation. I was a flight attendant for 5 years and never came across this. Also rather odd since for so many years a bag if peanuts was the snack of choice for most airlines.

No joke- my last 3 flights to/from florida have had a peanut allergy announcement.

 

[savvy?71]

I would imagine the parent of a child who has a peanut allergy would inform the flight crew and the crew would make an announcement to help avoid any reactions.

I further dare to imagine that passengers wouldn't think twice about wanting to avoid a crisis, regardless of how unlikely/minor, if an announcement was made. Since I loathe peanuts/peanut butter, I certainly wouldn't pick that battle as my hill to die on "I WILL EAT MY PB SAMMICH!" And I am certain if asked, my mom would have refrained from eating her Do-Si-Dos. Not that there were many small children heading to Vegas last week.

It seems pretty simple & reasonable.

 

[LaurenT]

silly? really?????

for some folks, just touching any object or furniture which may have crumbs or a small smear of the food could be life threatening. They can go straight into anaphalactic shock and if not treated quickly, could die as well.

I dont find the requests silly.

As I said, I flew for the airlines for 5 years. Never ever ever had any issue with anyone reacting to the peanuts we handed out or any peanut product anyone had brought on board. As has been said by PPs, there are sill airlines handing out peanuts today. As far as someone smearing some peanut grease on the seat and then another person's child putting their hand on it and then to their mouth..well...that could happen with someone on a previous flight when there was no peanut alert. So, yes, i think it's kind of silly because i don't think there's a genuine risk. As i also said, i would respect he request anyway.
If you can show me one documented case of a peanut reaction from someone on an airplane, i will change my mind.

 

[thedonduck]

If you can show me one documented case of a peanut reaction from someone on an airplane, i will change my mind.

Not that I want to get involved in a PB argument , I was genuinely curious if there have been any problems with reactions on a flight ... google found me this

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...ez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

[disneychic2]

We often bring food items through security/on plane either from home or purchased in airport. Liquids are the no-no. So I imagine any reasonable food item (not say, a crockpot of stew), would be allowed.

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that on our Vegas flight, my mom brought a sleeve of Do-Si-Dos (peanut butter sandwich girl scout cookies) in her purse.

Woe to anyone who would have dared confiscate her Do Si Dos.

You seriously crack me up!!


OP, I'll bet you didn't expect to raise such a ruckus when you asked your simple question, right? Anyway, DH and I take deli sandwiches that have been refrigerated overnight and they keep pretty cold in our insulated bag for enjoyment on the plane. I understand how important it is to feed your kids when they are hungry, so hopefully you'll find a good solution. Good luck!

 

[Tropical Wilds]

And they should be considerate of others also!

I will eat my PB&J because there is no scientific reason not to. Me eating a PB&J does no harm to an allergy person unless they plan on grabbing it and eating it. Peanut butter does not release peanut protein into the air and that is what they react to. So I will not open a pack of peanuts right under their noses because that is a risk but I will eat my no risk to them sandwich.

They should be considerate of others by what... Not having a peanut allergy?

Again, I think it's a little selfish for you to make a decision that affects another person's heath and decide that you'll eat your sandwich, even when asked not to due to an allergy issue, because you've assessed a person you never met and their allergy and made a decision that could impact them very negatively in an area where they have no ability to get help simply because you want a PB&J. You can choose from hundreds of other snacks, but you'd choose something like this to make a stance on... For reasons that are beyond me... Instead of just doing the decent thing and having a different snack.

Sorry, I find this unfathomable, especially considering the environment, where the allergy sufferer could be a child. Is your sandwich really THAT important that you'll put another person in danger in an environment where they can't get immediate care?

All it takes is the flight attendant picking up your trash and touching the allergy-affected person. You touching the handle of the bathroom. The overhead compartment Having the person sit next to you or your family who're having the snack. Having kids who aren't as conscious of such things make a mess of their food.

Just do the decent thing and bring something other than a PB product.

I've never been on a flight where they made an annoucement to the whole plane. I have been on a flight where they asked the 2-3 rows around the person to refrain from eating peanuts - and if anyone refused they were ready to move people around to accomodate everyone.

How embarrassing for the person... It opens them up for being harassed, makes the whole plane privy to their personal medical condition, and if it's a kid, it could be really humiliating.

 

[rachellm]

How embarrassing for the person... It opens them up for being harassed, makes the whole plane privy to their personal medical condition, and if it's a kid, it could be really humiliating.

It's not like they said - The kid in seat 19A has a peanut allergy, can you refrain from eating peanuts.

They just went row by row for a few rows (I don't know how many exactly) and explained that someone in the vicinity had an allergy. They asked if anyone had a problem refraining from eating peanut items and offered to reseat them if that was the case. No one knew who it was. No one had to share their medical history with the plane or be embarrassed.

It was really not a big deal.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

silly? really?????

for some folks, just touching any object or furniture which may have crumbs or a small smear of the food could be life threatening. They can go straight into anaphalactic shock and if not treated quickly, could die as well.

I dont find the requests silly.

Then they better have their epi pen handy. My kids and I don't have any food allergies, just allergies to growing things outside, some years are worse than others, so far this year has been great so far.