An academic report has claimed that aircraft nut ban announcements are unlikely to be effective and may give passengers with nut allergies a false sense of security; airborne transmission of nut allergens via cabin ventilation systems is not supported by evidence.
The study, conducted by researchers from Imperial College London, emphasizes that allergic reactions are more likely caused by residue on surfaces within the aircraft, such as seats and tray tables, rather than airborne particles.
Passengers with nut allergies should be allowed to board first to clean their seating area and should carry two epinephrine auto-injectors to protect against severe allergic reactions.
The authors call for airlines to establish clear food allergy policies, enhance cleaning protocols, and monitor the effectiveness of these measures to ensure air travel remains safe and inclusive for individuals with severe allergies.
Paul Turner, clinical professor in anaphylaxis at Imperial College London, shared: “People shouldn’t be worried about what food is being transmitted in the air when they fly. We didn’t find any evidence that nut particles could travel through the cabin ventilation system on airplanes and cause reactions. On top of that, the vast majority of people with food allergies don’t react to the smell of food, even if they are allergic to very small amounts. The one thing people must do to protect themselves is to clean their seat area. Allergenic food is really sticky, and can be found on seat surfaces, table tops, and seat-back entertainment screens. People touch these surfaces, and then the allergens can be transferred to their mouths.
The authors wrote: “Given the above findings, announcements asking all passengers to refrain from eating nuts are unlikely to be effective in protecting nut-allergic passengers, since the amount of peanut residue present in the aircraft cabin will mostly depend on whether peanut was eaten on previous flights. Unless aircraft cabins are always nut-free, there might be nut residue present, but at levels that pose negligible risk in terms of airborne transmission.”
