- New research from Safer Tourism Foundation reveals potentially life-threatening food allergies are a critical risk area for the travel industry, with the proportion of travellers reporting severe allergies affecting their travel plans rising from 1 in 8 to 1 in 7 (25% increase)
- Safer Tourism Foundation calls for reasonable and transparent airline and rail operator policies for passengers with life-threatening food allergies as part of ‘Put the Nuts Away’ campaign
- 9 in 10 travellers say they would refrain from eating nuts on a flight if asked to by the airline
New research from independent charity Safer Tourism Foundation uncovers food allergies as a growing risk area for travel. Safer Tourism’s latest incident data and research reveal an increase in the number of travellers reporting incidents involving food related allergic reactions having an impact on their holiday. In April 2024, Safer Tourism’s consumer research showed one in eight travellers (12%) reported having experienced a food related allergic reaction while on holiday (either themselves or a travel companion). Just six months on and the charity’s latest travel behaviour survey shows the proportion has risen to one in seven (15% of travellers), representing an increase of 25%. Safer Tourism Foundation’s incident data also shows that near misses relating to life-threatening food allergies are a critical area of concern for the industry.
Travelling with a life-threatening food allergy
Food allergies are more common than people realise. According to Safer Tourism Foundation’s latest consumer research, one in seven of us knows someone with a potentially life-threatening food allergy. Food allergies don’t just affect the person with the allergy – they are a serious concern for anyone travelling with that person.
When asked about the way their or their family member’s allergy affects their travel experience, the impact is clear:
- One in two respondents confessed they feel more nervous about travelling than they would if they/their family member did not have an allergy (50%)
- Two in three (64%) report taking extra precautions when they take a trip
- One in three (33%) are more likely to prioritise health and safety policies over cost when choosing holiday providers.
Travellers who must consider their, or their family members’ potentially life-threatening food allergies tend to care deeply about a travel provider’s health and safety reputation (42%). So much so that one in three (32%) report choosing the same travel company time and time again if they’ve had a good experience, because they feel safer knowing their provider can handle allergies.
Broadcast reporter Georgie Palmer shares her experience:
“As the mother of a child with a life-threatening food allergy, I know how nerve-wracking it is to plan and go on holiday. At home, you can control most aspects of your environment but when travelling, you’re placing your trust in others. And all you want is clarity, consistency and ultimately, kindness.
“Last year, we experienced first-hand how a lack of uniformity can lead to a nightmare travel scenario – we were forced to get off a plane after the airline failed to adhere to their own policy. However, despite all the problems this caused for us, it’s nowhere near as bad as it could have been. Others have gone into anaphylaxis on flights after being served food containing an allergen, even after passengers have clearly explained what they couldn’t eat.
“It’s time for regulators and travel providers to apply a systematic approach when it comes to protecting travellers with severe allergies. We’re quite simply asking that every transport provider has a clear, publicly available policy in place and that this is carried out for the entirety of the travel journey,” Palmer concludes.
When it comes to keeping fellow passengers safe, people prepared to moderate behaviour
Despite food allergies growing in prevalence, just one in four travellers (26%) has been on a commercial flight where an announcement was made requesting that passengers refrain from consuming a food containing an allergen. However, whether they’ve experienced a passenger-wide flight announcement before or not, nine out of 10 say they will refrain from eating any food containing nuts if asked to by the airline.
Calls for ruthlessly reasonable approach to managing food allergies on flights
Recent media reports attest to the lack of consistency when it comes to airline policies regarding passengers with food allergies – some airlines make announcements for any passenger with a life-threatening food allergy as a matter of course, while others sometimes do and sometimes don’t. In some cases, airlines may even refuse to let a passenger board if there is concern around potential allergies.
Several airlines and rail operators have started offering clarity in their menus around food allergens, and some carry auto-adrenaline injectors. However, as of today, there is no globally recognised standard when it comes to managing life-threatening allergies on commercial flights.
Dr Paul Turner, Professor of Anaphylaxis research at Imperial College London, has conducted research** for the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority to assess the measures airlines could and should take to minimise the risks for travellers with severe food allergies.
“Food-allergic reactions are uncommon on modern aircraft, but this is almost certainly because of measures people with food allergies take to keep themselves safe. While it is rare for people to get allergic reactions due to “airborne allergens” while flying, there are very real risks from touching seat surfaces or entertainment screens which may have been contaminated with food. Passengers with food allergies should be allowed to preboard to clean their seat area, and airlines should have clear policies which are applied consistently to help food-allergic individuals feel confident when flying,” comments Turner.
The Safer Tourism Foundation is launching a campaign to call for more transparency, consistency and pragmatism in airlines’ approach to managing passengers with life-threatening allergies. The ‘Put the Nuts Away’ campaign has three simple and straightforward asks, on behalf of passengers:
- Airlines and rail operators should have clear, transparent and publicly available policies on how they manage travellers with life threatening allergies (or be transparent if they CANNOT manage them)
- Airlines and rail operators should follow through consistently on their policies, across the traveller journey (so what is written on a website should be what happens at the gate, and on the flight)
- Airlines and rail operators should adopt CAA guidance and carry a minimum of two (in-date) auto-adrenaline injectors and ensure crew are trained on how to use them
As well as calling for clarity and consistency in airline policies, the campaign aims to shine a light on life-saving information when it comes to managing anaphylaxis. Safer Tourism Foundation already provides travel tips and guidance for travellers with allergies, including research advice and preparation and packing tips. Two thirds of respondents have told us that they want to be in a position when they travel to help someone experiencing anaphylaxis if they are able to do so, but currently only one third of travellers would know what to do. So as part of the campaign, the charity will be adding more life-saving information to their website and across their social channels, including what to do if someone begins to experience anaphylaxis.
Safer Tourism Foundation’s CEO, Katherine Atkinson said,“One of the reasons we don’t see more of our fellow passengers experiencing severe reactions to food allergies when we fly is that people who have life-threatening food allergies are usually very good at managing the risks themselves. But this may have given airlines a false sense of security, and the prevalence of food allergies is changing. Food allergies in the UK have more than doubled since 2008, especially amongst young children, and there’s been a big rise in accidental reactions due to milk products. It’s almost impossible to ensure commercial flights have no food allergen risk, but nut particles are particularly sticky and hang around on airplane surfaces such as arm rests, tray tables and toilet handles.
The vast majority of travellers would not want a fellow passenger’s life to be put at risk unnecessarily. So we’re asking people to make a relatively small sacrifice if asked to do so, because refraining from eating a peanut or cashew for the duration of a flight might just save a life. We want to see airlines and rail operators make this a priority and have clear, consistent and reasonable policies in place for the management of food allergy risk to enable everyone, whether or not they have a food allergy, to travel safely.”
The Travel Behaviour Risk Index aims to measure and track UK travellers’ perception of risk and how this manifests itself in terms of travel health and safety incidents. Combining Safer Tourism Pledge Partner incident data and a survey of 2000 UK travellers conducted by OnePoll, the Index was originally launched in May 2024. The full findings from the latest wave of the Travel Behaviour Risk Index will be published in coming weeks.
To find out more about the Safer Tourism Foundation and the Travel Behaviour Risk Index, please visit www.safertourism.org.uk
