Qantas goes nuts – peanut policy lauded

AMA (Australian Medical Association) President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, today applauded Qantas on its decision to adopt a peanut policy to alert its passengers to the dangers that peanuts may present to allergy sufferers.

Dr Haikerwal, who called on Qantas to match the British Airways policy when he launched Food Allergy Awareness Week earlier this year, is urging all airlines and other businesses that offer refreshments to their customers to display similar policies and warnings.

Dr Haikerwal said there must be greater community awareness of food allergies and greater empathy with allergy sufferers.

“The term ‘food allergy’ may sound tame and manageable, but food allergies in an extreme form – such as anaphylaxis – are a life and death matter,” Dr Haikerwal said.

“Food allergies must be managed with patience, vigilance and care. Anaphylactic children, especially, are fragile and at highest risk.

“But with greater awareness in the family and in the schools and in the broader community, food allergies of all kinds -the mild to the dangerous – can be managed.

“Children with food allergies – even anaphylactic kids – can lead normal and healthy lives. They need not miss out – but they need our help,” Dr Haikerwal said.

Dr Haikerwal said the Qantas peanut policy is a good example of what can be done to help people with food allergies. It reads as follows:

QANTAS PEANUT POLICY

Qantas is aware of the challenges of peanut allergy sufferers and where possible seeks to minimise the risks of exposure to peanuts through the following actions:

— The removal of peanuts as a bar snack on all Qantas flights and from Qantas owned and operated lounges;

— Minimising the use of peanuts or peanut based products in its Inflight menus;and

— The provision of an extensive range of special meals inflight which are specifically designed not to include peanuts or other nuts and products of peanuts or other nuts in the preparation of the meal.

Whilst all reasonable steps are taken by Qantas and its caterers to reduce the exposure to peanuts inflight and on the ground Qantas cannot guarantee an allergy free environment on board its aircraft or in its lounges. It is always possible that other passengers may bring peanuts or other nuts on board or into the lounges with them.

Passengers may also be served a range of other nuts including almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts as bar snacks or after dinner snacks. For this reason, we recommend that passengers carry any medication they may need with them in the cabin of the aircraft and be ready to administer the medication if necessary.