Is It Safe to Eat The Airline’s Gluten-free Food?
3. Shauna James Ahern, of the Gluten-Free Girl blog
AL: Shauna, as you have celiac disease, do you trust and eat the gluten-free meals offered by some airlines?
SJA: Gwen, it’s so funny that you ask me about this today. [May 24/12] We’re leaving for Italy tomorrow, so I’m just dealing with this. We’re flying Air France. They say they have a gluten-free meal and a completely allergen-free meal. [Read the details of that meal here.]
Since they were so careful to describe their free-from meal and the amount of precaution they take, I’m going to trust it. Let’s hope I’m not sick in Italy. [Update: Shauna made it safely to Italy and is offering up great tales of Tuscany on her blog.]
4. Mike De Cicco-Butz, of the blog Gluten Free Mike. As a frequent flyer in his day job in public relations, Mike had lots to say on this topic, so we’ve included it all for readers.
AL: You have celiac disease and you’ve written about eating good GF meals on airlines. Have you had concerns about potential cross-contamination?
MDB: I have had good meals at 35,000 feet and if I said I didn’t have concerns, I would be lying. Cross-contamination is always in the back of my mind. With flying it required taking a proverbial leap of faith that thankfully has paid off.
In the million plus miles I have flown since my diagnosis 12 years ago, I have never had an issues with my gluten-free meals being just that – gluten-free. I am also severely allergic to shellfish and, quite honestly, I worry more about that when it comes to in-flight catering.
[Airline] catering companies around the globe seem to keep their gluten-free meals very basic from an ingredient standpoint, steering clear of other food items that might pose a problem.
Next: Gluten Free Mike’s Best Tips
Karen Kurokawa
I don’t fly domestically that often but do fly internationally. The biggest problem for me is finding a “free-from” meal that addresses both my celiac & soy/dairy allergy needs. (It’s interesting to find out that Air France has a completely allergen-free option.) On the positive side, Lufthansa has taken my needs quite seriously, even once holding a flight’s departure to make sure a meal for me made it onto the flight. (Yes, one should always double-check at the gate.) On the negative side, United has no meal that addresses multiple issues and their gluten-free meals tend to rely heavily on soy and dairy. They also tend to “forget” the gluten-free meal quite often. The one time I flew Turkish Airlines, they “forgot” too, despite several pre-flight confirmations of this request. So these days I do pack my own food always. I recommend carrying a note from your doctor explaining your special dietary needs so the TSA and/or other inspection entities will permit such carry-ons as small containers of yoghurt, etc. Honestly, most of the time other travelers are eyeing my food with envy and I often end up sharing! It’s a nice way to meet interesting people.