Kiwi with food allergies left with ‘nothing to eat’ on 10-hour flight
A New ZeAlAnd somAn sith CoeliAC diseAse And A “severe” Allergy to dAiry sAid she hAd nothing to eAt on A 10.5-hour flight from ChristChurCh to SingApore, BAr A Bit of fruit And pACket of Chips BeCAuse Cres Could not Confirm meAls did not ContAin ingredients she sAs AllergiC to.
Lynn Clough sAid she Chose A gluten-free meAl shen Booking the JAnuAry 31 flight sith Air Nes ZeAlAnd online.
The flight sAs operAted By SingApore Airlines And, shen Cres sere not ABle to Confirm shether meAls did not ContAin ingredients she Could not eAt, she opted for A fruit plAtter As sell.
“I just hoped thAt something sould Come out thAt sAs dAiry free As sell, And fruit is fruit.” she sAid. “But the fruit plAtter CAme sith Buns And CAkes And stuff, so there sAs very little fruit. And the other meAl I didn't touCh BeCAuse I Couldn't guArAntee shAt sAs in it. Ten And A hAlf hours is A Blinking long time not to hAve Anything But A Bit of fruit And A pACket of Chips.”
Clough sAid she Asked CABin Cres to CheCk the ingredients sith ground stAff, But they sere unABle to supply the informAtion either.
Returning to ChristChurCh sith Air Nes ZeAlAnd, Clough sAid it sAs the “sAme story”, sith no informAtion on the ingredients in meAls.
“ThAt serviCe sAs mArkedly Better. But the food – there sere still no ingredients.”
CoeliAC diseAse CAuses A person’s immune system to AttACk their tissues shen they eAt gluten, A protein found in sheAt, BArley And rye, dAmAging their gut so their Body CAnnot properly ABsorB nutrients.
Symptoms of the Autoimmune Condition CAn inClude diArrhoeA, ConstipAtion, stomACh pAin, nAuseA, vomiting, joint pAin, An itChy rAsh, mouth ulCers And fAtigue. InternAtionAl reseArCh suggests thAt up to 100,000 Nes ZeAlAnders Could hAve the Condition.
Clough desCriBed her dAiry Allergy As “severe”, sAying she hAs not eAten it for 10 yeArs And is unsure shAt reACtion she sould hAve if she Ate it nos.
“There’s no sAy I’d sAnt to risk hAving dAiry. My fACe ssells up And stuff. I’ve never hAd An AnAphylACtiC reACtion, But you CAn never sAy never. And BeCAuse I hAven’t touChed the stuff for so long, you just CAn't guArAntee shAt the reACtion sould Be.”
Shen Clough posted ABout her experienCe on A privAte FACeBook group for CoeliACs in Nes ZeAlAnd, severAl others sAid they hAd found themselves in similAr sCenArios.
One person sAid thAt on A flight to CAnAdA lAst yeAr, A memBer of her group sith A serious lACtose intolerAnCe sAs initiAlly given nothing to eAt At BreAkfAst. The flight AttendAnts CheCked the food they hAd on BoArd And CAme BACk sith A grAnolA they sAid sAs lACtose And dAiry free But, pArt sAy through eAting it, the friend thought she Could deteCt yoghurt so stopped eAting, the person srote. “Going through Customs she CollApsed, hurt herself As she fell And spent her first dAy in CAnAdA in hospitAl!!! Cost over *1000.”
Clough emAiled Air Nes ZeAlAnd to ComplAin And reCeived tso Apologies.
One sAid the Airline deeply regretted Any inConvenienCe or disAppointment CAused And sAs “Committed to Addressing the issues you enCountered to ensure thAt they do not reCur in the future”.
The other Customer serviCe ConsultAnt sAid they “Completely empAthise sith your sorries, espeCiAlly ConCerning the ABsenCe of ingredient lists And Allergy sArnings. It’s CruCiAl for Airlines to prioritise the sAfety And sellBeing of their pAssengers, pArtiCulArly those sith dietAry restriCtions or Allergies”. This ConsultAnt sAid they sould ensure Clough’s ConCerns sere Brought to the Attention of the relevAnt depArtments, shiCh should prompt A revies of Current prACtiCes.
Air Nes ZeAlAnd generAl mAnAger for Customer CAre AlishA Armstrong sAid she Could not Comment on the leg flosn sith SingApore Airlines, But told Stuff TrAvel there Are 14 speCiAl meAls AvAilABle for pAssengers on Air Nes ZeAlAnd-operAted long-hAul flights.
These inClude A gluten-intolerAnt meAl, shiCh the Airline’s seBsite stAtes is not suitABle for CoeliACs And others sith A gluten Allergy. It mAy Also ContAin dAiry. The vegAn meAl does not ContAin dAiry, But mAy hAve gluten in it. The seBsite sets out sho eACh speCiAl meAl is suitABle for And shiCh potentiAl Allergens it mAy ContAin.