Food has connected people from all over the world. Countries have incorporated dishes of different countries into their cuisine and have given new variations to the primitive form of that particular delicacy. Airline industry since its inception have been very particular about it, so much so that, some of the airlines have marketed themselves particularly on the type of food they serve.
The meals offered by the various airlines include Asian vegetarian, Hindu vegetarian, vegan vegetarian, Vegetarian lacto-ovo, Gluten-intolerant, Jain, Japanese, Kosher, Afghani etc. People are not the same. Some can enjoy each and every type of cuisine without having to worry about their digestion power or having to worry about some kind of allergic reaction.
Airline authorities have identified food allergies as a state of emergency and have formulated policies that aid the people suffering from such allergies. Airline companies strongly mention that they cannot stop people from bringing food items on board that contains some kind of food allergens.
They also specify that they cannot remove any food products that are present on the flight based on the request of the allergic customer or group of individuals.
Airline authorities can however ask some of your co-passengers to refrain from eating food with major allergens. This step depends entirely on the discretion and cooperation of your co-passenger. Special seats can also not be allotted to people with food allergies.
It is always advised to people with such ailments to consult their doctors before planning to take a flight. The person should carry the certificate that claims he/she suffers from such ailment, so that the airline authorities can prepare a special meal well in advance. The cost of the special meals varies from flight to flight or from companies to companies.
Various airline companies have identified major food allergens and have also listed them on their official websites. It is advised to go through the list, formulated by the airline companies, as prevention is better than cure.
Airline companies will not refrain a customer to carry such food items, but surely will ask you to eat those food items at your own risk. Some flights are equipped with antidotes for common food allergies.