Originally Posted by
CDTraveler
just a few thoughts on this thread...
- peanuts are actually legumes, not true nuts
- a peanut allergy may coincide with a tree nut allergy, but there is no proven connection between the two (totally different plant families)
- soy, now rampant in baby formula/infant foods, is a legume
- some studies suggest that exposing infants to soy may in fact sensitize them to peanuts later on
As one who can't eat wheat, and the parent of a child with multiple life-threatening allergies, I've learned to control what I can and avoid the environments where the number of risk factors beyond my control is too great.
From a personal point of view, I'm glad to see peanuts return, as we can't eat the pretzels.
I think, most people are aware that peanuts are not really nuts like tree nuts are. I grew up calling them ground nuts in English. In Hindi their name is derived from Mung, which is a legume.
In any case, the classification is not the issue here.
What you write about soy is interesting.
As pointed out earlier and in your post, there are many allergens in the environment. Some people allergic to peanuts, some to other nuts, some to wheat products, some to shell fish while some others to milk products. We certainly haven't heard people with wheat or milk allergies complaining. If foods are banned to "help" various groups, flights would have to be completely food free.