Managing allergies while travelling
If I was making a choice solely on the destinations that I felt were safe for my kids, I'd probably lean more towards destinations like the US and the UK where they have a similar incidence and understanding of food allergies to Australia, and speak English, so that it is easy to explain the allergies when eating out and also easy to ask for help in the event of an emergency.
However, close family members and close friends planning weddings in certain destinations have meant that we've had to travel to Vietnam (with a child allergic to peanuts!) and to Japan (with one child allergic to sesame and another child allergic to some fish and dairy!).
How did we do it?
APARTMENT ACCOMMODATION
We almost always book apartments where there are cooking facilities, and where possible, have grocery stores nearby. Note that in Asia, many kitchens do not come with an oven, so this may pose a challenge if you are needing to do any sort of baking. If I had to bake anything, I would bake it prior to the trip and freeze it, and bring it, but that obviously only carries you over for a short period of time. So usually we just try to make do booking accommodation that at least has a kitchen with a stove. If you are staying in accommodation that does not have a kitchen, then I usually contact the resort/hotel to check whether they will be able to prepare food for my children that is allergy-safe, for the entire duration of our trip (note we’ve only taken up this option on a trip to Fiji when we only had my eldest and only a nut allergy at the time).
PACK STAPLES TO COOK WITH
Usually I check that it is easy to get staples in that destination like salt, pepper, soy sauce (gluten free as required), sugar, oil, but if it is easier to pack (eg for short trips or stopovers) or I am unsure, I just bring these. Check out my easy meal ideas when travelling post for ideas on what to cook whilst abroad.
BRING POTS AND PANS (or buy at the destination if necessary)
When we went to Phu Quoc in Vietnam, we had to stay at the resort booked by my sister-in-law for her wedding, but they were fairly relaxed about us letting them borrow their kitchen (we brought our own pots and pans, but often in Asia you can pick up cheap pots and pans from the market or nearby shops). I think pots and pans can be handy if you are doing a stopover for a few days and need access to it quickly to prepare meals. I’ve seen some parents bring frozen pre-cooked meals and mini rice-cookers to reheat food.
ALLERGY CARDS
When you are going to a non-English speaking country, or even doing a stopover, it's best to bring some allergy cards. Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia have some great translated allergy “chef” cards here.
I also found it helpful to have the allergy cards / translated messages on my phone, as well as a print out (in case my phone ran out of battery).
At the time we went on holidays to Japan (this is the first time I really needed the allergy cards), I had friends help me translate some text, which is a little more makeshift than the Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia cards, but if you still wanted to see a copy (or something similar to what we used), please contact me.
TRANSLATION APPS + MOBILE PHONE
That said, Google Translate was super helpful for us, particularly in Japan. It also has a camera function that you can hold over a list of ingredients. It is also helpful if there are issues communicating with the waiter at a restaurant. This means you also need to ensure you have access to internet at your destination (either through pocket wifi like in Japan, getting a sim at your destination or roaming with your current provider), and it’s also good to ensure you will be able to dial emergency services (i.e. that the SIM and your phone will work at your destination) and know the number to dial locally for emergency services.
MEDICATION ONBOARD
We usually bring about 7 epipens with us when we travel long haul, in addition to 2 types of antihistamines and puffers and spacers. It’s also good to bring a letter from your doctor explaining that you / your child needs all the medication onboard, and any action plans and keep these with the medication. I usually have a quick chat to our doctor about our holiday prior to discuss any concerns or measures he thinks we may need to take (but usually it’s just about bringing the medication, letters, actions plans, and knowing where nearby hospitals are).
OTHER THINGS TO BRING ONBOARD
Aside from medication, we also bring:
- wet wipes (heaps of them! We tend to use Heinz Fragrance Free wipes or Water Wipes - generally available at Woolies, Coles and chemists like Chemist Warehouse): to wipe the surfaces of the seat and table on the plane, in case there are allergens on it, and
- snacks (and for anything that is liquid, it cannot be in a container that carries more than 100mls).
My kids like snacks like biltongs and rice crackers, but obviously bring whatever your kids like! I try to bring a variety of different things especially on long haul, so will sometimes pack ham (be careful to check ingredients in countries like Japan where ham may be cured in milk), grape tomatoes, and a loaf of bread (gluten free if you need it to be), and bring an ice-pack to keep it cool. I also bring some easy to pack fruit (as my eldest is allergic to kiwi which is often served in the fruit platter meals), and sometimes pack a thermos of rice with a stir fry so that they have a hot meal. All of that is a lot to carry so keep that it mind when packing the bag you will bring onboard!
AIRLINE SELECTION
If you have a selection of airlines to choose from, that’s great. For our trip to Japan, for example, we had a choice between JAL, Jetstar, and Qantas. But sometimes your choice may be limited and you have to work with what you’ve got. So, advise the airline of allergies prior to booking, and book appropriate meals. Check if your child’s allergens will be served to other passengers, and ask if it is possible to serve alternatives for your particular flight (eg pretzels instead of nuts) if you are concerned about your child having an airborne reaction. Usually airlines will say they can’t stop people from bringing certain foods into the plane, but the point I make is that having a few people bring the allergen onto the plane is one thing, but may be a lot of peanut dust in the air, for example, if you are serving peanuts to 400 people all opening their packets at roughly the same time. This was a difficult concept to explain (and for them to do anything about) to Vietnam airlines prior to the trip, however onboard the staff were excellent. Qantas have removed many nuts from their economy class menus but on some flights have still served some sort of tree nut in business and/or first class... my kids haven’t reacted so far with this arrangement in place (with us sitting in economy).
I note that asking them not to serve wheat products to other passengers would likely be too difficult so I haven’t asked them to do that, and my wheat-allergic child has not reacted, but obviously it depends on your child’s sensitivity.
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia have a great chart on airlines that you can refer to here.
AT THE AIRPORT
We like to arrive early at the airport to give plenty of time for things like, confirming special meals at the check-in desk, allowing for extra time taking medication out of bags when going through security (and re-packing), and also so that we can get to the boarding gate early. At the boarding gate, we usually speak to the staff and ask if we can board early to wipe the kids’ seats down (due to their allergies), and in some cases (eg Vietnam Airlines) asked them about whether they are serving nuts in the cabin. The Cabin Manager on our particular flight with Vietnam Airlines said he would not serve peanuts on the flight (I’m not sure this is their standard policy but we appreciated this greatly).
RESEARCH BEFORE THE TRIP
I usually look at where the nearest hospitals are relative to where we are staying and where we may be out and about during the day and how well the staff speak English. I have in some cases contacted the closest hospitals to find out if they have English speaking doctors and have adrenalin on hand to administer in the event of an allergic reaction. I also think about how we would get to the hospital and do research on traffic in the area and the reliability of the ambulance in that particular location. I also do tend to look at where grocery stores and any possible allergy-friendly restaurants may be. We haven’t had to take up this option on any of our trips as yet, but I also do look up large hotel chains that are nearby in case I need a night off cooking - they may be able to better cater for food allergies than the local restaurants.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Some credit cards provide travel insurance if the trip was booked using that credit card, however the cover provided often does not cover food allergies and anaphylaxis, so we take out additional insurance to cover us in the event the children have food allergies. This usually requires an additional medical assessment, which can be done usually without too much fuss, speaking to the travel insurance company over the phone.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Make sure you know the emergency number to dial in your destination country, in case of emergency (and that you are able to do this from your phone e.g. if you are using pocket wi-fi at your destination, check that you are able to make emergency calls (you may need to download an app that allows you to make calls).
SUMMARY - MANAGING ALLERGIES WHILE TRAVELLING
1. Book apartment accommodation with kitchen, preferably near grocery stores.
2. Pack staples to cook with.
3. Bring your own pots and pans (usually one large wok, and one medium saucepan).
4. Bring allergy cards.
5. Download translation apps and make sure your phone will work at your destination (or get the necessary SIM and/or pocket wi-fi to enable you to do this); ensure you know the local number to dial for emergency services.
6. Pack medication onboard.
7. Pack plenty of wet wipes and snacks for the airplane.
5. If possible, select the airline that can (or can best) accommodate your child’s food allergies, including any specials meals that they offer; be sure to book the special meals in early.
7. Arrive at the airport early - both at check-in and at the boarding gate, and ask if you can board early so that you have time to wipe down the surfaces on the plane where the children will be sitting and speak to the staff about any concerns you may have.
8. Research hospitals, traffic and reliability of the local ambulance, and nearby grocery stores and allergy-friendly restaurants prior to your trip.
9. Obtain additional travel insurance to cover allergic reactions (including anaphylaxis).
10. Take a note of emergency phone numbers for the country/countries you will be travelling to, and ensure you can dial these from your phone while you are over there (including any apps needed if you only have wi-fi access).
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia also have some great information on travelling with allergies.