A British tourist with a severe nut allergy was left terrified after a pecan pie was primed to be served as a dessert on her Virgin Atlantic flight from Los Angeles to London Heathrow.
Josie North, 28, from London, alerted cabin crew to her allergy before boarding and was assured no nuts would be served. However, just 15 minutes into the 10-hour journey, she spotted the nutty dessert on the menu and immediately called over an attendant.
She said: 'I felt sick to my stomach. There was a chance I could die if that many people around me were eating nuts all at once.' After she insisted on speaking to a senior crew member, the captain was involved and agreed the pie would be replaced with Oreos and KitKats.
Ms North had also asked for an announcement to inform fellow passengers of her allergy. She claims the first announcement only mentioned a peanut allergy, not all nuts. She insisted on a second, correct announcement, but was still horrified to see the pecan pie on the menu shortly afterwards.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: 'We would like to apologise to Ms North for any incorrect information she may have received prior to her recent flight with us. We would like to reassure her that a full investigation is taking place. The health and safety of our customers is always our top priority.'
Ms North is now raising awareness of the dangers of serving common allergens in confined spaces, saying: 'To actively include food items that contain nuts on a flight is extremely dangerous and unnecessary.'
