DoT: Oops, We Can't Ban Peanuts on Planes

The Department of Transportation has been publicly considering banning or restricting the distribution of peanuts on airplanes, in deference to those with severe allergies. But when it issued its latest airline rules yesterday, it revealed that it literally couldn’t do anything—thanks to a 12-year-old law specifically preventing them from messing with its peanut policy without more scientific study, CNN reports.

Some airlines have stopped serving peanuts anyway, or instituted peanut-free zones buffering allergy sufferers from the hated nuts. But many airlines, including Delta and American, say they still can’t guarantee peanut-free flights. The non-change came after a public comment period that saw 2,100 weigh in, with most supporting a total ban. “My 6-year-old has severe peanut and tree nut allergies, and I am fearful to put him on a plane,” wrote one. (More Department of Transportation stories.)