Emirates Responds After Celiac Passenger ‘Throw Up For An Hour’ Over Being Served Wrong Croissant

A passenger on a flight from Dubai to Los Angeles on June 5 claimed she was left with diarrhea after eating a croissant that wasn’t gluten-free. Emirates is currently investigating but then, Chloë Chapdelaine, 25, was reportedly served what looked like a tasty-looking continental breakfast on a tray labeled ‘gluten free’ an hour into the flight. But half into eating the croissant, she believed it tasted too good to be gluten-free and decided to check with a flight attendant.

While Emirates is investigating the situation, Chapdelaine was left sobbing after she ate a croissant and said in a TikTok clip that she believed it was suitable for her to eat. 

The clip, dubbed the worst flight of my life, shows the sobbing traveler inside the airplane bathroom explaining what had transpired. Chapdelaine explained she spent an hour throwing up and spent the remainder of the flight feeling nauseous with bad stomach cramps and diarrhea. She also claims she suffered from itchy skin and that she’ll have to cope with the mental repercussions of what happened for two weeks, including brain fog and feeling depressed. 

According to Chapdelaine, an ashen-faced air hostess did return from checking with staff to confirm it wasn’t gluten-free. 

Chapdelaine, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, said in her TikTok: ‘As I was eating one of the croissants that was on the tray, I had a really bad feeling. It tasted so good and I have never tasted such a good gluten-free croissant before. I then questioned why they would have such a good gluten-free brand on a flight and this is when I questioned whether it was actually gluten free to a flight attendant.’

The traveler said the air hostess then ‘went pale’ and upon checking told her it wasn’t meant to be on her plate and that it wasn’t gluten-free.

‘Immediately I went into shock and started to panic,’ the content creator added. ‘I am very highly sensitive and my celiac disease will react to a trace amount or cross contamination.’ Chapdelaine was not upset that she had broken her gluten-free diet, but rather feared she would be experiencing symptoms for weeks. ‘It was a moment of panic,‘ she explained ‘I went to the bathroom and made myself physically sick and was in there for about an hour throwing up, which was horrible.’

Chapdelaine continued, ‘I knew if I didn’t do this it would cause my body a lot more damage,’ adding she could feel the other symptoms starting straight away, such as bad stomach cramping, diarrhea, nauseated, and itchy skin – as when she eats gluten her skin breaks out in hives or a rash. ‘I have to deal with the mental effects like brain fog or I get depressed for the next couple of weeks,’ Chapdelaine stated. In another TikTok, she explained she had not eaten gluten for almost nine years since she was diagnosed with coeliac disease. 

‘For me this isn’t the first time I have been exposed to gluten on a plane,’ she said. ‘Fortunately, last time I realized before I ate it but had I not, I would have eaten it and the same thing would have happened. It’s not a one-time thing and also on half of the flights I have taken – I travel all the time – gluten-free meals are forgotten.’ Chapdelaine explained people are quick to question why those with coeliac disease don’t bring their own food on a flight but ‘that isn’t always possible as when you’re travelling and in a hotel room you don’t have access to a kitchen.’

Chapdelaine claimed some border securities also don’t let you bring food items over the border – such as meat, dairy, seeds, or nuts.

The Canadian urged airlines to take allergies and intolerances on flights seriously and believes if she had a nut allergy the situation would have been different. ‘I do feel like coeliac disease is not taken as seriously [as nut allergies] at times. I do feel that people with food allergies or sensitivities deserve to exist safely and be taken seriously in their medical condition and that’s not always the case.’

@chloe.chapdelaine I’m feeling defeated today. I often share about gluten free travel, but not the struggles. This stuff happens too often 🥺 did you spot the outlier? 🥐 @Emirates #glutenfreetravel #glutenfreelife #airplanefail #celiacdisease ♬ apathy (Sped Up) – Øneheart

‘I just hope the airlines specifically take allergies or just medical conditions seriously when it comes to serving people food on planes because it can have lasting effects for lots of people.’ After the video went viral, Emirates replied, saying the airline is investigating the complaint. An Emirates spokesperson said: ‘We are disappointed to hear Ms. Chapdelaine’s complaint. Emirates aims to cater to all passenger-specific needs by offering a number of special meals that cover as many medical, dietary and religious requirements as possible.’

Emirates added, ‘The safety and health of our customers is taken very seriously. Ms. Chapdelaine has reached out to our Customer Affairs team, and we are investigating the issue.’ However, Coeliac disease is a condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten, according to the NHS. This damages your gut (small intestine) so your body cannot properly take in nutrients. It affects around one in 100 people and is caused by an adverse reaction to wheat, barley, and rye. 

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