Video Clip: Intervine and Type One Together highlight need for drink options for T1D passengers
This is a special feature from the March 2025 Special Meals/Pre-WTCE digital issue of PAX International, on page 24.
Discussing Type 1 Diabetes-friendly drink choices for airline passengers with Type 1 Together
Having several drink options inflight can make or break the inflight experience for passengers—but it goes beyond quenching thirst and enjoyment for those living with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Having appropriate drink options available is integral for maintaining blood sugar levels, when to raise it and when to lower it.
As Amanda Berg, Director of Parent Support at diabetes support organization Type One Together and mom of a child with T1D, points out, the options on board often fall short. “If I need to have access to a low-sugar drink for my daughter while we’re travelling, essentially our only options have been water or diet soda,” she says.
For families like Berg’s, this lack of variety means they must over-prepare, bringing their own drinks or adjusting insulin doses.
Managing blood sugar can be especially tricky when flying. With so many variables—altitude, stress, dehydration—blood sugar levels can swing unpredictably. As Raquel Baron, Founder of Type One Together, who lives with T1D, explains, it is not just about avoiding high blood sugar; sometimes, people living with diabetes need drinks that can help stabilize or prevent a blood sugar drop.
“While people living with diabetes have different management styles that work for them, what we do all need is access to a variety of options—both for diabetes management but also just for what we want,” says Baron.
This is where Intervine, a food and beverage distributor and supplier that works with airlines to provide a range of drinks and products, including options that cater to various dietary needs such as gluten-free, allergen-free and vegan, hopes to help.
Amy Jullien, Corporate Vice President at Intervine, understands that a one-size-fits-all approach to onboard beverages does not work for everyone. “Intervine offers a range of beverage options suitable for passengers with diabetes, focusing on choices with minimal impact on blood-sugar levels,” she says. “These include still and unsweetened sparkling water, herbal teas, black coffee, plant-based milks, fresh-pressed tomato juice and coconut water.”
Waterloo sparkling water packs flavour but contains no added sugar or sweeteners
For airlines to improve the beverage offerings for passengers requiring special options, Jullien recommends a focus on drinks without added sugars or artificial sweeteners. “For example, Longbottom Tomato Juice offers 100 percent fresh tomato juice, unlike some commercially processed brands that contain added sugars to enhance flavour,” she says.
For those who want more flavour, Intervine offers alternatives such as Waterloo sparkling water, which contains no added sugar or sweeteners. Jullien also suggests that airlines can consider offering non-alcoholic wines, such as Proxies. She explains that Proxies non-alcoholic wine typically has less sugar than regular wine, but it depends on the type of wine you’re comparing it to.
"All of these suppliers offer award-winning drinks that ensure high-quality options without compromising on taste,” says Jullien.
Access to information is what is most important, according to Jullien. “Whether diabetic or not, technology plays a key role in making information more accessible, empowering travellers to make choices that align with their individual needs and preferences,” she says. “For example, airlines could include a QR code or URL on the menu, directing passengers to detailed product information. This would give passengers the information they need about what they consume.”
Non-alcoholic wines, such as Proxies, can be a good offering for passengers with Type 1 diabetes
Baron echoes this call for added communication. “Frequent travellers may know what to expect when it comes to drinks offered, but it would be nice to know about the options available on board before boarding to help us prepare for the flight accordingly,” she says.
Providing diabetes-friendly drink options on flights is not just a health matter—it is about improving a safe and enjoyable travel experience.
“It’s great that airlines provide several high sugar options that come in handy for low blood sugar incidents,” says Baron. “That being said, when a Type 1 diabetic has high blood sugar or just prefers not to give lots of insulin for their drink of choice, more low sugar options would be great.”
Longbottom Tomato Juice offers 100 percent fresh tomato juice, without added sugar to enhance flavour
