Everyone – especially on long-haul flights – has had experience with inflight meal service, which we covered on this blog some time back. And now here´s a more in-depth look at the strict protocols and regulations that make food safety practically absolute.
Some Common Elements
These are some of the rules common to food on almost all planes:
- Meals have a shelf life of approximately 72 hours before being discarded. This is the time window within which food is considered to retain its properties (taste, quality, expiration date, etc.). So if a plane is delayed for a certain number of hours, all the food on board will be replaced.
- Each food tray must have napkins or wet towels for proper hygiene, and all accessories (cutlery, salt, condiments, etc.) must have their own separate packaging.
- The captain and co-pilot cannot eat the same meal. And when you think about it, it’s easy to understand why: in the (highly unlikely) event of food poisoning, only one of the two would be affected.
Strict Food Hygiene Rules on Aircraft
We referred to food poisoning as highly unlikely because, although 100-percent safety is impossible, it´s extremely high, because behind that each dish there are an extensive number of regulations that make it very difficult for spoiled food to reach your seat. The catering service on an airplane follows much more rigorous regulations even than the already strict security controls on land. It is easy to understand that food poisoning on board an airplane entails logistical complications (such as the number of toilets, for example). And these are the regulations under which it operates:
- Those of the relevant ministry of the country in which the food is prepared. In Spain, for example, this is regulated under the National Plan for Control of the Food Chain, which is shared by several ministries.
- Those of each airline itself as well as those of the company responsible for catering. At this point we are delighted to mention that this year Iberia, whose supplier is DO&CO, received the PAX Award for the best onboard food service in Europe (PAX International is a respected publisher covering the area of passenger services).
- International food safety and hygiene standards such as those of the European Union.
- Food regulations of the destination country as well as their dietary habits (think, for example, of countries that do not consume certain types of meat for cultural or religious reasons).
- All health regulations relating to the packaging, transportation, handling and preservation of foodstuffs.
Under What Conditions Are Airline Meals Prepared?
How is this daunting number of food-safety protocols applied? The companies that prepare the food to be served on airplanes comply with strict hygiene standards to ensure that their spaces are always spotless. They are sanitised every few minutes and work at very low temperatures to prevent the proliferation of bacteria.
The staff working in these large kitchens wear special clothing to combat the cold and prevent food from becoming contaminated. Compliance with these standards is completed by constant inspections and audits, which, of course, conducted without prior notice.
Normally, food to be taken on board a plane is prepared approximately eight hours before takeoff. It is then frozen or refrigerated, properly protected and packaged, taking into account all the food safety regulations we have discussed. Once on board, it is finished cooking on the plane, usually in steam ovens.
Challenges for Chefs: Why Does Food Taste Different in the Air?
And here comes another of the big questions. Have you noticed that food on airplanes tastes different, generally more bland? This is due, among other reasons, to the fact that at that altitude our taste buds lose some of their sensitivity. It´s therefore normal to add a bit more salt than usual (around 15 percent more, to be precise). But the challenge for chefs does not end there, as they must think of cooking techniques that are compatible with food safety and at the same time maximise the flavour of what they cook.
Iberia’s inflight menu offers a wide variety that includes intolerances, allergies, or dietary restrictions for religious/ethical reasons or pregnancy, so that everyone can eat as they prefer or need to. In addition – and this is one of the reasons why we received the PAX award – we use top quality products while promoting Spain´s extraordinary cuisine, with local and seasonal products whenever possible.
Do all foods lose flavour at the same rate? Not at all; some can handle altitude better, such as chicken or pasta, which is why you’re likely to find these on the menu. There are even some that taste better when you fly. A hint? Order a tomato juice on board and see for yourself!