Authored By: Candace Whitman
Have you ever thought about the quality of in-flight meals? A recent NBC News investigation looked at the safety of airline catering.
According to NBC’s article, although airlines and airline caterers are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are held to different standards than restaurants because they do not sell food directly to the consumer. While restaurants are typically inspected every six months, airline caterers are inspected every three to five years.
NBC states, “When airline food inspections do occur, they can reveal serious safety violations — as many as 22 in a single inspection — but rarely lead to penalties.”
It is often challenging to track these incidents because it can be complicated for passengers to report their illness and the nature of travel makes it difficult to narrow down the cause of the foodborne illness in a group of people.
NBC said they received separate statements from airline catering companies, LSG Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet and Flying Food Group, that each, in summary, explained that the companies "are committed to meeting the highest food safety standards, comply with all federal regulations, and undergo internal and external audits. All three said they have taken action any time an issue is identified."
For more interesting information on the safety of airline food, click here to read NBC News’ article.
Photo Credit: Jaromír Chalabala