Minimum Standards of Food Service onboard Flights

[Wannabe Flyer]

Hello all,

I am doing a research on airline food and the regulation governing them. I have been unable to find any organisation (ICAO) or other wise that lays down international standards of food and beverage service as well as guidelines air lies have to follow. In specific I am looking at guidelines to see the following

1) Is there a guideline on meal service based on flight time
2) Is there a guide line for food service type based on flight timing
3) What are the nutritional guidelines on the food that has to be served (basis of quantity calculations and calories etc.)
4) Any specific regulations on reheating and time from production to service.
5) Are there any specific bans on food items that cannot be served on board.

Would much appreciate if someone could either point me in the direction of where I can find this data and/or give me some more information on the above. If this is not the appropriate forum please do transfer it to a more appropriate one.

Thank you :ok:

[mad_jock]

Nope there is nothing.

And food preparation next to toilets is pretty much banned in every first world country to boot.

The provision of food is a contractual agreement with the pax.

There is company rules for the prep and hold over times but these are more for liability reasons and the fact its very expensive to divert a plane with a full load having the squits.

There are regulations for some food types and it varies between country's (think pork)

There are also some food types which company's forbid for various reasons with excuses which may or may not have anything to do with the real reason.

For example peanuts are banned a lot of the time using the excuse that people can get a reaction from them. In reality its mainly because they make such a bloody mess. None of the other products on board are nut free.

[Wannabe Flyer]

Mad Jock

Thank you....I did not realise how such an aspect is not regulated at all.... probably the reason why there is decent food and then there is crappy food.

[Piltdown Man]

However, you will find that most first world airlines have very stringent quality assurance and control programs. Regularly we carry water samples from outstations. These are tested for a entire range of nasties. The food and drink we serve is tested before, during and after preparation. Everything we serve with on board is also tested. And then you have the taste test. In my opinion, our passenger and crew food is palatable. Much of the passenger food is pretty good and all of it included in the fare, including the drink. As for what we serve that is set by the marketing and customer services people. The controlling factors are flight time and ticket class - there is no controlling legislation.

PM

[mad_jock]

That's the pax rules, there are rules though on the crew's food.

But its mainly to try and stop the crew all eating the same thing and all being incapacitated at the same time.

[Wannabe Flyer]

Thank you for that.. On the water and food testing i figured as much as I have seen stations go offline for any pick up with food being ferried in for the outward leg on the same flight.

[crewmeal]

Some carriers will carry food in the hold for use on return flights on certain flights.

[Agaricus bisporus]

An "airline" I once worked for used to keep the food and drink (15 seater scheduled services) in holdalls , one on the toilet floor splash tray, one on the toilet seat as there was nowhere else to stow it.

I questioned this appalling practice with food standards and public health people and was told that in UK none of the restaurant/shop/retail health/hygiene regs apply to an airline as it is not specifically selling food to the customers, that consumption was probably occurring in foreign airspace and that nothing could be done bar a sick pax taking the company to court in a private action.

Amazing!

[BlankBox]

...biggest regulator is what can be put on a tray for $3...$4...$5 "as contracted" per pax.

[Piltdown Man]

You'd be amazed at the cost of an extra olive or slice of tomato. The price if the additional item might be 0.025p but when multiplied by 50,000 every month, the additional costs start to mount up.

PM