Live frog in QF inflight salad (merged)
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A passenger on a Qantas flight received a nasty shock when she took the lid off her inflight salad to find a live frog on top of the cucumber.
The surprise was served on a flight from Melbourne to Wellington.
The woman had the presence of mind to slap the lid back on her meal, preventing the airborne amphibian from escaping.
A flight attendant was called and removed the container, said Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Quarantine Service spokesman Cyril Evans.
The Qantas crew notified MAF while the plane was still in the air and Quarantine Service staff were waiting when it landed at Wellington Airport.
The 4cm brownish-coloured frog, a native of Australia known as the whistling tree frog - its call has a slight whistling sound - was taken from the plane and "euthanased" by being put in a freezer.
A Qantas spokesman said that since the incident in February, the airline had changed its lettuce supplier and introduced "additional procedures into the salad supply process".
Tree frogs are common in the area where the lettuce was grown.
The salads were supplied in sealed bowls from an external contractor, the spokesman said, but the airline randomly checked such food.
Mr Evans said it was the first time he had heard of a frog hitching a ride.
"Insects and rodents have been found on other aircraft but this frog could carry parasites or other diseases that posed a danger to native frogs or even other species."
MAF was grateful to airline staff for contacting it so quickly.
"They could have just chucked it in the bin and not said anything but they were very helpful and responsible," he said.
The incident was regarded as a "one-off" and no further action had been taken.
The surprise was served on a flight from Melbourne to Wellington.
The woman had the presence of mind to slap the lid back on her meal, preventing the airborne amphibian from escaping.
A flight attendant was called and removed the container, said Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Quarantine Service spokesman Cyril Evans.
The Qantas crew notified MAF while the plane was still in the air and Quarantine Service staff were waiting when it landed at Wellington Airport.
The 4cm brownish-coloured frog, a native of Australia known as the whistling tree frog - its call has a slight whistling sound - was taken from the plane and "euthanased" by being put in a freezer.
A Qantas spokesman said that since the incident in February, the airline had changed its lettuce supplier and introduced "additional procedures into the salad supply process".
Tree frogs are common in the area where the lettuce was grown.
The salads were supplied in sealed bowls from an external contractor, the spokesman said, but the airline randomly checked such food.
Mr Evans said it was the first time he had heard of a frog hitching a ride.
"Insects and rodents have been found on other aircraft but this frog could carry parasites or other diseases that posed a danger to native frogs or even other species."
MAF was grateful to airline staff for contacting it so quickly.
"They could have just chucked it in the bin and not said anything but they were very helpful and responsible," he said.
The incident was regarded as a "one-off" and no further action had been taken.
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I am quite impressed, I would have reasonably expected a frog in an airline meal would be more likely to have expired long before I was served it, either by old age, malnutrition or poisoning.
This may just be the modern equivalent of weevils in Commander Aubrey's bread???
This may just be the modern equivalent of weevils in Commander Aubrey's bread???
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Live frog in QF inflight salad
travelbiz.com
Live frog in QF inflight salad
A passenger on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Wellington found a live frog on top of the cucumber in her inflight salad in February, it has been revealed.
The woman quickly put the lid back on her meal to stop the frog from escaping.
A flight attendant was called and removed the container, according to New Zealand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Quarantine Service spokesman Cyril Evans.
The Qantas crew notified the ministry while the plane was still in the air and Quarantine Service staff were waiting when it landed at Wellington Airport.
The four-centimetre native Australian whistling tree frog was taken from the plane and put in a freezer.
A Qantas spokesman said that since the incident the airline had changed its lettuce supplier and introduced "additional procedures into the salad supply process".
Tree frogs are common in the area where the lettuce was grown.
The salads were supplied in sealed bowls from an external contractor, the spokesman said, but the airline randomly checked such food.
The incident was regarded as a "one-off" and no further action had been taken.
4 May 2004
============================================
Live frog in QF inflight salad
A passenger on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Wellington found a live frog on top of the cucumber in her inflight salad in February, it has been revealed.
The woman quickly put the lid back on her meal to stop the frog from escaping.
A flight attendant was called and removed the container, according to New Zealand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Quarantine Service spokesman Cyril Evans.
The Qantas crew notified the ministry while the plane was still in the air and Quarantine Service staff were waiting when it landed at Wellington Airport.
The four-centimetre native Australian whistling tree frog was taken from the plane and put in a freezer.
A Qantas spokesman said that since the incident the airline had changed its lettuce supplier and introduced "additional procedures into the salad supply process".
Tree frogs are common in the area where the lettuce was grown.
The salads were supplied in sealed bowls from an external contractor, the spokesman said, but the airline randomly checked such food.
The incident was regarded as a "one-off" and no further action had been taken.
4 May 2004
============================================
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Well now, don't see what all the fuss is about..
It was fresh wasn't it?
It was fresh wasn't it?
The four-centimetre native Australian whistling tree frog was taken from the plane and put in a freezer.
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Silly woman. Doesn't she know the introduction of frogs to the salad is a freshness test, a bit like the top of a food jar which pops when opened if the contents is still fresh.
Dead frog ..... don't eat
Live frog ..... dig in ..... fresh frog legs!!!
Dead frog ..... don't eat
Live frog ..... dig in ..... fresh frog legs!!!
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Toadily disgusting. I bet she was hopping mad. She could have croaked on it. Apparently the legs made it back over the Tasman on the very next flight in Business Class.
Sorry....
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4cm is a bit small.
Hardly can eat anything in it, maybe the legs can be used as toothpicks.![Bad teeth](https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/badteeth.gif)
Sorry, couldn't resist, you know 'ow ze Froggies are
Oh, BTW, dear Mod, there is still another thread on same subject in Pax & SLF.
Hardly can eat anything in it, maybe the legs can be used as toothpicks.
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Sorry, couldn't resist, you know 'ow ze Froggies are
Oh, BTW, dear Mod, there is still another thread on same subject in Pax & SLF.
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"euthanased"
"was taken from the plane and "euthanased" by being put in a freezer"
Poor Frog.
Tell me New Zealand.........
Why did the frog have to die?![Boo Hoo](https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/boohoo.gif)
Why murder a such a harmless little animal?![Boo Hoo](https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/boohoo.gif)
It could have settled down in New Zealand and increased the IQ of the whole land by 100%
Poor Frog.
Tell me New Zealand.........
Why did the frog have to die?
![Boo Hoo](https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/boohoo.gif)
Why murder a such a harmless little animal?
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It could have settled down in New Zealand and increased the IQ of the whole land by 100%
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