Advisory given to airlines on in-flight food safety

Airlines have been asked to prioritise food quality and ensure transparent labelling of all food items

In response to rising concerns over the quality of food served during flights, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken a decisive step by issuing a comprehensive advisory to airlines. The advisory emphasises the need for airlines to prioritise food quality and ensure transparent labelling of all food items provided to passengers.

"The flight operators shall ensure that the passengers are well aware of the FSSAI license number of both the caterer/manufacturer as well as the flight operators, which are airlines. Basic details in case of prepared foods, such as the name of the caterer, FSSAI license number, date and time of packaging, and use by date and time, shall be ensured on the packaging along with the other details as applicable as per FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020," the Authority said in its recent advisory. Also, they must inform passengers that they can lodge food-related grievances on the FSSAI's Food Safety Connect App.

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It added that the flight kitchen operators and In-Flight food service providers shall comply with the FSS Act, 2006, and the Rules and Regulations, including the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.

The authority also stated that in its surveillance drive to inspect the supply chain of food served to in-flight passengers, it observed discrepancies in the description of ‘Kind of Business' in the FSSAI licenses.

"It has been observed that food is being prepared by flight kitchen operators, which are caterers located in and around the vicinity of the airports, and then transferred through specialised vehicles like insulated refrigerated vans/wagons to the flights. In the flights, food is then served to passengers of that particular flight through the staff of the airlines, which is inflight food services," it added.

"Numerous complaints have surfaced in recent times regarding the poor quality of food and beverages served during flights. One notable incident involved the discovery of maggots in sandwiches served on an IndiGo flight, which garnered widespread attention after a passenger shared a video of the ordeal on social media. Following this incident, the FSSAI issued a ‘show cause notice' to IndiGo for serving what was deemed ‘unsafe food' to the passenger," said aviation rights activist Adv. Yashvant Shenoy, highlighting the necessity of stringent advisory issued by FSSAI.

A FSSAI official requesting anonymity said, "To prevent such incidents and uphold food safety standards for passengers, the FSSAI is closely monitoring the entire in-flight food supply chain. Amidst observed irregularities, we have adopted a stringent approach, issuing clear guidelines to airlines to ensure the provision of safe and high-quality food during flights."