AIR LINE FOODS MORE RISKY?- NEW FINDINGS

Air travel, especially of long duration, is both tiresome and boring. In-flight music and video entertainment facilities make such travels some what tolerable while the foods served are supposed to be of mouth-watering quality. Modern Air Lines companies even offer diverse menu options to cater to different ethnic and cultural back ground of potential travelers. It is in this context that recent reports damning the safety of these foods emanating from the US are raising some alarm among travelers using US Carriers. While FDA is to be complimented for bringing to surface gross violations of hygiene and sanitary standards in kitchens where the foods are prepared for supply to the air lines. What is appalling is the response of the Carriers brushing aside these allegations lightly and probably FDA may have to take severe deterrent action against such repeat violators immediately lest the passenger confidence on airline foods is shattered. Here is a gist of the report culled out from reliable international media which provides a sad reading.

Airplane food has long been the butt of jokes for being bland, unimaginative and generally unappetizing, but now there is evidence to suggest that the meals served by airlines are not just lackluster, but they might actually make passengers sick. Inspections of airlines and outside caterers conducted by the Food and Drug Administration have revealed facilities crawling with mice, roaches and ants, and food preparation areas swarming with flies. According FDA health violation records obtained by ABC's 20/20, over the past four years, there have been more than 1,500 violations in the airline food industry. The federal agency said that 'significant' problems were found at a much higher rate than in other industry it inspects.

No one is arguing that in-flight catering is an easy job but unless some minimum safety precautions are taken health of many passengers may be adversely affected. It was not along ago that under recessionary trends, air traffic volume started declining and with fierce competition among the players to attract traffic, food was being considered as an instrument to cajole passengers to travel by air. There were even a few reports that some major air line companies were planning to upgrade their menu to offer very high quality preparations on par with 5-star restaurants. Alas that proved to be a non-starter once the air traffic became normal. All air line must understand the basic fact that passengers are not yearning for home foods while they travel but they will never compromise with products prepared in infected and infested kitchens which can put their life in danger. It is time that kitchens preparing foods for air line passengers are brought under a global safety regime and protocols that can be easily monitored by competent food safety specialists on a 24/7 basis.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
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