The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has instructed all airlines and flight caterers to strictly adhere to food safety regulations and promptly take corrective actions to minimize incidents related to food safety.
During a recent meeting, FSSAI CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao instructed airlines and flight caterers to adhere to labeling and display regulations. The aim is to provide passengers with information about the nature, origin, and manufacturing details of the food served during flights.
“The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) convened a meeting with leading flight caterers and airlines on January 16, to evaluate and enhance the existing food safety protocols within the airline catering industry. The objective was to identify areas requiring improvement and to reinforce the commitment to providing passengers with safe and high-quality inflight meals,” an official statement released on Thursday stated.
During the meeting, FSSAI officials underscored the significance of promptly and effectively addressing consumer grievances. Airlines and caterers were urged to establish a robust mechanism for implementing corrective and preventive measures to reduce food safety-related incidents. The Authority highlighted the critical role that airlines and caterers play in ensuring the safety of passengers.
“Acknowledging a common concern regarding the lack of readily available information for passengers regarding inflight food, the CEO, FSSAI directed all flight caterers and airlines to strictly comply with sub-regulation 5(10) (f) and 8(4) of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. This directive aims to improve transparency by providing passengers with detailed information about the nature, origin and manufacturing-related details of the food served during flights,” the official statement added.
Stakeholders were additionally encouraged to prioritize menu labeling as a tool to educate passengers about the contents of the food served, enabling them to make informed choices.
“During the discussion, the need for specialized training programs for catering staff to ensure a comprehensive understanding of food safety and hygiene practices was given emphasis,” the FSSAI added.
Recently, a passenger raised concerns after finding worms in her sandwich during a flight, prompting FSSAI to issue a show-cause notice to the airline.
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