Food services provided to passengers aboard are handled by Airlines and their catering partners. While the food quality is checked and maintained according to the guidelines for plane food international issued under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), every single meal may not be thoroughly checked to ensure the absence of foreign materials.
Recently, a passenger aboard an Air India Bengaluru-US flight faced the ordeal of finding a metallic blade in his food. After reporting the incident to the crew and posting about it on the social platform ‘X,’ the netizen even shared a picture of the meal.
The incident drew the attention of FSSAI, which inspected TajSATs, the official caterer of Tata’s Airline subsidiaries, and its food preparation facility. A thorough investigation revealed that the blade came from one of the vegetable choppers used at the facility. The blade allegedly detached from the machine and got stuck in a vegetable piece.
To prevent recurrence, the food regulator directed the installation of an X-ray machine to detect any metal or foreign substances in the food. Till then, it ordered manual chopping of vegetables. The Airport Health Officer at Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore, also inspected the catering services of other airlines to ensure better safety. FSSAI further asked all airlines to strictly follow the Guidelines for plane food indigo and improve the quality of meals served to passengers in light of repeated complaints.
FSSAI’s Airline Food Compliance Mechanism
In January 2024, after a worm was found in an Indigo passenger’s meal, the FSSAI issued directions making it mandatory for airlines to follow the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, along with labelling and packaging rules. These also align with TSA food rules and the Guidelines for plane food internationally to ensure hygiene across global carriers.
FSSAI requires flight kitchen operators and in-flight food-service providers to also comply with FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. A surveillance drive was conducted by FSSAI in furtherance of this to inspect the supply chain of food served to the passengers on board.
FSSAI’s Airline Food Grievance Redressal
As part of grievance redressal, passengers can use the Food Safety Connect app to raise complaints about food quality and safety. This app serves as a strong countermeasure against poor standards, ensuring that travellers, whether domestic or international, are served safe meals in line with the Guidelines for plane food indigo and TSA food rules.
For any queries, reach out to FSSAI at 1800112100, or download the Food Safety Connect App from the Play Store or App Store to lodge a formal grievance.
Watch this video by Jaagruk Bharat and learn how to raise a complaint for food Contamination to FSSAI.
