Text 5. Food on the fly: in-flight catering

An airline meal or in-flight meal is a meal served to passengers on board a commercial airliner. These meals are prepared by airline catering services. They vary widely in quality and quantity across different airline companies and classes of travel. They range from a simple beverage in short-haul economy class to a seven-course gourmet meal in long-haul first class.

The airline dinner typically includes meat (most commonly chicken or beef) or fish, a salad, a small bread roll, and a dessert. Caterers usually produce alternative meals for passengers with restrictive diets. These must usually be ordered in advance, sometimes when buying the ticket. Vegan or vegetarian needs require advance notice, as do the dietary concerns of any passenger who is diabetic or required to control their food intake because of a medical condition.

After the September 11th attacks in 2001, both first class and coach class passengers were restricted to plastic utensils (also known as "Sporks"). Condiments (typically salt, pepper, and sugar) are supplied in small sachets. For cleanliness most meals come with a napkin and a moist towelette. First and business class passengers are often provided with hot towels and proper salt and pepper shakers.

During morning flights a cooked breakfast or smaller continental-style may be served. On long haul flights breakfast normally includes an entree of pancakes or eggs, traditional fried breakfast foods such as sausages and grilled tomatoes, and often muffins, bagels or other pastry, fruits and breakfast cereal on the side. Food on board the flight ranges in price from free to as much as ten dollars.

On the longest flights in first class and business class, most Asian and European airlines serve multicourse gourmet meals, while airlines based in the US tend to serve large, hearty, meals including a salad, steak or chicken, potatoes, and ice cream. The price varies from airline to airline. Air China is also minimizing costs by loading only 95% of all meals to reduce leftovers and storing non-perishable foods for emergencies. Meals must generally be frozen and heated on the ground before takeoff, rather than prepared fresh.

Food safety is paramount in the airline catering industry. A case of mass food poisoning amongst the passengers on an airliner could have disastrous consequences. Food safety with technical crew meals (pilots and flight engineers) is sometimes even stricter than for passengers. Many foodstuffs are banned completely from crew meals, including all egg products and often any dairy that has not been ultra-heat treated. The meals supplied on some airlines are labeled with the position of the crew member for whom they are intended, and no technical crew member eats any of the same products as his or her colleague. This ensures that each pilot eats a different meal to minimize the risk of all pilots on board being ill.

While the contents may have improved and the quality increased through today's dedicated in-flight caterers, corporate pilots say that the old-fashioned boxed lunch is still their best bet - if not their favorite.

That can mean anything from top-shelf deli meats to a warmed up chicken sandwich, or a couple of hot dogs warmed up in the galley.

The box lunch may also mean something more exotic - Thai, Chinese, or Japanese fare, Mexican or American - with other accoutrements like cheese and toast, a fruit cocktail or fresh fruit salad. Perhaps chips and crackers.

Answer the following questions:

1. Did you notice that the perception of saltiness and sweetness drops 30% at high altitudes?

2. Do you mind using plastic cuttlery while in-flight?