WHAT: What’s cooking with... airline food?

Though some may find it hard to stomach in-flight food, it is still the safest to be consumed because of its strict hygiene and safety measures. ANUSHA K. writes.

HONESTLY, I have never been fond of in-flight meals. Be it on a business class flight or economy, the rather bland taste almost always results in me merely picking at my food. But a visit to KL Airport Services Sdn Bhd (KLAS) in-flight catering division gave me a renewed perspective of the effort and steps taken to ensure hygienic, safe and tasty meals while we’re up in the air.

The highest hygiene levels have to be practiced — from the workers handling the food, down to the cleanliness of the machinery involved. This is because an upset stomach in the air will, at the very least, cause discomfort, or worse, an emergency landing, which will cost the airline millions. KLAS in-flight catering division provides full in-flight catering meal services, meeting all the requirements outlined by the airlines. It is also capable of providing tailor-made menus at the request of customers (outsource catering is also provided). Some of its clients include Saudi Arabian airlines, Qatar Airways, Egypt Air and Royal Brunei Airlines and ad-hoc/VVIP private and chartered flights. A wholly-owned subsidiary of DRB-HICOM, it’s Malaysia’s only licenced independent ground handler that provides a comprehensive range of services, including ground handling, cargo aircraft maintenance and engineering and in-flight catering.


What goes on in the catering division, then? The process starts with the menu grid confirmed by the airline clients. Typically, the food preparation process comprises the following steps: Receive and check the quality of raw materials For poultry and eggs, the required suppliers will have to go through a lab test first to ensure that the meat and eggs are hygienic and have halal certification. “Many actually don’t pass the basic test, and we will have to choose the best supplier, and stick with them,” said Asri Sahari, head of the in-flight catering division in KLAS. About 300kg to 500kg of raw materials are needed daily. All materials should not have bones and shells (only egg yolks are allowed which are bought from the supplier and stored in liquefied form in a pitcher) and all materials should be safe at source. Vegetables and fruits are stored separately in a chilled room while poultry is stored in the freezer. Stocks are dated from the date they are received and cannot be kept for more than two weeks. Asri said they observe the “first in, first out” practice with regards to the materials.


In-flight catering services are also required to conform to very high international standards set by the airline governing bodies, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Prepare the raw materials by cleaning and cutting according to specifications Cutting vegetables to your fancy is not allowed here. Every cube of watermelon to a slice of bell red pepper is cut according to the measurement (e.g. 4cm) and it has to be the same for every meal. The essential kitchenware are the samak machine (washes all items used by the airlines), freezer, chiller and cooking utensils such as knife, pots, pans, oven and burners. There are also two types of chopping boards, one for vegetables and fruits while the other is for poultry. After the cleaning and cutting is done, all items are sent to the kitchen to be cooked. “It is a common miscon-ception that airline food is not tasty, but that has to do with air pressure. What is salty here on the ground may not be salty in mid-air,” said KLAS chief operating officer, Shukrie Salleh. Most of the food prepared here have added salt, spiciness and sweetness. Prepared food products are sent to the blast freezer for an hour All prepared food products are sent to the blast freezer for an hour, which is one of the most vital steps throughout the entire process. The blast chiller prevents the growth of bacteria. “As the food is pre-cooked, it has to be frozen and reheated later to prevent bacterial growth,” Shukrie added. It is left in the chiller for four hours at 10ºC before the food is apportioned in accordance with the airline’s menu specifications four hours before loading. KLAS is informed 48 hours in advance on the amount of meals needed, depending on the airline or menu cycle.


The meals are then left on the airline’s carts and sent to the holding room before flight. The whole process takes about 24 hours. Most of these stores are relatively chilly to avoid humidity and unwanted bacteria. The handling, delivery and operation of the entire food preparation and production require stringent monitoring to ensure that quality is maintained. All employees are given typhoid shots every three years as a preventive measure. Operating 24 hours a day, KLAS’ in-flight catering staff work on an eight-hour shift from 7am to 3pm, 3pm to 11pm or 11pm to 7am.