Airline caterers

Your in-flight meal or the meal that is served while you are on a commercial airline is prepared by an airline caterers. Typically these meals are decided upon and made by the caterer with the customer in mind. Most often chicken or beef is served with a salad and a dinner roll, followed by a dessert. Most caterers do understand that these meals will not always accommodate all customers so they usually prepare others with special considerations or alternative choices. The vegetarian and those who only eat kosher sometimes have to order their meals in advance. Other special menus and factors that the caterer will consider are cultural diets, meals for babies and infants, medical diets, religious diets, and fun foods that small children would enjoy. Caterers know and understand that a small child would much rather eat a hotdog and some French fries than grilled halibut and a salad.

Airline caterers also prepare for the morning flights by offering either a continental breakfast or some may serve a hot breakfast consisting of cereal, fruit, and perhaps a muffin or a bagel. No longer is it the case that airline catering is thought of as substandard dining. The quality of the food that you will receive on your next commercial flight all depends on which caterer your airline employs. Some caterers offer five star ratings for their food service, especially on longer flights.

Because of an ever changing economy, many airlines are no longer serving complimentary meals but instead have opted to charging for meals or just offering complimentary snacks. Obviously the food cannot be prepared in flight by a caterer but rather has to be prepared in advance, frozen and then heated on the ground before the flight departs. Airline catering are aware that high altitudes can alter the way that food tastes because it alters the taste buds.

The biggest concern for the catering industry is food safety. Not only are caterers very cautious in avoiding any cases of food poisoning but the last thing they would want to encounter are an extremely ill pilot. This is why meals that are catered to the flight crew are very restricted. Some foods are completely banned from the crew including eggs and dairy. Many flights also require that no member of the technical crew can consume any of the same food just as a precautionary measure.