Airline food safety

An estimate of how many people fall sick each year from foodborne illnesses runs into millions. Airlines that carry and serve food need to be especially careful at all stages from food packaging to passenger service. Food products may encounter a variety of health hazards as they travel through the supply chain, including excessive temperatures and over-long storage periods.

Food safety measures must be applied in food preparation handling, transport and storage if foodborne illness is to be avoided. Some foods such as meat, chicken, fish and seafood are especially vulnerable to bacterial contamination due to poor storage.

To minimize the risks and protect consumers and employees, airlines will implement safe food handling guidelines at every stage of the food production and supply chain process.

Regulatory temperature guidance for airlines

Airlines need to ensure that they are following strict standards and regulations in order to maintain proper food safety. These include Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) - an approach to preventing contamination of food in production, packaging, and distribution environments - and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), among many others.

Timestrip temperature monitoring for inflight catering

Timestrip indicators can be used to monitor the temperature of perishable food items during transportation, such as meals that are prepared in advance and stored in refrigerated units prior to being loaded onto the aircraft.

They provide a clear visual indication of whether food has been stored or transported outside the safe temperature range, which is crucial for avoiding the growth of harmful bacteria and ensuring that the food remains safe for consumption.

Airline staff can quickly and easily identify whether any of the food has been exposed to temperatures that may compromise its safety, and take appropriate action to prevent the distribution of potentially harmful food to passengers.

A good example of Timestrip indicators for use in aviation food monitoring is the Timestrip Food 8ºC. This indicator shows a clear irreversible alert at 8ºC - i.e. if the food goes above normal chill temperature.

This tamper-proof, single-use, light weight indicator monitors cumulative temperature breaches during the entire transportation and storage process, ensuring that passenger safety is safeguarded.

Timestrip indicators are easy to use and can be activated with a simple squeeze. They are highly cost effective compared with other temperature monitoring solutions.

New electronic options for food temperature monitoring

Timestrip’s new neo indicator is a small, very light electronic device that offers even greater accuracy – at least +/- 0.5ºC and can avoid unnecessary wastage of food at marginal temperatures. Special configurations of Timestrip neo are available to order.

Whichever product is chosen, Timestrip indicators provide a simple, cost-effective way to monitor food safety in the airline industry, helping to ensure that passengers are served safe and high quality food during their travels.